Sriracha HOT chili sauce, crispy chicken wings, and tons of garlic, make these spicy wings the *best* chicken wings we’ve ever cooked!
The wings are marinated in olive oil & spices, then baked for 30 mins. before being deep-fried to finish cooking, and get their wonderfully crispy skin. Then, you toss them in the Sriracha, butter, cilantro, and garlic sauce before serving. Yum!!!
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds chicken wings, split (serves 4)
- 3-4 quarts vegetable oil for deep-frying
For the marinade:
- 1/8 cup ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon *
- 1 tbl kosher salt
- 1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* - (we tried the orig. amount of cinnamon, then halved it, bottom line… no cinnamon. we just did not like it in this recipe! your call if you want to try it.)
For the sauce:
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup Sriracha chili sauce (or to taste)
- 3/4 stick (6 tbl) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
—————————————————–
- In a large bowl, combine coriander, cumin, cinnamon, salt and olive oil. Toss in wings to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, or overnight. (We put the wings in a 2 1/2 gal zip-loc bag and poured in the marinade)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place wings in a single layer on large, rimmed baking sheet(s). Roast for about 30 minutes, until wings are firm, but not done. (They’ll finish cooking in the deep-fryer)
- In a clean bowl, add Sriracha, butter, cilantro, zest and juice, and garlic
- Working in small batches, deep-fry wings until crispy and browned, about 5 min - add each batch to sauce, and toss to coat well
- Serve hot, on a platter with your favorite condiments
(serves 4 - figure 1lb wings per person)
Brian’s Tips:
The lightly seasoned marinade seems to hardly be enough to flavor the chicken wings, but, trust me… it does it’s job.
I’m usually the “more must be better, right?” kind of cook… so I was disappointed in the volume of this marinade. But it really gets the job done with “less is more” attitude.
You would think the hot Sriracha sauce would be too much to handle, but it mellows after blending with the butter, and soaking into the wings.
We added the minced garlic to the sauce, but next time, we are going to save some to throw on the finished wings instead - adding a raw, crunchy garlic flavor. Reminds us of Beck’s Garlic hot wings, in Sykesville, MD. Anyone?
The original recipe by Cleveland, OH, Chef Michael Symon, is in the Feb '08 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.
Update (10/17/08): We found that after baking for 30-35 minutes, letting the wings “rest” for about 10 minutes *before* deep-frying, helped the natural juices settle back into the meat. Which meant the wings were not so “wet” going into the fryer. For deep frying, we get better results with a LeCreuset cast iron dutch oven… the Presto-type electric fryers can’t hold the temperature as well.
We also shortened the deep-fry time to 2-3 minutes for our best batch yet. The skin more tender and just as crisp.
Update (04/01/08): Huy Fong Sriracha Sauce needs no refrigeration.
Any questions? Would love to hear from you. Email me at: brian [at] hotsaucedaily.com
Or better yet, leave a quick comment below.
Let me know if you try this, and how much you like this awesome wing recipe!
on Jan 26th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Your blog should come with those “DO NOT LOOK WHEN HUNGRY” warnings, yup, even though I can’t really take spicy food much to the consternation of friends and family since Singaporeans are supposed to be able to guzzle chilli by the bucketful from birth.
on Jan 26th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Thanks, Lis… maybe you’ll find that “something special” hot food that will light you up! Then you’re on your way, and your family and friends will accept you again! Kidding!
on Mar 21st, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Wifey here, and I gotta tell you, I am a huge hot wings fan. But these are , by far, the BEST wings I’ve ever put in my mouth. OMG, so good you can’t even imagine…… sigh, wish we were having them tonite!
on Apr 9th, 2008 at 7:19 am
I’ve often wondered if there was a good recipe using Sriracha –this looks very promising.
And it’s great to meet a foodie who loves hot sauce and meat!
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on Apr 11th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I know what you mean. Sriracha sauce is awesome on it’s own, and many restaurants drizzle it around the plate, but finding a recipe to actually use it is rare.
I might have to make a to-do list of finding more recipes that actually *use* Sriracha sauce, as opposed to just adding it like Tabasco or other sauces on the side.
Thanks for the great idea!
on Apr 13th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
These wings are on the menu at Michael Symon’s restaurant Lolita in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood. They are some of the best wings I’ve ever had. In the restaurant they finish them off with some fresh hot pepper slices. Yum!
on Apr 13th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Dave, that’s great that you’ve had the *real thing* at Lolita!
Thanks for correcting me about Symon’s restaurant being in Cleveland, and not Cincinnati.
Can’t wait to find out what the pepper slices are!
on May 14th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Trust me-these are some of the best wings. Hot and savory. While so enjoyable when they’re made by Chef Matt (exec. chef at Symon’s Lolita), they are easy to make at home. Personally, I add black pepper and sesame to the rub, and kaffir lime and minced garlic to the sauce (but, as mentioned above, the raw garlic goes in at the last minute). Besides some personal taste, this recipe is sound on its own.
As Chef MS suggests, they can be made in the oven and are just as good. Total time in my convection oven is a little over an hour (additional 30-40 min over the 30 min in the recipe).
Funny about the Siracha-I usually don’t even have tabasco at home. The “red rooster” has more flavor, and can be used in almost anything, LOL!
on May 14th, 2008 at 8:56 am
@pchak - I’ll have to try adding the black pepper and sesame to the rub/marinade.
Sounds like it would broaden the taste and make it more savory.
What form of sesame are you talking about? Seeds or oil?
And tell me more about the kaffir lime… the actual fruit or what?
Thanks!
on May 14th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Hi Brian,
I just add some dark seeds-sorry for not being more specific.
Kaffir lime (sometimes called Thai lime) rinds provide a richer flavor than normal lime zest. The fruit loosk more like a “monkey ball” from a walnut tree, though, LOL!
I steep a couple dried pieces in the sauce. You should be able to get it dried/brined at any store that specializes in Asian spices. I get mine from a stand at Cleveland’s West Side Market (Narrin). She also carries the requisite “red rooster” sriracha, though I can get a cheaper industrial-sized bottle at a local Asian grocer.
“West Indian” limes are supposed to be a substitute (though I suppose if you find them, you can find kaffirs ;-). I would use regular lime zest, and a little of the squeezed juice in a pinch (it will be a little brighter, but won’t take it too far out of whack).
I look forward to checking out your blog regularly.
cheers!
on May 30th, 2008 at 8:25 am
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