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Fire-Eater Chicken Wings – Americans eat an estimated 1 billion chicken wings during the Super Bowl! 

Tip:

  • Make sure yours are cooked to 165 degrees F using a food thermometer! – To take the temperature of a chicken wing, insert your food thermometer into the thickest part.  In most cases, this will be the drumette. 

A note from Lisa Farmer about her favorite wing recipe: I have had the honor to work with Steven Raichlen during his last three visits to Kansas City.  He is a truly amazing chef, and multi-faceted individual!  During his most recent visit promoting his book, “Man-Made Meals.”  I fell in love with his recipe for chicken wings! Fire-Eater Chicken Wings are delicious, and as in all his cookbooks, Raichlen provides well-written, easy-to-follow recipes for the less experienced cooks!  This includes experienced cooks that may not be well-versed in grilling! The books offer fantastic tutorials on whatever he is cooking.

Chicken Wing & Spice Mixture:

  • 3 – 3 ½ pounds chicken wings
  • 1 Tablespoon pimenton (smoked paprika) or sweet
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion or garlic powder
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed (optional)
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or vegetable, plus extra for oiling the wire rack

Sauce:

  • 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 3 – 6 jalapeno peppers (preferably red) or other hot peppers, thinly sliced crosswise
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • ½ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot, Crystal, or Tabasco (or to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

Instructions: 

  1. Prepare the chicken wings: Cut each chicken wing through the joints into 2 sections, the drumette (the part that looks like a little drumstick) and the flat, discarding the wing tips (or save them for stock). Place the wings in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Combine the paprika, salt, black pepper, onion or garlic powder, cayenne, and celery seed in a small bowl and mix. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the chicken wings and toss to mix. Add the oil and toss to mix.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a wire rack over aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Oil the rack with a folded paper towel dipped in oil.
  4. Arrange the chicken wings on the wire rack. Bake the wings until browned and cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes, turning them once or twice with tongs. To check for doneness – insert a food thermometer in the thickest part of the wing. The temperature should be165 degrees F.
  5. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is hot, bubbles will dance when you dip a slice of jalapeno in it. Add the jalapenos and cilantro to the butter and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the hot sauce and let the mixture come to a boil. Add a few drops of liquid smoke.
  6. Transfer the baked chicken wings to a large shallow serving bowl. Pour the sauce over them and toss to mix. Dig in!