This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

20140610-IMG_7343

Everyone has their version of this popular game day, pub crawl, late night, BBQ party, easy, yet scrumptious food. Tell me you don’t like chicken wings and I will have to look at you side ways.

20140609-IMG_7042

The chicken wing is pretty much an American tradition, a rite of passage… it should be illegal to not like them.

20140609-IMG_7065

Such an honored food, it has an array of preparation methods. From fried to baked; a plethora of marinades, sauces, glazes; and a large assortment of dipping sauces for your ultimate chicken wing pleasure. All of them are good.

20140609-IMG_707620140609-IMG_7081

I have never met a chicken wing I didn’t like. However, I do play favorites…according to my own personal preference in taste. I am sure there are going to be plenty of you out there who are going to disagree with me; maybe even call me a wing-blasphemist… but I prefer the baked variety.

20140609-IMG_7117

I like to taste the chicken wing, not the crap its been dunked into before being dropped to its death in the deep fryer. The common problem with baked wings – they often lack the crispy texture and the juicy, moist chicken quality of its batter and fried counterpart.

20140609-IMG_7160

After much research, I finally found a solution to that problem. I combined 2 of my favorite methods (one being from the master of culinary science, Mr. Alton Brown; the other being from the creative culinary genius folks behind Serious Eats) into a chicken wing deserving of a picture on a wall in the hall of fame.

20140609-IMG_7182

By first steaming the wings, you are helping rid the wing of excess moisture. This aids in creating a crispy skin. Then taking it one step farther, sprinkling and tossing them with baking powder and letting them to air dry over night in the refrigerator, allows for maximum crispness to happen once baked.

20140610-IMG_7263

This method really is great…I have NO idea what took me so long to put 1+1 together to create 1 mind-blowing, crispy, tender, juicy, get ready to lick your fingers good, chicken wing.

20140610-IMG_7276

This method won’t disappoint even the most critical, self-proclaimed, or award-winning chicken wing connoisseur. Bold statement? Yes. But I’m willing to back it up with the recipe below.

20140610-IMG_7300

If you are like me and prefer baked wings, you absolutely MUST give this a try… it’s the American thing to do!

20140610-IMG_7323

I prepared mine with a jerk rub first and after baking, tossed them with an outstanding flavor explosion inducing sauce that combines honey, chipotle, and pineapple.

20140610-IMG_7317

These are the chicken wing JAM people! Like, take your socks off so they don’t get blown across the room or into someone’s lap, GOOD.

20140610-IMG_7391

So get you butt to the store, purchase some wings, spend a little time in the kitchen and make these today 🙂 !

20140610-IMG_7401

-xoxo-

Cheyanne

20140610-IMG_7396

 

Jerk Chicken Wings with Honey Chipotle Pineapple Glaze

5 from 1 vote
Crispy Steamed & Baked Jerk Chicken Wings (With Chipotle Honey Pineapple Glaze) Prep Time: 20 minutes Inactive Time: 10+ hours Cook Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 11 hours 20 minues+ Serves: 2-4…this really depends on how much you like chicken wings. *Inspired, adapted, and combined from Alton Brown and Serious Eats*

Ingredients 

  • WINGS:
  • 2 Pounds Chicken Wings
  • 3-4 tsp Jerk Seasoning , according to your taste (I HIGHLY recommend Grace Brand Jamaican Jerk Seasoning, it can be found in the ethnic isle of your local grocery store)
  • 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • SAUCE:
  • Heaping 1/3 Cup Honey
  • 1/2 Cup Pineapple (and its juices) – coarsely chopped
  • 2 TB Ketchup
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tsp Lime Juice
  • ½ Small Yellow Onion – coarsely chopped
  • 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo – coarsely chopped
  • (Plus 1 tsp adobo sauce, optional – if you want it extra HOT)
  • ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • ¾ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Pepper
  • Optional Garnishes:
  • Cilantro – coarsely chopped
  • Pineapple – coarsely chopped or finely diced
  • Lime Wedges

Instructions

  • Remove wing tips from chicken wings with a sharp chef’s knife, or kitchen shears, at the joint (save these for making stock! Or discard if you must).
  • Separate chicken drumettes from flats by cutting through the joint between the two. The joint is really easy to find if you bend the flat from the drumette backwards, exposing the joint.
  • On a clean work surface, rub chicken wings thoroughly with Jerk Seasoning. Place in a large Ziploc, or baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinade for 1-3 hours (you can certainly marinade this overnight if you desire).
  • Fill a large saucepot, with a steamer basket insert, with 1- 1 ½’’ of water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
  • Add the wings, in a single layer if you can, to the steamer basket insert. Cover wings, reduce heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes.
  • Remove the wings to a clean work surface lined with paper towels, pat thoroughly dry, and place in a large mixing bowl. Set aside for a moment.
  • In a small bowl, combine the baking powder and salt. Sprinkle mixture over wings, tossing to coat evenly.
  • Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and insert a wire rack on top. Lay wings on rack in a single layer. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and refrigerate. After an hour or two, wrap the wings, still on the rack/sheet pan and covered with parchment, with plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
  • NOTE: You are not wrapping them with plastic wrap right away because you want them to dry out slightly before wrapping so condensation doesn’t produce on the inside… undoing the entire reason you tossed them with the salt/baking powder mixture and are setting them in the fridge overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove wings from the refrigerator and allow them to sit on the counter while the oven is preheating.
  • Remove plastic wrap and top piece of parchment paper, leaving the wings on the baking rack insert. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Flip wings over and continue to cook wings for another 15-20 minutes, or until crispy, browned, and cooked through.
  • While wings are baking, prepare the sauce:
  • Place pineapple, onion, and chipotle peppers in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender. Puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning according to taste.
  • Add pureed ingredients, plus remaining sauce ingredients to a medium size sauce pan. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Until sauce is thickened and can coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
  • **alternatively you can place all ingredients directly into the saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer, and then puree using an immersion blender.
  • Remove the golden, brown, crispy, delicious wings from the oven and place them in a mixing bowl large enough to hold all the wings. Drizzle Honey Chipotle Pineapple Sauce onto wings. Toss to combine thoroughly.
  • Serve warm garnished with cilantro and pineapple.

Did you make this recipe?

Mention @nospoonnecessary on Instagram and tag it #nospoonnecessary!

 

[wysija_form id=”1″]