These crispy baked chicken wings are glazed with a citrus tequila glaze. They’re great as a light dinner or game-day snack.
I hope everyone had a good Labor Day weekend. We had a really busy weekend and spent most of it at the Los Angeles Times The Taste event. On Monday, we just wanted to relax and have a low-key day so I whipped up these easy crispy baked chicken wings to snack on while watching US Open tennis.
I’ve wanted to make tequila wings ever since I made my tequila lime chicken crispers. I followed the same process and baked the chicken wings until their skin turned golden and crispy.
For the glaze, I switched things up a little and added some lemon juice to make it taste more like a margarita. I like the glaze because you can still see the golden color of the wings, plus it’s easy to make while the wings are in the oven.
Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
You don’t need to deep fry chicken wings to get them nice and crispy. I’ve also made Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings and Baked Salt and Pepper Wings and it’s always fun to come up with new flavors like these tequila-glazed ones I’m sharing today.
I like that you can bake wings in the oven because you can bake them all at once (instead of frying them in batches) and clean-up is really easy.
- You will need a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- It’s important to pat the chicken wings with a paper towel to remove excess moisture. If the wings are too wet it will take longer for the skin to crisp up, so don’t skip this step.
- Place the wings in a single layer on the baking sheet. It will take 40 to 50 minutes for the chicken wings to cook at 400°F. Keep an eye on them towards the end of the cook time and remove them from the oven once they’ve reached your desired level of crispiness.
Tequila Glaze
While the wings are in the oven you can make the glaze. The glaze is a citrus-tequila, which reminds me of margaritas. I like to use reposado tequila, which is an aged tequila because it has a very mellow flavor compared to other tequilas.
The glaze doesn’t need long to cook, so I like to make it about 10 minutes before I take the chicken wings out of the oven.
Ingredients
- White sugar
- Light soy sauce
- Reposado tequila
- Triple sec
- Lime juice
- Lemon juice
- Cornstarch
- Water
Combine all of the ingredients, except the cornstarch and water, in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a low boil for a few minutes.
Mix the cornstarch and water together in a bowl and then add it to the saucepan. The cornstarch will help thicken the glaze, which should only take about a minute.
Brush the baked chicken wings with the tequila glaze. I like to garnish the wings with some chopped cilantro before serving them.
Crispy Tequila Wings
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb party chicken wings
- chopped cilantro optional garnish
for the glaze
- 2 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup reposado tequila
- 2 tbsp triple sec
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water + 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat wings dry with paper towel and then lay them on baking sheet. Place into oven and roast for about 40-50 minutes or until the skins of the wings reach desired crispness.
- When chicken is about 10 minutes from finished, make the sauce on the stove. Add all sauce ingredients except the cornstarch + 1/4 cup water. Bring to a low boil. Be careful to not cook too long or else the alcohol will completely disappear.
- In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water, then add to the mixture. Stir until sauce boils again and cook until sauce becomes thick (should take less than 1 minute. you don't want to cook too long or you will evaporate all the alcohol). Brush finished wings with glaze. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
I almost don’t believe that these wings are baked and not fried.. they look so crispy and delicious! Need to try the recipe.. loving the sound of that tequila glaze too!
wings can actually be quite delicious baked! I discovered that earlier this year and now I love baking wings.