These Mexican Chicken Wings (Elote Wings) are oven-baked to crispy perfection, tossed in lime juice, dressed with crumbled cotija cheese, and finished with a bright crema that'll have you licking your fingers after each bite.
Inspired by Mexican flavors, these "elote wings" combine Mexican street corn with crispy chicken wings in this mouthwatering Fusion Food Recipe. Mexican Street Corn is traditionally made by coating grilled corn on the cob in crema, chili powder, and lime, and rolling it in cotija cheese, like in our Street Corn 3 Ways. These elote wings involve a very similar process.
If you love these Mexican Chicken Wings, you'll want to explore more delicious chicken recipes! From our crispy Chicken Tenders with Hot Honey to the bold and zesty flavors of our Chicken Fajita Soup, there’s something for every craving. Looking for more globally inspired dishes? Don’t miss our Butter Chicken with Coconut Milk and Curry Fried Chicken with Mango Sour—they’re guaranteed to impress!
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Chicken Wing Recipe
- It’s incredibly flavorful: Sprinkled with chipotle, tossed in lime juice, doused with seasoned crema sauce, and topped with cotija cheese, these Mexican Chicken Wings use bold ingredients packed with intense flavors of sweet and sour notes.
- It's baked, not fried: Of course, any pub-style chicken wing that's deep fried is delicious, but trust us these chicken wings are so crispy you wouldn't even guess they weren't fried. Light, crispy, and perfectly golden, this method for oven-roasted chicken wings will be your go-to cooking technique moving forward.
- It's a crowd-pleaser: Combining two dishes into one, these elote wings are a unique twist on chicken wings. They make for an incredible Super Bowl recipe, appetizer recipe, or even a fun dinner recipe that'll impress guests with its fun presentation and flavorful bite.
Serve our Mexican Chicken Wings (Elote Wings) with our Sweet Coleslaw, Oven Baked Fries, Shaved Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad, or our Chicken, Watermelon and Feta Salad.
Ingredient List
- Chicken wings: split chicken wings, as fresh and plump as possible. Ensure they are roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
- Chipotle powder (chili powder): available in most major grocery stores, however, any chili powder will work in its place.
- Lime: fresh lime juice if available, otherwise, bottled lime will work.
- Crema Fresca: fresh cream, similar to crème fraiche, can be found in major grocery stores.
- Mayonnaise: use real mayonnaise. Avoid salad dressing-style mayo as it affects the flavor of the dish.
- Garlic: fresh garlic cloves are best but granulated garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Cotija cheese: salty, hard, crumbly Mexican cheese that can be found in most major grocers.
- Cilantro: this is optional, but brings nice color and additional flavor to the dish.
- Paprika: use smoked paprika which gives a smokiness to the wings and enhances the flavor.
- Olive oil: we use extra virgin olive oil for cooking, if you prefer, you can use a lighter oil.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Chicken wings: use this recipe with a variety of chicken preparations, such as chicken skewers, fried chicken, or fried chicken wings.
- Crema Fresca: use sour cream if crema fresca is unavailable.
- Cotija cheese: use feta cheese with cotija is unavailable.
- Make it lighter: yogurt can be used in place of crema fresca for the sauce.
How to Make Mexican Chicken Wings (Elote Wings)
1. Dry the Wings.
Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Place them into a bowl and toss them with chipotle powder and oil. Rearrange the chicken wings on the wire rack.
2. Toss in Olive Oil and Bake.
Place the wire rack over a baking sheet and bake the wings in an oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway through, until crispy and cooked through.
3. Make the Sauce.
While the wings are baking, make the sauce. Add the crema, mayo, lime, garlic, chipotle, paprika, cotija cheese, cilantro, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend on high speed until it forms a smooth and creamy sauce. Transfer the sauce to a bowl or squeeze bottle, if you have one.
4. Dress the Wings.
Once baked, toss the wings in a bowl with lime juice, salt, and pepper. Arrange the baked chicken wings on your serving platter.
5. Assemble the wings.
Liberally drizzle with about half the sauce, a handful of cheese, and a sprinkling of cilantro. Serve with carrots, celery, and the remaining sauce for dipping.
Chef's Tips
Dry the wings: if time permits, chill the wings on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet in the fridge for a few hours before preparing the recipe. This dries the skin out further.
Make them even crispier: add 2 teaspoon of aluminum-free baking powder (not baking soda) to the chili powder before tossing the wings in step 1. This draws any additional moisture from the skin resulting in a light and even crispier skin.
Add more flavor and spice: try brining the wings in the brine from hot peppers or pickled jalapeno for 8 hours before making the recipe.
Storage and Freezing
- Storing leftover sauce: any unused sauce can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. Try the leftover sauce for our Spicy Fried Chicken, Lentil Nachos, or on top of our Chopped Cheese Sandwich.
- Storing the wings: leftover chicken wings can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: ensure leftover wings are completely cool and store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 6-8 weeks in the freezer.
- Reheating: allow the wings to thaw or come to room temperature and bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes, turning once, until hot.
Recipe FAQs
Thaw chicken wings before baking by refrigerating them for 24-48 hours. For a quicker method, place sealed wings in a bowl and run cool water over them for 30-40 minutes.
In our experience, baking the wings on a wire rack ensures they are crispy and evenly cooked. If you cook them on a baking sheet, they often end up not as crispy.
If you forget to flip the wings during baking, as long as you're baking them on a wire rack, the results will be pretty much the same. If cooking the wings on a baking sheet, it is important to flip halfway through otherwise the wings will be soggy and one side will be white.
To know when chicken wings are done, check for an internal temperature of 165°F using a meat thermometer. Additionally, the juices should run clear, and the wings should be crispy and golden brown.
Always bake your wings uncovered to ensure they are crispy. If you cover them, it will trap the moisture and steam them, making them soggy.
Craving More Mexican-Style Recipes?
Did you make these Mexican Chicken Wings? Please leave a ⭐️ star rating and let us know what you loved about it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for cooking with us!
Recipe Card
Mexican Chicken Wings (Elote Wings)
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Wing Sauce
- ¼ cup crema fresca
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cotija cheese crumbled
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Garnish
- ¼ cup cotija cheese crumbled
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Place them into a bowl and toss them with chipotle powder and oil. Rearrange the chicken wings on the wire rack.
- Place the wire rack over a baking sheet and bake the wings in an oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway through, until crispy and cooked through.
- While the chicken wings are baking, make the sauce by adding crema, mayonnaise, zest and juice of one lime, garlic, a tablespoon each of cotija cheese and cilantro, chipotle powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, or squeeze bottle, if you have one.
- Once the wings are baked, toss them in a bowl with the juice of half a lime and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- To serve, arrange the chicken wings on a plate or platter. Squeeze a little more than half the sauce all over the wings, then sprinkle with a handful of cotija cheese. Top with cilantro. Serve with celery, carrots, and the remaining sauce for dipping.
Recipe Notes
- Dry the wings: if time permits, chill the wings on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet in the fridge for a few hours before preparing the recipe. This dries the skin out further.
- Make them even crispier: add 2 teaspoon of aluminum-free baking powder (not baking soda) to the chili powder before tossing the wings in step 1. This draws any additional moisture from the skin resulting in a light and even crispier skin.
- Add more flavor and spice: try brining the wings in the brine from hot peppers or pickled jalapeno for 8 hours before making the recipe.
- Storing leftover sauce: any unused sauce can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Storing the wings: leftover chicken wings can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: ensure leftover wings are completely cool and store in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 6-8 weeks in the freezer.
- Reheating: allow the wings to thaw or come to room temperature and bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes, turning once, until hot.
Griffin P says
Just finished these and they kicked ass! Highly recommended.
Philip Lago + Mystique Mattai says
Couldn't agree with you more!
Bree Joseph says
Can the sauce be made the day before?
Philip + Mystique says
Hi Bree,
Yes the sauce can be made the day before and will last about 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Before using it on the wings, pull it out of the fridge so it loosens up a bit.
Yvonne Langen says
I love how you've taken the classic toppings for Mexican corn and applied it to chicken wings. This is such an inventive and unexpected approach to a game day favourite.
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks so much Yvonne, we had a lot of fun coming up with this recipe!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I've never said no to wings and these look extra good! Love the Mexican twist! I'm sure I would eat more than my fair share 🙂 Perfect weekend eats right there!
Chef Sous Chef says
Who can say no to good chicken wings? ?
Dana says
These are gorgeous!
I'm definitely a saucy wing gal myself. I grew up outside of Buffalo, NY on the Canadian side of the border, so I was *spoiled* with wings growing up. This also turned me into a total wing snob. haha. BUT. Since moving to North Carolina, I've had to open my mind and adapt, and I can say that I really appreciate wings in different forms now. I am so in love with what is going on here. So many flavors! You can bet I'll be making these this summer. Perfect warm weather patio dinner wings 🙂
Pinning the hell out of this!
Chef Sous Chef says
Wow, you would've been spoiled, but agree there are so many flavours out there to enjoy. These are perfect for anytime of year!
Denise@urbnspice says
This is a chicken wing dream come true, Philip! Your recipe sounds so fantastic! I am pretty sure that anyone could base a party just around these wings. I will pin to try very soon. Thanks for the inspiration. Now I can’t stop thinking about them. ??
Chef Sous Chef says
LOL! Us too. They are all we think of these days!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says
I love crispy wings over saucy wings so I like the compromise you've struck here! The Mexican street corn twist is brilliant, and I appreciate your tips on getting crispy wings! I'll have to try that next time!
Chef Sous Chef says
Compromise is key. Thanks for the kind words Leanne!
Wanda says
I love any kind of chicken wings and these look fantastic! I would have never thought to put cheese on top - it's brilliant!
Chef Sous Chef says
Thanks so much Wanda! The cheese is a pleasant surprise with these wings.