Mexican-Inspired Crispy Chicken Wings

Crispy Chicken Wings, inspired by Mexican flavours, oven-baked to perfection, are tossed in lime juice, topped with crumbled cotija cheese, and a bright crema drizzle.

When it comes to chicken wings you can never have enough, and whether you’re feeding two or a game-day crowd, ordering in or making them yourself, chicken wings are always a favourite.

In our house, Philip and I have different tastes when it comes to wings. I love crispy chicken wings, oven baked and no sauce, and Philip loves saucy chicken wings, covered in sauce, and did I mention, he likes sauce. 

While two sets of chicken wing flavours isn’t a bad news story, every once in a while we put a Chef Sous Chef spin on two dishes, and combine them into a masterpiece. Enter: Crispy Chicken Wings inspired by Mexican Street Corn. 

Mexican Street Corn is made by grilling corn on the cob, coating it in crema, chili powder and lime, and rolling it in cotija cheese, and our chicken wing version involves a very similar process. 

Start with dry wings, and by dry we mean either leaving them in the fridge or patting them with a paper towel before baking them. The result: crispy chicken wings, the kind I love. But mixing in Philip’s love of sauce, is where the Mexican flavours come in. Drizzle crema, chili and lime over the crispy chicken wings, and top with crumbled cotija cheese and cilantro.

A chicken wing combo both Philip and I can agree on, the crispness of the skin beats any deep fried wing, with tangy, bright and spicy flavour from the sauce, and the crumble of the cotija cheese.

How to Make Crispy Chicken Wings, Oven Baked:

Dry the Wings

Time permitting, place the chicken wings on a wire rack and place in the fridge, uncovered for an hour. This will dry any moisture from the wings, resulting in a crispy skin. If you are in a rush, then you can pat the wings dry with paper towel.

Toss in Olive Oil and Bake

Once the skin of the chicken wings are dry, toss them in a bowl with one teaspoon of chipotle powder and one tablespoon of cooking oil (we prefer extra virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil). Rearrange the chicken wings on the wire rack. Place on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Make the Sauce for Your Crispy Chicken Wings

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 sauce to a squeeze bottle, if you have one.

Dress the Wings and Eat

Once baked, toss the wings in a bowl with lime juice, salt and pepper. Arrange the baked chicken wings on your serving platter. 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.

Helpful Tools and Ingredients to Make Oven Baked Chicken Wings

Below are affiliate links to products that will assist you in making our Mexican Inspired Chicken Wings Recipe. If you purchase an item through the links, Chef Sous Chef Inc. will receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

• Sheet Pans with Wire Racks
• Squeeze Bottle
• Blender
• Tongs

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