Mexican-Inspired Crispy Chicken Wings

5 from 7 votes

Mexican-Inspired Crispy Chicken Wings

Mexican-inspired Crispy Chicken Wings, oven baked to perfection, are tossed in lime juice, topped with crumbled cotija, and a bright and spicy drizzle. They are simple to make and can go from fridge to table in a less than an hour.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Course: Appetizer, food and drink, Main, Snack

Cuisine: Canadian, Fusion, Mexican, north american

Keyword: chicken wing recipes, game day food, Mexican chicken wings, snack ideas, super bowl food

Servings: servings

Calories: 468kcal

Author: Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai

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

Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on a wire cooling rack. Place the rack on a baking sheet and allow the wings to dry in the fridge. Time permitting, allow the wings to dry out for 2-3 hours but if you are making the wings right away, let them dry while preheating the oven.
Preheat oven to 425°. Pat any moisture from the wings using a paper towel. Place the wings in a bowl and drizzle with cooking oil and one teaspoon of chipotle powder. Rearrange the wings on the wire rack and place in the oven to bake for 40 minutes, turning after 25 minutes, then turning again after 35 minutes.
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, half teaspoon of chipotle powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.
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.

Notes

If you do not have a wire cooling rack, then dry the chicken wings out on parchment paper. You can also bake the chicken wings on parchment, but reduce cooking time by 5 minutes.
Cotija cheese can be substituted with feta cheese, and crema fresca can be substituted with sour cream.

Nutrition