When I think of 100% American food, chicken wings are one of the first things that pops into my mind (followed quickly by apple pie, of course!). But believe it or not, despite growing up in the good ol’ US of A, the first time I ever had chicken wings in my life was when I was in graduate school. A friend had introduced me to this yummy dish & in return, I had introduced him to Indian food. We were both hooked and not so many years later – still are! So I thought, why not combine the two? It only seemed natural & thus my Spicy Honey Glazed Chicken Wings were born. My Indianized version is healthier too, since these wings are not deep fried but rather they can be baked, broiled or grilled. But I do have to give you fair warning though, these chicken wings can be very highly addictive!

Now the key to fantastic chicken wings is in the marinade & the longer the better – in fact, overnight is best. So although this dish requires a little planning, these yummy wings will certainly be worth every bite.

If chicken wings simply aren’t available in your part of the world (I have never seen them in India), you can most certainly use chicken legs or thighs.


SPICY HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN WINGS

Ingredients:

2 to 2½ lbs chicken wings (tips removed), about 20-25 wings
3-4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1” piece of ginger, peeled & roughly chopped
1-2 small green Thai chilies, to taste
½ tsp ground cumin powder
½ tsp ground coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala
½ tsp red chili powder, to taste
¼ tsp smoked Spanish paprika
salt & pepper, to taste
½ cup orange juice
2-3 tbsp oil (canola or vegetable)
cooking spray, as needed

For the honey glaze:

3-4 tbsp honey, as needed
juice of ½ lime
pinch of garam masala
crushed red chili flakes, to taste

freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

METHOD:

Using a small blender or mini food processor, grind together the garlic along with the ginger & green chilies to create a paste – adding a little water as needed to help with the blending process.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the garlic-ginger paste with the spices (ground cumin powder, ground coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, paprika, salt & pepper) and the oil. Whisk for a few seconds and then add the orange juice. Whisk again to combine all of the ingredients together.

Now the easiest way to do this is to use a large re-sealable plastic food storage bag (like a Ziploc) – add both the chicken wings & the marinade. Make sure to remove any extra air and seal tightly, turning a few times to make sure all the chicken pieces are well coated with the marinade. Then refrigerate and let the chicken wings marinate for at least 4-6 hours but overnight is really best.

When you are ready to make your chicken wings, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Then arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet (sprayed with a little cooking spray). Bake the wings for about 25-30 minutes until lightly browned.

In the meantime, you can quickly make the glaze by whisking together the honey along with the lime juice, garam masala & red chili flakes.

Then carefully remove the chicken wings from oven & liberally brush with spicy honey lime glaze. Then simply return the baking sheet to the oven & let the wings bake for another 10-15 minutes. The chicken wings will be golden brown & crispy.

Alternatively, you could also broil the chicken wings as well. Just adjust an oven rack 4-5” below the broiling element. Then simply broil the chicken wings in your oven for about 10-12 minutes per side. Just baste them with the honey glaze in the last few minutes of broiling. You could also grill them on an outdoor grill or bbq.

Let the chicken wings cool for 10 minutes or so & then garnish with the cilantro leaves. Serve with your favorite chutneys & sauces.