Is there any better Super Bowl comfort food than chicken wings? Crispy skin. Spicy, tangy sauce that drips down your chin and tempts you to lick your fingers. Chased by refreshing gulps of frosty, crisp beer.
Chicken wings, of course, are perfectly suited for an endless variety of sauces. Buffalo sauce, barbeque sauce, sticky-sweet teriyaki sauce. All good, and all in our rotating chicken wing repertoire. But we came across a recipe that blows away all other chicken wings. The star of the show is Thai hot sauce, also known as sriracha, and the supporting flavors include the warm — almost exotic — nuances of cinnamon, coriander and cumin. Fresh cilantro cools the sauce, while lime juice and zest adds a hit of acidity to balance the heat. This is hands-down the Reiser family’s reigning winner for best chicken wings.
The recipe, from Iron Chef Michael Symon, includes two options for making the wings crispy: frying after a short roasting, or simply roasting longer. We chose the all-roasting method and they came out exactly as we had hoped.
Give em a try; we hope you’ll like em as much as we do! Chicken wings: the ultimate Super Bowl comfort food.
Serving idea: Easy pickled cukes and radishes using this recipe for Quick Salt Pickles
Spicy Chicken Wings
Adapted from a recipe by Michael Symon
Ingredients
- 10 pounds chicken wings, split
- 1/3 cup coriander seeds, crushed
- 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup Sriracha chile sauce (or more if you like it spicier)
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- Finely grated zest and juice of 6 limes
- 3 quarts vegetable oil, if frying
Directions
1. In a very large bowl, toss the wings with the coriander and cumin seeds, cinnamon, kosher salt and olive oil. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°F, using the convection setting if you have it, and ideally “Convection Roast.” Spread the wings on 3 large rimmed baking sheets lined with aluminum foil.
3. To cook the wings:
All-roast method: Roast for 75-90 minutes, until crispy and golden.
Roast and fry method: Roast for about 30 minutes, until firm but not cooked through. In a deep fryer or a very large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil to 375°F. Fry the wings in 4 or 5 batches until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes per batch; drain, shaking off the excess oil.
4. In a medium bowl, mix the Sriracha, butter, cilantro, lime zest and juice. When the wings are cooked (or as each batch is fried), transfer them to a very large bowl. Toss well with just enough sauce to coat.
5. Serve hot on a platter with leftover sauce on the side for those who like messier wings.
Serves 8-10