This is a super simple recipe using some ordinary store-bought ingredients, resulting in extraordinary results. As the title would suggest, limes are the featured ingredient in these easy lime chicken wings. That’s a no-brainer. But varying the type of hot sauce and chile powder is where there is room for creativity.
The lime has two functions in this recipe. Of course, the juice adds a tangy flavor, but it’s also an important source of acid (along with vinegar in the hot sauce) to penetrate the meat for an effective marinade. Without acid, this would be considered just a spice rub, and the flavors would stay on the surface of the wings. The lime in these chicken wings guarantees that the flavor will really “get in there”.
Why Lime Chicken wings?
Lime is an ingredient that bridges culinary gaps between different cuisines. My first experience using lime in such abundance was in a Mexican food context with chili-lime corn on the cob, and lime wedges used as a garnish for street tacos in Queens, NYC. In Thai cuisine, kaffir lime leaves are used in broths, some curry pastes, and in a fantastic condiment consisting of lime juice, fish sauce, and chili peppers. However, I was super intrigued about the presence of lime in 18th-century Rhode Island while doing my own heritage cooking research. My heritage is both Sicilian and Black American from Rhode Island.
From my Rhode Island food history research, I learned about the use of limes in a 1766 slave journal, showing limes being taken to a picnic and used for punch. I’m still researching how limes made it to Rhode Island in that time period, but for now, spicy lime chicken wings are how I honor those ancestors.
Chili Powder Variations
Freshly ground Pasilla chile powder.
One way to get creative with this recipe is with customized homemade chile powder. In the ingredients list, I put “chili powder” as a general ingredient if you want to buy it in the store. However, you can grind your own customized blend of chile peppers to suite your personal tastes. If you live in an area with access to Mexican products, take some time to experiment with various dried Mexican chile peppers. Buy a coffee grinder to use exclusively for grinding spices. All you need to do is lightly (and briefly) toast the chiles in a hot, dry skillet, then grind away until they’re powder-like. Sift the ground chile peppers using a mesh strainer to separate the super-fine powder from the larger flakes. This recipe was already spicy enough with the hot sauce, so I chose to make Pasilla chile powder (pictured below), which is mild in heat and has some subtle smokiness.
Look for these Pasilla chiles in stores if you want to grind your own chile powder. They’re mild in heat, earthy, and slightly smoky.
How to prepare thyme leaves
When using fresh herbs in recipes, there is a precaution when dealing with fresh thyme. The woody stems found at the lower half of the sprigs do not EVER break down in cooking, while the softer upper stems are safe to consume. I’ve heard of instances where a piece of thyme stem got stuck in someone’s throat, sending them to the ER. So, see below about how to remove the thyme leaves from the stems. It takes a little extra time, but it’s essential for food safety reasons.
Spicy Lime Chicken Wings
Ingredients for spicy lime chicken wings
- 12 whole chicken wings, or 24 pieces of drumettes and flats
- garlic powder
- chili powder
- freshly ground black pepper
- freshly ground thyme leaves
- ground and dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
- kosher salt
- Louisiana hot sauce
- juice of 3 limes
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Thoroughly wash your chicken. If using whole wings, cut them into flats and drumette sections.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl, garlic, onion, and chili powders, black pepper, thyme, parsley, sugar, and salt.
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken in the seasonings until it’s evenly coated. Then add the hot sauce, limes, and liquid smoke. Continue to toss until the chicken seasoning is evenly moist.
- Allow the chicken to marinate at least 3 hours, or overnight is preferred.
- Take the chicken out of the oven an hour before you plan to cook them, so they can come to room temperature. (Putting cold chicken in a hot oven is a cooking foul!)
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the marinated lime chicken wings on a flat sheet pan in one layer with no overlapping. Once the chicken is at room temperature, bake them for approximately 3 hours, or until the meat easily releases from the bone. Be sure to rotate your sheet pan and flip the wings every 30 minutes.
