These sweet and spicy chicken wings are tossed with a homemade mango-habanero sauce that you can whip together in no time. Here is the recipe.
Mango Habanero Chicken Wings Recipe
It's time for more hot wings, my friends. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE chicken wings. I'll take them any way I can get them.
When I'm not cooking at home, I enjoy running down to one of the local wing joints for a few of them. It is especially fun when they offer a multitude of different sauce options, forcing me to choose.
So hard to choose!
Not today, though. We're making our chicken wings at home, and I've already decided on the sauce here. Today we're making Mango Habanero chicken wings, and we're making this sweet and spicy sauce from scratch.
Really? YES!
Of course you can purchase a store-bought mango-habanero sauce and use it, or purchase some from your favorite wing joint, but making it at home is not only fun, but you can alter it to your personal preferences. For example - by adding in more habanero peppers!
YEP! That's what I'm doing. Extra habanero peppers for me, please. These wings are sweet and spicy and brimming with satisfaction.
I mean, just look at them. YUM!
Mango-Habanero Chicken Wings Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
FOR THE WINGS
- 2 pounds chicken wings separated and wing tips removed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning blend
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE MANGO HABANERO SAUCE
- 1 ripe mango peeled and chopped
- 6 habanero peppers chopped (use more or fewer, as desired)
- 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- Juice from 1 small lime
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup honey
They look great, right? I think so! I want more immediately.
Let's talk about how we make them, shall we? Gather up your ingredients!
How to Make Mango-Habanero Chicken Wings - the Recipe Method
First, pat your chicken wings as dry as you can get them. This will help with the crispiness.
Set the wings into a large bowl and season them with baking powder, Cajun seasonings, flour, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Toss to get them nice and coated. The baking powder helps with the crispiness.
Heat your oven to 250 degrees. Set the wings onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
I like to flip them here and set them back into the oven.
Increase oven heat to 425 degrees and bake them another 30 minutes, or until the wings are cooked through and the skins are nice and crispy.
For the sauce, add the mango, habaneros, garlic, cayenne, vinegar, lime juice and a pinch of salt to a food processor.
Process until nice and smooth.
Just look at that sauce! So good already!
Pour the sauce into a sauce pan with the honey and heat to medium-low, stirring frequently, until the sauce is warmed and the honey is incorporated, about 5 minutes or so.
Remove from heat and toss with the finished wings.
BOOM!
Spicy goodness awaits you, my friends! Grab one, will ya?
Recipe Tips & Notes
There are 3 important factors in achieving crispy chicken wings when baked in the oven. They are:
- Drying the Chicken Wings. Pat them very dry with a paper towel to remove as much moisture as possible. You can also set them in the fridge after this step and leave them overnight to dry out even further.
- Baking Powder and Salt. Baking powder and salt help to draw the extra moisture out of the skin where it can evaporate. Moisture is the key reason why oven baked chicken wings don’t crisp up as desired.
- The Baking Process. Bake the wings first at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 30 minutes, then turn up the heat and bake another 30 minutes (or until they are cooked through and nice and crispy) at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
If you’re looking for even MORE crispiness, turn on the broiler at the very end of the cooking time for a couple minutes. Just be careful to not burn them.
You can see the crispiness when you take them out of the oven. You can feel the crispy dryness on the skin. It is awesome!
I hope you enjoy them! They're perfect for game day, as a party appetizer, or DINNER if you're me!
Check Out Some of My Other Popular Chicken Wing Recipes
- Baked Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Wings
- Crispy Baked BBQ Chicken Wings
- Jalapeno-Cheddar Chicken Wings
- Grilled Ghost Pepper Chicken Wings
- Baked Ghost Pepper Chicken Wings
- Sticky Habanero Glazed Chicken Wings
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Wings
- Brined Grilled Chicken Wings with Alabama White BBQ Sauce
- Sticky Chicken Wings
Also try this: Mango-Habanero BBQ Sauce or my Mango-Habanero BBQ Chicken.
Cookbook Recommendation
If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.
- The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Mango Habanero Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE WINGS
- 2 pounds chicken wings separated and wing tips removed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning blend
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
FOR THE MANGO HABANERO SAUCE
- 1 ripe mango peeled and chopped
- 6 habanero peppers chopped (use more or fewer, as desired)
- 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- Juice from 1 small lime
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Pat the wings as dry as you can get them. This will help with the crispiness.
- Set the wings into a large bowl and season with baking powder, Cajun seasonings, flour, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Toss to get them nice and coated. The baking powder helps with the crispiness.
- Heat oven to 250 degrees. Set the wings onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
- Increase oven heat to 425 degrees and bake another 30 minutes, or until the wings are cooked through and the skins are nice and crispy.
- For the sauce, add the mango, habaneros, garlic, cayenne, vinegar, lime juice and a pinch of salt to a food processor. Process until nice and smooth.
- Pour the sauce into a sauce pan with the honey and heat to medium-low, stirring frequently, until the sauce is warmed and the honey is incorporated, about 5 minutes or so.
- Remove from heat and toss with the finished wings. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information
brian todd says
Absolutely beautiful recipe. What a fantastic kick from the Habaneros. Making the hot sauce now
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Brian!
Breana S. says
These were a hit at my house! Great tips on getting crispy wings in the oven!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Breana! Thanks!
Damien C. says
These got a nice kick for sure. Nice one. Working on your Ghost Pepper Wings next.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Definitely must try the Baked Ghost Pepper Chicken Wings or the Grilled Ghost Pepper Chicken Wings. Both rock!