Maple Chipotle Chicken Wings

22.02.2013 Jackie Dott-Mallory (Senior Editor) 30 Comments

I have to admit, I did think about adding blood orange juice to this. I have a thing for blood oranges. But, I refrained, I was afraid I’d lose all of you who aren’t as into those guys as I am.

But I did fall back on my love of chipotle. We all have these "go to" flavors, don’t we? Even though we want to broaden our culinary horizons, we seem to be drawn back to that same section of the pantry. That’s ok, isn’t it?

I’m a chipotle, smoked paprika, roasted garlic, fresh basil,  sriracha, kinda girl. I also love with burrata cheese, masa harina and almost bitterly dark chocolate.

Just once I’d like to walk into the kitchen and have Ted Allen hand me a "basket of mystery ingredients" just so that I can figure out how to use them in a delightful way without any of my usual culinary crutches.

But for now, here are some chicken wings, beautifully balances with sweet and heat.

Maple Chipotle Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 chipotle peppers plus tsp adobo
• 2 lbs chicken wings
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup flour
• ½ tsp brown sugar
• pinch cayenne
• Olive oil spray

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450.
2. Add maple, balsamic and chipotle to a food processor, process until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
3. Rinse the wings in cold water and pat dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper on all sides.
4. In a large bowl add the flour, brown sugar, pinch cayenne. Toss the chicken wings in the flour until completely coated.
5. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray.
6. Add chicken to the baking sheet in an evenly spaced layer. Lightly spray with olive oil.
7. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with glaze, return to oven for 10 more minutes, turn over, brush with glaze. Repeat. After 30 minutes (3 rounds) turn the oven to 500 and cook chicken until cooked through, about 10 to 15 additional minutes. Remove from oven, brush with remaining glaze.