Orange Chicken Wings

These very sticky wings are prepared with orange marmalade preserves, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, chilies, and seasonings. Orange Chicken Wings are the stickiest and most delicious wings you’ll ever eat! They are baked until crispy on the outside and tossed in one of the quickest and easiest sauces! These wings don’t need a special occasion; serve these any time you feel like it!

I used to think that to get a perfectly browned and crispy chicken wing, I would have to fry it, but I later found out I was wrong. As in the case of these Orange Chicken Wings, frying is not a must at all. In fact, these wings are first coated with cornstarch and then baked on a wire cooling rack. Once they’re baked, they are transferred to a large skillet with the sauce and finished over high heat until the sauce has generously coated each and every wing.

I have been preparing chicken wings for over twenty years. Every combination that you might think of, I’ve done it already, whether they be baked or fried, original or crispy, and saucy or plain too. Here’s the proof! These Japanese Chicken Wings are sweet and salty. Old Bay Chicken Wings are super flavourful and crispy. Balsamic Glazed Wings are smoky and vinegary. And, these Salt and Pepper Wings are proof that simple seasoning can sometimes be all that you need!

BAKING WINGS ON RACKS

Science comes into play when baking wings at high temperatures on a wire cooling rack. The wire rack keeps the wings elevated so that heat can get all the way around each and every wing. That, coupled with the high temperature, helps to render out the fat in the skin. This also helps to make the wings crispy without the need for frying.

When these chicken wings come out of the oven, you have two options. You can eat them just as they are because they really are that good. And, there is certainly nothing wrong with just plain wings with just a bit of salt and pepper! Or you can toss them in the sauce. I personally love to add a dipping sauce as well. In this case, I served my Orange Chicken Wings with the leftover orange sauce. But, if you want a contrasting dipping sauce, I would recommend my Buttermilk Dill Ranch Dressing.

Truth be told, Dear Reader, the best way to enjoy chicken wings is to eat them like nobody is watching. They are meant to get your hands dirty and sticky. If you’re eating them the right way, you’ll have sauce on your mouth and sometimes, in your beard – that’s if you have a beard! So, go ahead; enjoy yourself!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post. 

For the Chicken Wings:

• Chicken Wings – This recipe is for 2 pounds of chicken wings. That should yield about 10-12 wings per pound. If you have whole wings, cut them so that the drumette and wingette are separate. I discarded the wing tip.
• Ground Black Pepper & Salt
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is the key to a light and crispy coating on the wings.
• Nonstick Cooking Spray

For the Sauce:

• Orange Marmalade – I know it seems rather odd, but trust me, it works! Store-bought marmalade is great or you can try my homemade orange marmalade here.
• Barbecue Sauce – Like the marmalade, store-bought is fine. Use your favourite sauce. Just in case you’re interested, here’s my homemade barbecue sauce as well.
• Orange Juice
• Vinegar – I’m using white vinegar. You can use cider, champagne, rice, etc.
• Brown Sugar – Just a little bit of brown sugar helps to make a syrupy sauce.
• Hot Sauce – This is optional, but I love the combination of spicy and sweet.
• Dried Red Chili Flakes – This is optional as well, but the heat pairs so well with the sweet citrus.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic is best and lots of it!
• Cooking Oil

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE CHICKEN WINGS

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a cooling rack on it. Set that aside. Transfer the wings to a mixing bowl with the salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Toss the wings well until coated. Next, coat the cooling rack with cooking spray and transfer the wings to it. It’s imperative to lay the wings out so that they are not overlapping or even touching for that matter. The space between the wings will encourage faster cooking and more browning.

Bake the wings for 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven and use tongs to turn each wing over. Place them back into the oven to bake for 10 more minutes. Once done, remove from oven and set aside. While the wings are baking, add the garlic and cooking oil to a large skillet. Over medium heat, cook the garlic until fragrant and lightly golden brown in colour.

Next, add the orange marmalade preserves, barbecue sauce, orange juice, white vinegar, brown sugar, hot sauce, and dried red chili flakes to the skillet. Stir and cook until the sauce begins to bubble. At this point, turn off the heat until the wings are fully baked. Add the fully cooked wings to the skillet and turn the heat on to high. Toss the wings well to coat in the sauce. Continue to toss over high heat until the sauce thickens and sticks to the wings. Plate and garnish with parsley.

WANT EXTRA SAUCE FOR LATER? MAKE IT AND FREEZE IT!

A sauce that freezes well is always preferred.  And, I freeze just about every sauce I make.  The only sauces or dips that I refrain from freezing are hummus dips or avocado/guacamole-based dips.  They just do not hold up well after being thawed. 

The sauce used in this Orange Chicken Wings recipe can be frozen and thawed quite easily.  Now, I firmly believe that a saucy wing recipe needs to have an abundance of sauce, but not everyone feels the same way. You can make the batch as written in the recipe and save some for the freezer. You can even double the sauce recipe and remove half from the skillet before adding the wings. Let it cool and then freeze it for later.

For that matter, you can prepare the sauce on its own. Double it if you wish. Portion the sauce out into ice-cube trays and freeze them that way.  When completely frozen, pop them out and save them in a freezer-friendly resealable bag.  Take out one or two when you need them and keep the rest frozen for up to three months.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

If you’re much like me, you can be easily satisfied with just a plate of chicken wings and a few napkins. That’s how I enjoyed these Orange Chicken Wings, but if I were serving it as a meal, I would want to serve it with a few sides. Keep in mind that in the case of these wings, they’re sweet and spicy. So, serve it with something light, refreshing, crisp, and plain.

Plain!? I can’t think of another word! What I mean is something with a subtle flavour. I would also consider serving it with a coleslaw. Anything spicy always pairs well with the cooling taste of a really good coleslaw! Everyone seems to like carrot and celery sticks with wings. Veggies will certainly help to cool the tongue if these wings are too hot for you. At the end of the day, you can serve it with whatever you want. I completely support serving whatever works for you – what about just a plate of well-seasoned fries? Yes!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!