These zesty tequila lime wings are crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside. Easy to make in an air fryer or oven, they’re packed with Mexican flavor. Serve with creamy tequila-lime dipping sauce and juicy wedges of lime.
💚 WHY YOU’LL LOVE TEQUILA LIME WINGS
- The zesty spice rub has a Mexican vibe. The taste pairs well with a spicy strawberry Margarita or a pineapple Margarita.
- This party favorite is simple to make with common ingredients and pantry staples. Serve it with chips and guacamole.
- It’s an easy recipe to scale up. Make wings for one, or enough to feed a hungry crowd. Leftovers can be put in the fridge and saved for later.
- Serve wings as an appetizer or meal. It’s an ideal dish for Cinco de Mayo, Game Day gatherings, and year-round enjoyment.
- The tequila-lime dipping sauce is so darn good. It’s tangy, cool and refreshing. And it pairs perfectly with the zesty, spicy wings.
🛒 INGREDIENTS
Tequila Lime Wings
- Chicken Wings: I highly recommend buying “party wings” which have the flat and drumette already separated. Because breaking down chicken wings can be a real hassle.
- Olive Oil: Helps turn our spice rub into a paste so it sticks to the chicken. It also helps the chicken skin crisp in the air fryer.
- Blanco Tequila: Any brand of silver tequila will do. It adds great south of the border flavor and helps tenderize the chicken wings.
- Lime Zest: For a bright lime taste. It pairs well with tequila and salt.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Chili Powder: Is aromatic, savory, and mildly spicy. It imparts a delicious Mexican flavor.
- Ground Cumin: Warm and earthy with a hint of citrus, it adds instant depth to the chicken wing spice mix.
- Onion Powder: Dehydrated onion that’s finely ground. It’s a flavor enhancer that provides a savory umami taste.
- Garlic Powder: Has a savory rustic flavor that elevates the recipe. We use powdered instead of fresh so the garlic is more evenly disbursed throughout the spice mix.
- Smoked Paprika: Contributes a lovely red color to the spice mix, along with a smoky flavor and aroma.
- Cayenne Pepper: Adds additional red color and a touch of heat.
👩🏻🍳RECIPE TIP: If you don’t have all the spices on hand for this recipe, feel free to substitute with 1 tablespoon of your favorite store-bought or homemade taco seasoning, or chili-lime seasoning instead.
Tequila Lime Dipping Sauce
- Sour Cream: Thick, rich, creamy and cool, it’s the tangy base of our dipping sauce. (I prefer Daisy brand sour cream.) It pairs well with our spicy tequila lime wings.
- Lime: For juice and zest. It adds freshness and acidity to the recipe. If possible, use a Mexican lime (same as a Florida Key lime) – small and round with a smooth skin. It’s more flavorful and less tart than a regular lime, and it has an amazing floral aroma.
- Fresh Cilantro: Adds a fresh grassy flavor to the dipping sauce. But if you don’t care for cilantro just leave it out.
- Blanco Tequila: Adds a zesty flavor that pairs well with lime.
👉🏻 RECIPE TIP: It’s easier to zest the lime before you juice it. Use a microplane zester/grater if you have one.
📖 RECIPE STEPS
Tequila Lime Wings – Air Frying Method
RECIPE PREP: Preheat your air fryer using the preheat function or by heating it at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels.
- STEP 1: Make the spice rub paste. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, blanco tequila, lime zest, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- STEP 2: Add chicken wings to the bowl. Toss and massage the spice rub into the wings. With tongs, arrange wings in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Space them out. Leave enough room around each piece so hot air can properly circulate around them and make all sides crispy. If needed, cook the wings in batches.
- STEP 3: Air fry for 15 minutes. Flip the wings and cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the desired crispness is reached and the internal temperature registers 165ºF on a kitchen thermometer. While the wings are cooking, assemble the tequila-lime dipping sauce.
- STEP 4: Transfer the tequila lime wings to a serving tray. Garnish with a scattering of cilantro to add freshness and color. Serve immediately with tequila-lime dipping sauce and juicy wedges of lime.
Tequila Lime Chicken Wings – Oven Method
RECIPE PREP: Adjust 1 oven rack to the center position, and 1 oven rack to the top position. Line a rimmed baking tray with foil. Place a metal rack over the tray. Spray it with cooking spray.
- STEP 1: Pat wings dry with paper towels. In a bowl, toss wings with 1 teaspoon baking powder. Arrange wings on the metal rack in a single layer – skin side up. Refrigerate 30 minutes to a few hours uncovered.
- STEP 2: Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large bowl, combine ingredients for the spice mix. Toss wings in the mix and massage to evenly coat. Return the wings to the metal rack over the baking tray with the skin side up. The pieces can be close together. They’ll shrink as they bake.
- STEP 3: Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside – flip them over and rotate the tray halfway through cooking. The wings should reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. For crispier wings, broil for 1 minute on each side.
KITCHEN TIP: If smoke develops in the oven, change out the foil liner on the baking tray then continue cooking.
Tequila-Lime Dipping Sauce
- STEP 1: Add all the ingredients to a small bowl. Stir briefly to combine.
- STEP 2: If not using immediately, cover the bowl and refrigerate. It’s important to keep this dip for chicken wings fresh and cold.
🧑🏼🍳 RECIPE FAQ
These are the most commonly-asked questions for making the BEST-tasting tequila lime wings and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
Here’s an easy guide for how to cut chicken wings by thekitchn.com.
By drying out the skin. Toss the wings in 1 teaspoon baking powder (NOT baking soda). Line a rimmed baking tray with foil. Arrange wings on a metal rack set over the lined tray – in a single layer. Let the chicken sit in the fridge uncovered for 30 minutes to 4 hours, or even overnight.
For food safety, the internal temp of wings should be 165ºF. That’s when they’re done and safe to eat. But to achieve extra-crispy wings, you may want to keep cooking them a bit longer.
In 1 pound of party wings there are about 10-12 pieces. As an appetizer this will feed 2-3 people. But as a main dish, 1 pound per person.
French fries, carrot and celery sticks, fried zucchini, and apple slices.
When stored in the fridge in an airtight container, cooked chicken wings will last for up to 3 days.
Preheat air fryer to 350ºF. The skin on the cold wings will be wrinkled and soft. Arrange the wings inside the basket in a single layer, leaving space between the pieces. Air fry for 5 minutes. Flip them over and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes more, or until they’re warmed through and the skins puff up and become crispy again.
MORE CHICKEN WINGS & CHICKEN BITES
If you’re a fan of chicken wings and chicken bites, get ready for a huge dose of flavor. This round-up of tasty appetizers are guaranteed to please a crowd. Add them to your collection, one and all.
RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor tester rated these the BEST zesty tequila lime wings. They loved that they were crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. They greatly enjoyed the taste of the spicy rub, and the refreshing tequila-lime dipping sauce.
If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Tequila Lime Wings
- Total Time: 30 Minutes
- Yield: 3 Servings 1x
Description
Tequila lime wings are crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside. Coated with a spicy tequila rub, they’re served with a cool and refreshing tequila-lime dipping sauce. A great appetizer or meal.
Ingredients
Tequila Lime Wings
- 1 pound chicken wings
- Baking powder – optional
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons blanco tequila
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Tequila-Lime Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 lime, zested and juiced (plus additional limes for serving)
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 tablespoon blanco tequila
Instructions
Tequila Lime Wings – Air Fryer Method
RECIPE PREP: Preheat your air fryer using the preheat function or by heating it at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Pat the chicken wings dry between lint-free paper towels. [For extra-crispy wings see “notes.”]
- Make the spice rub paste. In a large bowl, stir together the olive oil, tequila, lime zest, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- Add chicken wings to the bowl. Toss and massage to evenly coat.
- With tongs, arrange the wings in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Space them out. Leave enough room around each piece so hot air can properly circulate around them and make all sides crispy. If needed, cook the wings in batches.
- Air fry for 15 minutes, then flip the wings over. Cook an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 165ºF on a kitchen thermometer and the desired crispness is reached.
- Transfer the cooked tequila lime wings to a serving tray. Garnish with a scattering of cilantro to add freshness and color. Serve immediately with tequila-lime dipping sauce and juicy wedges of lime.
Tequila Lime Wings – Oven Method
RECIPE PREP: Adjust 1 oven rack to the center position and 1 rack to the top position. Line a rimmed baking tray with foil. Place a metal rack over the tray. Spray it with cooking spray.
- Pat wings dry with paper towels. In a bowl, toss wings with 1 teaspoon baking powder (NOT baking soda). Arrange wings on the metal rack in a single layer – skin side up. Refrigerate 30 minutes to a few hours uncovered to dry out the skins.
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large bowl, combine ingredients for the spice mix. Toss wings in the mix. Massage to evenly coat. Return wings to the metal rack over the baking tray – skin side up. The pieces can be close together. They’ll shrink as they cook.
- Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside – flip them over and rotate the tray halfway through cooking. The wings should reach an internal temperature of 165ºF. For crispier wings, broil for 1 minute on each side.
Tequila-Lime Dipping Sauce
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Stir briefly to combine.
- If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate.
Notes
If you don’t have all the spices on hand: Substitute with 1 tablespoon store-bought taco seasoning or chili-lime seasoning.
How to make extra-crispy wings: By drying out the skin. Toss the wings in 1 teaspoon baking powder (NOT baking soda). Line a rimmed baking tray with foil. Arrange wings on a metal rack over the lined tray – in a single layer. Let the chicken sit in the fridge uncovered for 30 minutes to 4 hours, or even overnight.
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 25 Minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Keywords: Tequila Lime Wings, Tequila Lime Chicken Wings, Tequila Lime Wings Recipe, Zesty Wings
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