Tequila Lime Wings

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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. Serve them as appetizers, lunch or dinner.

📌 Pin Tequila Lime Wings

🐓 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• 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

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.

Oven Method / Bake

RECIPE PREP: Adjust 1 oven rack to center position, and 1 oven rack to top position. Line a rimmed baking tray with foil. Place a metal rack over the tray. Spray it with cooking spray.

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.
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.
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

1. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl. Stir briefly to combine.
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.

🍽 More Wings and 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.

• Dry Rub Chicken Wings
• Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
• Baked BBQ Chicken Wings
• Buffalo Chicken Bites

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.

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