When I make hot wings, I try to look for the spiciest recipe. But with the last recipe that I used, Bobby Flay’s Hot Wings, it required 3 different kinds of peppers and it still wasn’t spicy enough! So I kept researching recipe after recipe and finally, a perfect one emerged. There were 3 levels of hotness to choose from (hot, hotter, and hottest) so I chose the hottest one. It consisted of 3 steps: (1) marinating the wings in a jalapeno mixture, (2) rubbing it with chili powder, and (3) finishing it off with a hot asian chili sauce. Was it spicy enough? Yes! I was sweating profusely, my nose was running, and I was barely able to eat 3 of these! (The boyfriend was able to gorge on the rest of these wings no problem.) But aside from the spiciness, I was really able to savor all the flavors, from the lime juice, to the ancho chili powder, to the Sriracha. So even though it was quite a struggle to eat these, it was definitely worth it!

Chili-Rubbed Wings (adapted from Food Network):

  • Vegetable oil, for greasing
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 3 pounds chicken wings, split at the joint, tips removed

For the jalapeno mixture:

  • 2 jalapenos
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the hot asian chili sauce:

  • 3 tablespoons Sriracha
  • 3 tablespoons honey

Put jalapenos, cilantro, cayenne, lime juice and vegetable oil in a food processor and finely chop.

Toss with wings.

Pour wings with jalapeno mixture inside a Ziploc bag and let marinate for at least 2 hours.

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly oil.

Mix the chili powder, cumin, coriander, cloves, 2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl.

Remove the wings from the jalapeno mixture and brush off marinade. Add the wings to the chili rub and toss to coat.

Spread the wings, spaced apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until browned and crisp, about 40 minutes.

About 5 minutes before the wings have finished baking, combine the honey and Sriracha and brush the wings to coat evenly.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately.