Chili Lime Chicken Wing Recipe

holding a chili lime chicken wing with tongs

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If you love crispy chicken wings with a little heat, a little sweetness, and a whole lot of flavor, these Chili Lime Chicken Wings are about to be your new obsession! We're talking golden brown, perfectly seasoned wings tossed in a buttery chili lime sauce that's sweet, tangy, spicy, and downright delicious.

Course 30 Minute Meals, American Inspired, Appetizer, dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword air fried chicken, chicken wings

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings Servings

Calories 55kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken Wings

12 Chicken wing pieces flats and drumettes
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning such as Slap Ya Mama
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1 teaspoon Onion powder
1 teaspoon Lemon pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Chili Lime Sauce

3 tablespoons Butter unsalted
2 tablespoons Honey
2 tablespoons Chili oil more or less to taste
1 whole Lime Juiced, about 2 tablespoons
Zest of 1 lime about 1 tablespoon, loosely packed
½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
½ teaspoon Garlic powder

Instructions

Clean your chicken, then use paper towels to pat the chicken wings completely dry. Don't skip this part! Removing excess moisture helps the skin crisp up beautifully in the air fryer.
Place the dried wings into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken wings. Add the Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon pepper.
Use your hands or a pair of tongs to toss everything together until every wing is evenly coated.
If you have time, cover the bowl and refrigerate the seasoned wings for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Marinating gives those seasonings extra time to work their way into the chicken.
Right before cooking, sprinkle the cornstarch over the seasoned chicken wings. Toss the wings again until they're lightly and evenly coated. You don't want a thick, powdery coating. Just enough cornstarch to help create that crispy exterior.
Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Arrange the wings in a single layer inside the air fryer basket, leaving a little space between each one. Avoid overcrowding because the hot air needs room to circulate.
Air fry the chicken wings for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, carefully open the air fryer and flip each wing over using tongs.
Continue air frying for another 12–15 minutes, or until the chicken wings are golden brown, crispy, and cooked through.
The internal temperature should reach at least 165°F when measured in the thickest part of the chicken without touching the bone. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook the wings in batches.
While the wings are cooking, make the chili lime sauce by adding butter into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Allow the butter to melt completely.
Now, stir in the honey, chili oil, (homemade or store bought will work), fresh lime juice, lime zest, Cajun seasoning, and garlic powder. Whisk everything together until the sauce is smooth and well combined.
Allow the sauce to gently warm for about 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the flavors to come together without boiling the sauce too aggressively. It will thicken up as it cooks, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of water as needed to loosen it up.
Taste the sauce and adjust it to your liking. Want it sweeter? Add a little more honey. Prefer more heat? Add another spoonful of chili oil. Love that tangy lime flavor? Give it another squeeze of fresh lime.
Once the chicken wings are golden brown and crispy, carefully transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
Pour the warm chili lime sauce over the wings and toss until every piece is coated in that buttery, sweet, spicy goodness.
Serve immediately while they're still hot and crispy!

Notes

Note: The sauce measurements are suggested proportions based on the ingredients you used. Adjust the honey and chili oil to get your preferred balance of sweet and spicy.

For the chili oil, you can use your favorite store-bought version or make my homemade chili oil recipe. It's a great way to add even more flavor to these wings.

Nutrition