These mouthwatering Mango Habanero Wings are cooked to crispy perfection, then tossed in a delicious sweet and spicy homemade sauce. Whether it’s game day, a gathering with friends, or a weeknight dinner, these chicken wings are bound to be a hit! Below are instructions on how to make these wings in the oven or air fryer!
Crispy Mango Habanero Wings
These mango habanero chicken wings are cooked until crispy and then drenched in a savory sauce that packs some sweet heat. These tasty wings are the perfect appetizer or entree for those who love spicy wings.
We love making chicken wings in the air fryer– it’s super quick and easy. Don’t have an air fryer? No worries! This easy-to-follow recipe has a baked method too that results in the perfect crispy chicken wings!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken wings: Use drums and flats. Defrost first if frozen.
- Baking powder: This absorbs any moisture, resulting in crispy skin. It makes for a light crust that provides crunch without a thick breaded coating. Be sure to use aluminum-free baking powder.
- Seasoning: Season your wings with jerk seasoning, dried oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Cooking spray: Use this in order to prevent the wings from sticking to the air fryer basket.
Mango Habanero Sauce
- Large Ripe Mango: Skin and pit removed. Alternatively, use ½ cup mango nectar.
- Habanero: Use seeded or unseeded, depending on how hot you want the sauce to be.
- Apple cider vinegar: This adds an acidic flair to the overall flavor. This also preserves the sauce, ensuring it stays fresh for longer.
- Fresh lime juice: The citrus complements the other flavors and brightens the taste of the sauce.
- Smoked paprika: The smoky flavor adds depth to the overall taste of the wings.
- Honey: This balances the spiciness with a warm, sweet quality. You can always add more to reduce the spice level of the sauce
- Butter: Add for taste and to make a smooth sauce.
How spicy is Mango Habanero?
Habenero is a small, hot chili pepper grown in regions of the United States, Mexico, and South America. They are very hot and fall in the 100,000–350,000 range on the Scoville scale. For comparison, habaneros are 100 times hotter than jalapenos.
Adding fresh mango or mango nectar to habanero peppers definitely tames them. You get the heat but it’s not as overwhelming. Hints of citrus and honey also balance the spiciness. However, this recipe is definitely for those who love spice!
How to Make Mango Habanero Wings
PREPARE CHICKEN WINGS. Clean and pat dry your chicken wings with a paper towel. Add the chicken to a large bowl with the seasonings and baking powder. Make sure all the wings are coated in the seasoning.
AIR FRY CHICKEN WINGS. Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 3 minutes. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Place the chicken in a single layer into the air fryer basket. Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket or place chicken on top of each other.
Cook at 380°F for 10 minutes. Then, flip the chicken and cook for another 7-10 minutes, until no longer pink and an instant thermometer reads 165°F. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches so that the wings are not overcrowded.
Transfer the chicken wings to a plate. Set aside.
Prepare The Mango Habanero Sauce
BLEND INGREDIENTS. Add all the ingredients except the butter to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend on high for 1 minute, or until smooth.
COOK SAUCE. Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter to the pan. Once the butter melts, pour the blended mango habanero sauce into the pan.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Taste and adjust, adding more honey to reduce the spice level. I like to add about 2 more tablespoons of honey to the sauce.
Coat The Wings In The Sauce And Air Fryer (or Bake) Until Crispy
TOSS WINGS IN HABANERO SAUCE. Remove the sauce from the heat. Scoop out ⅓ cup of the sauce and set aside for serving with the wings. Add the cooked wings to the saucepan and toss the wings until all the wings are evenly coated.
Place the wings back in the air fryer for 4 minutes to caramelize the sauce onto the wings or bake for 6-8 minutes. Serve with a side of mango habanero salsa, your favorite dipping sauce, and enjoy!
How to Bake Mango Habanero Wings
If you don’t have an air fryer, make crispy oven-baked wings instead. Place the wings on a wire rack-lined baking sheet. Make sure to leave a bit of space between the wings. This helps ensure the wings get nice and crispy as they bake. (No one likes soggy wings!)
Then bake at 400°F for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway through. The wings are fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Then proceed with the directions to make the mango habanero sauce. Coat the chicken wings with the sauce then place them back in the oven for up to 8 minutes to caramelize. Once done, serve and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauces.
Tips To Nail the Recipe
- Handle habaneros with gloves.
- The more habaneros added the spicier the sauce will be. If you leave the seeds inside the habanero, the sauce will be spicier.
- You can use ½ cup mango nectar juice or use 1 whole fresh, ripe mango.
- Blend until smooth. Strain if your blender is not strong enough to create a smooth puree
- Add more honey to the sauce to cut the spiciness.
- Taste the sauce as you prepare it and adjust accordingly.
- Use leftover mango habanero sauce as a dipping sauce for your wings or for more recipes.
Sauces to Serve with Mango Habanero Wings
- Vegan Ranch Dressing: This dairy-free sauce is just as zesty and creamy as the regular sauce. Use this to cool down the hot wings.
- Blue Cheese Dressing: For a rich, chunky, tangy sauce, this is a must.
- Hot Honey: For a kick of even more sweet heat, serve your crispy saucy wings with hot honey sauce!
- Alternatively, serve the wings with fresh lime and drizzle lime juice onto the wings.
Sides to Serve with Mango Habanero Wings
- Brussels Sprout Salad: For a nutritious and filling meal, choose this warm salad with lemon vinaigrette.
- Cilantro-lime Coconut Rice: Serve these spicy, saucy wings with a bowl of rice. This will definitely tame the spiciness!
- Potatoes: This is a classic choice for chicken wings. Try Dairy-Free Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries, or Crispy Cottage Fries.
- Air Fryer Vegetables: Make a healthy, wholesome meal in the air fryer when you serve the wings with Air Fryer Asparagus, Air Fryer Broccoli, or Air Fryer Green Beans.
Substitutions + Variations
- Boneless Mango Habanero Wings: Use boneless chicken for deliciously spicy nuggets.
- Peppers: Want spice but can’t handle the heat of habanero peppers? Swap them for another pepper using this same recipe.
- Sweetener: Instead of honey, try maple syrup.
How To Store Leftover Chicken Wings
Store any leftover wings in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat them in the air fryer, microwave, or oven. Store any leftover sauce for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
FAQs
What is mango habanero sauce made of?
The sauce is made with ripe mango, habanero peppers, vinegar, lime juice, smoked paprika, honey, and butter.
Are mango habanero wings spicy?
Absolutely. You can adjust the spiciness by using more or less peppers. Keeping the seeds yields a hotter sauce. Lessen the heat by adding ingredients like lime juice and honey.
How else can I serve mango habanero sauce?
Use it as a dipping sauce for a veggie platter, serve it with eggs at breakfast, or add it to a dish like mac and cheese.
Best Mango Habanero Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken wings (drums and flats) defrosted if frozen
- 2 tsp Baking powder optional aluminum-free
- 1 tbsp Jerk seasoning
- 2 tsp Dried oregano
- 2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Cooking spray
Mango Habanero Sauce
- 1 Large Ripe Mango, skin and pit removed (about 1 cup diced mango) (or ½ cup mango nectar)
- 2-3 Habanero seeded or unseeded
- 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- ¼ cup Honey plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp Butter
Instructions
- Clean and pat dry your chicken wings with a paper towel. Add the chicken to a large bowl with the seasonings and baking powder. Make sure all the wings are coated in the seasoning.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for 3 minutes.
- Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil. Place the chicken in a single layer into the air fryer basket. Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket or place chicken on top of each other.
- Cook at 380°F for 10 minutes. Then, flip the chicken and cook for another 7-10 minutes, until no longer pink and an instant thermometer reads 165°F. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to work in batches so that the wings are not overcrowded.
- Transfer the chicken wings to a plate. Set aside.
Prepare The Mango Habanero Sauce
- Add all the ingredients except the butter to a high-powdered blender and blend on high for 1 minute, or until smooth.
- Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter to the pan. Once the butter melts, pour the blended mango habanero sauce into the pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Taste and adjust, adding more honey to reduce the spice level. I like to add about 2 more tbsp of honey to the sauce.
- Remove the sauce from the heat. Scoop out ⅓ cup of the sauce and set aside for serving with the wings. Add the cooked wings to the sauce pan and toss the wings until all the wings are evenly coated.
- Place the wings back in the air fryer for 4 minutes to caramelize the sauce onto the wings or bake for 6-8 minutes.
- Serve with a side of mango habanero salsa, your favorite dipping sauce, and enjoy!
How To Make Crispy Oven Baked Wings
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Season the wings with the seasonings and baking powder.
- Place the seasoned wings on an oven-safe wire rack in a single layer. Bake for 40- 45 flipping every 20 minutes. The total cook time will depend on the size of the wings but may take up to 1 hour. Use an instant thermometer to determine doneness, it should read 165°F when fully cooked.
- Then proceed with the directions to make the mango habanero sauce. Coat the chicken wings with the sauce then place them back in the oven for up to 8 minutes to caramelize. Once done, serve and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauces.
Video
Notes
- Handle habaneros with gloves.
- The more habaneros added the spicier the sauce will be. If you leave the seeds inside the habanero, the sauce will be spicier.
- You can use ½ cup mango nectar juice or use 1 whole fresh, ripe mango.
- Blend until smooth. Strain if your blender is not strong enough to create a smooth puree
- Add more honey to the sauce to cut the spiciness.
- Taste the sauce as you prepare it and adjust accordingly.
- Use leftover mango habanero sauce as a dipping sauce for your wings or for more recipes.
Nutrition
I Hope You Enjoy This Mango Habanero Wings Recipe!
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Searching for more delicious chicken wing recipes? We’ve got you covered with the best Air Fryer Chicken Wings, our Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings, Honey Lemon Pepper Wings, and this Lemon Garlic Herb Chicken Wings recipe.
Join me in celebrating Juneteenth with more than 30 other Black culinary creators. Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day, signifying the final emancipation of those enslaved in the US announced in 1865. This year, we are celebrating “Freedom Day” by offering a delightful selection of mains, sides, desserts, and refreshing drinks that are perfect for backyard barbecues and summer gatherings with friends and family.
Join us in honoring the legacy of progress and freedom by cooking and sharing these recipes. Additionally, you can easily follow each participant by using the hashtag #JuneteenthCookout2023 on Instagram. You can find a list of all recipes from the 2023 Juneteenth Virtual Potluck on the Eat the Culture website.
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You can find a list of all recipes from the 2023 Juneteenth Virtual Potluck on the Eat the Culture website.
These hands down are the best wings I’ve ever had! The sauce was soo good and easy to make.
That’s so great to hear! I am glad you liked the wings