Garlic Ginger Wings
Subscribe to our blog here!
To brine or not to brine? To marinate or not to marinate? These are only two of the many questions folks who enjoy cooking have to ask on a regular basis. My answer: sometimes yes to one, sometimes yes to both, sometimes no to both…you get where this is going. Each method has a different benefit or even a downfall. For example, brining or marinating large cuts of beef such as a chuck roast or brisket I find has little effect simply because the fibers are so dense and tough. I find poultry on the other hand, being a much lighter protein, takes well to both brining and marinating. Which one to use? That’s entirely up to you and the flavor profile you wish to create.
In this recipe I use an orange juice based marinade because I love the bright, tropical flavor it imparts. That flavor profile serves as a perfect counterpart to the spicy wing sauce.
As far as battering goes on wings, there seems to be two schools of thought. Most folks enjoy their wingys naked. Others enjoy some heavy battering just like regular fried chicken. I find myself stuck somewhere in the middle. I like just a little light battering. I also like using rice flour to help achieve that light batter, but if you haven’t any rice flour, good ol’ all purpose works just fine. Truthfully though, I’m a huge wing fan and I’ll take them anyway I can get them.
Ingredients and Instructions
Wings
- 1 pound of chicken wings (I like a combo of wings and drumettes, but whatever floats your boat.)
- Vegetable oil or lard for frying (About 3 cups, enough to cover wings in pot.)
Marinade
- 2 cups of orange juice
- 1 teaspoon of lime juice
- 2 cloves of garlic grated
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and add chicken. Let marinate overnight in the fridge.
The next day, remove chicken from the marinade and rinse wings well. Dry wings with a paper towel and let them rest in the fridge for a bit to help with drying.
Flour Dredge
- 1 cup of rice flour OR all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch (Trust me, it helps make it extra crispy.)
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda (See trusting note above.)
Combine all dredge ingredients in a large plastic container and shake it up really well.
Add wings to the dredge mixture and shake the whole container to coat the wings well.
Wing sauce
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 3 cloves of garlic grated
- 1″ knob of ginger grated
- 1/2 cup of hot sauce (Be careful here. This is the strongest flavor in the sauce. You don’t wanna use anything super spicy unless that’s how you like it.)
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon of honey
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant (about two minutes).
Add the remainder of the sauce ingredients and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
Strain sauce and keep warm.
Heat oil to 375° F in a dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot.
Place the plastic container with the chicken and dredge in the fridge while the oil is heating. I find this helps the flour to stick to the wingys.
Fry the chicken a little at a time being careful not to crowd the pot. (About 6-7 minutes or until internal temperature reads 165° F.)
When all the chicken is cooked, drain wings on a paper towel.
Place chicken in a large bowl. Dump the sauce on top and toss to coat wings well. Serve hot and with some blue cheese or ranch dressing. (Blue Cheese is my choice.)