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Anne’s Southwest Wing Fiesta
This is a fantastic, do ahead chicken wing recipe. Screaming with flavors of the southwest! These chicken wings are coated with hints of smoky pepper, cilantro, and lime then served with a well-balanced, tasty, warm black bean dip and homemade flour tortilla chips.

A delicious Sunday afternoon fiesta at home. You won’t miss those specialty wings at the restaurant with this recipe. Great for potlucks, parties, or gatherings. This recipe is designed for four to six pounds of wings.

Southwest Chicken Wings
Day ahead: The Sauce

10 TB of butter, melted
6 TB hot pepper sauce (Tabasco or Crystal types)
3 tsp ground cumin
2 heaping tsp chipotle chile pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
6 TB fresh lime juice (about 6 small limes)

Mix well. Set aside for about an hour or so, then refrigerate overnight. This sauce is quite strong straightaway but mellows out and is just right once it is incorporated the next day.

Day ahead: The Chicken Wings
You can prepare the wings a day ahead or on the day you wish to serve them. I recommend the following:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place about 4 pounds of chicken wing pieces in a large rectangular oven-proof baking dish. Pile them up - it doesn’t matter as these will bake up until almost tender while the juices self-baste. Place the wings in the oven for about 30 minutes or so. No need to disturb them during the cooking process. You want them cooked, but not so tender they fall apart. Transfer to a few plates or a cookie sheet. Allow to cool. Refrigerate until the next day. Do not apply sauce at this time.

The next day:
Place sauce in a large rectangular baking dish. Warm in microwave for a few minutes at reduced power until the butter has melted, but not separated. Set near grill.

Oil and heat grill, whether charcoal or gas. Add soaked hickory wood or specialty pellets for a slight smoking, if desired. Once heated, lower the temperature and slide the wings onto the hot grill. Close lid and cook until golden brown, using tongs or a spatula to turn as needed. Your chicken wings should be heated to a safe temperature of 165 degrees. Remove chicken wings and place in the sauce, straight from the grill. Toss gently until wings have been thoroughly coated.

* Serve warm with black bean dip and tortilla chips *

Warm Black Bean Dip
Can be prepared a day ahead then heated while wings are cooking.

1 Roma tomato, chopped
1/2 red onion, rough chop
3 TB cilantro, chopped, plus springs for garnish
2 cans (15 ounce each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 TB ground cumin (or whole, ground and toasted for extra flavor)
2 tsp hot sauce (Tabasco or Crystal types)
2 TB fresh lime juice (about two limes)
4 ounces of aged white cheddar (Tillamook aged smoked black pepper white cheddar is fantastic!), cubed
Sea Salt. (start with 1/2 tsp and adjust if necessary)

Blend/pulse all ingredients except cheese in food processor until a coarse consistency is achieved. Add aged cheddar and continue to pulse until you have a coarse consistency again. Spray ramekins or smaller baking dish with non-stick spray (or grease). Fill baking dishes with black bean mixture and warm in the oven. Do not over bake as this dip is best when cooked only until warm. Sprinkle with a bit of grated cheese before removing from oven, continue to heat until melted. Serve with cilantro garnish and tortilla chips (homemade flour tortilla chips work well with this dish). Enjoy with Southwest Chicken Wings!

Flour Tortilla Chips
To make homemade flour tortilla chips, heat canola or peanut oil in a deep frying pan or frying pot (or fryer). Cut flour tortillas into shapes (triangles, squares, etc) and fry until light golden brown, turning as needed. Place on paper towel to absorb any residual oil.

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Posted in appetizer, bistro, cookbook, dips, grilling / BBQ, main dishes, quick cooking, side dishes, simple, southwest, spicy