This recipe evolved out of my experimentation with Vietnamese cooking when I made Pho a few weeks ago. I especially liked the spicy/acidic/sweet flavor profile in the seasonings and wanted to try it again. So I decided to use it on some chicken wings and they didn’t disappoint. (Having Sriracha on the list of ingredients didn’t hurt either!) I still got the heat I was looking for and the sweetness from the brown sugar, and the acidity from the fresh lime made them positively addicting. Before we knew it, the wings were gone, and the platter was empty!

You can scale the ingredients up or down, depending on the number of people you’re serving.

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken wings
1 cup chicken bouillon powder
3/4 cup Sriracha
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup pureed shallots
1/2 cup peanuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, gently torn
1/2 cup rice vinegar
Zest of 2 limes

Directions:

1) Combine the bouillon, Sriracha, honey, brown sugar, oil, shallots, vinegar and lime zest into a mixing bowl and whisk until you have a thick paste.

2) Reserve 1/2 cup of the paste, and add the chicken wings to the bowl, mixing thoroughly until the wings are coated.

3) Transfer the wings to a deep dish, cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 – 4 hours, turning them over once.

4) Remove the pan from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

5) Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and place the marinated wings on a foil-lined baking pan.

6) Bake the wings in the oven, uncovered for 30-45 minutes until cooked through, turning the wings over once during that time.

7) Increase the oven temperature to broil and generously brush the wings with the reserved paste. Broil for 3 – 5 minutes until the glaze is slightly charred and the skin is crispy. Turn the wings over and brush and broil the other side.

8) Transfer the wings to a serving platter and sprinkle the chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves on top. Serve hot.