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5 from 1 vote

Spicy Pineapple and Mango Wings

Crispy... Sweet... Tangy... Buttery.... Garlicky.... Yep that's what these Spicy Pineapple and Mango Wings are all about.  They're also a great party food.  But most importantly they are one my guilty pleasures....
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 18 wings
Author Sharee

Ingredients

  • About 2 pounds of chicken wings (About 18 wings, and I used all flat wings for this recipe)
  • Cooking oil (vegetable or canola)
  • Chicken Marinade:
  • 1 and 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • Chicken Coating:
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon season salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Sauce Ingredients:
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple (don't drain the juice from the crushed pineapple)
  • 12 ounce bag of frozen mango chunks
  • 5 large garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 tablespoon water

Instructions

  • Start by marinating the wings overnight. Mix the marinade seasonings and buttermilk together. Place the chicken wings into a food storage container that can be closed. Then pour the buttermilk marinade over the chicken. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for at least 9 hours.
  • When ready to cook the chicken, start by making the sauce first.
  • Place the butter into a medium saucepan and melt the butter using a medium heat.
  • Once the butter has melted, add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar is blended.
  • Next add the pineapple, mango, apple cider, salt, and cayenne pepper to the saucepan and stir until well blended.
  • Cook the sauce on medium heat for about 15 minutes.
  • Strain the juice away from the fruit using a strainer. Mash the fruit while straining away the juice. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the mashed fruit. Mix the cornstarch with the tablespoon of water, then add this cornstarch mixture to the strained juice and stir until blended. The sauce will thicken. Set the sauce and reserved mashed fruit aside.
  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, and make the flour mixture that will be the crispy outside crust of the chicken.
  • Mix all the flour coating ingredients together in a food storage bag or a large bowl.
  • Remove the chicken wings from the buttermilk marinade and dip the wings into the flour mixture.
  • Place the floured chicken pieces onto a bakers rack for about 10 minutes. (This helps the flour adhere to the chicken pieces and the helps to bring the chicken to an even temperature. Bringing the chicken to an even temperature helps prevent overcooking the outside of the chicken while trying to cook the inside of the chicken that may be too cold if cooked immediately after removing the chicken from the refrigerator.)
  • While the chicken sits, add the cooking oil to a deep fryer or a large pan.. Heat the oil until the temperature of the oil reaches 350 degrees.
  • When ready to cook the chicken add a few pieces of chicken to the fryer at a time. (Making sure to not overcrowd the pan of hot grease prevents bringing the temperature down of the cooking grease which could increase the required cook time of the chicken.)
  • Cook the chicken wings for about 6 to 7 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165° Fahrenheit when a cooking thermometer is inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
  • Place the cooked chicken on a clean cooling rack. (Placing the wings on a cooling rack prevents the chicken from getting soggy and keeps the chicken crispy.)
  • When ready to mix the sauce with the chicken, place the reserved fruit into the strained sauce. Heat the sauce through using medium heat for about 2 minutes.
  • Place the chicken on a serving dish and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Serve the chicken immediately.

Notes

Cooking Tips:
The sauce is easy to make. I have placed very detailed steps and explanations in the recipe directions for frying chicken to help the beginner cook or someone that is not familiar with frying perfect chicken.
When making fried chicken you need a decent amount of seasonings and salt because you want the flour coating to have flavor. Not enough seasoning and you are just eating card board.
Adjust the heat level using the 1/4 or 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper while making the sauce. Based off my personal preference - 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon give the sauce a mild heat level.
Healthy Tip:
If you don't want fried wings use your favorite oven fried chicken wing recipe to decrease calories.