Crispy Baked Chicken Wings with Orange Saffron Sticky Sauce
Crispy oven-baked chicken wings tossed in a sticky orange saffron sauce with sriracha, honey & soy. Sweet, spicy, savory & no deep frying needed. Born from a gelato in Italy. Ready in 45 minutes!
Ingredients
For the wings:
- 2¼ lbs chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats about 2 lbs without tips
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- Juice of 1 large orange
- Zest of 1 large orange
- ¼ cup boiling water
- ¼ tsp saffron threads
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ cup sriracha or to taste
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1½ tbsp rice vinegar
- 1½ tbsp soy sauce
- 1 to 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water add gradually until sauce is thick and sticky
- Salt and pepper to taste
To finish:
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top.
- Toss wings with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Spread in a single layer on the rack.
- Bake 15 minutes. Flip and bake another 10–15 minutes, until cooked through.
- Turn the oven to broil, and then broil for 2–3 minutes per side until skin is golden and crispy.
- While wings bake, Place saffron threads in a small bowl, and pour 1/4 cup of boiling water over, letting them steep until needed (at least 5 minutes).
- In a medium-size pot, melt butter over low heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the orange juice, saffron water, and all remaining sauce ingredients, except the cornstarch slurry. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to simmer until you turn the broil on the oven.
- Once the wings have started broiling, add cornstarch slurry a little at a time, stirring until sauce is thick and sticky enough to coat a spoon generously.
- Add crispy baked wings to a bowl, then pour the finished sauce, and chopped fresh cilantro over the wings. Toss to coat.
- Serve immediately with carrot and celery sticks, or your favorite sides.
Notes
Wing tips can be saved in a freezer bag for homemade stock. Sauce can be made up to a week ahead and refrigerated. For air fryer: cook at 400°F for 20–24 minutes, flipping halfway.
