Go Back
A bowl of five spice chicken wings.
Print Recipe
5 / 3 votes

Five-Spice Chicken Wings

These five-spice chicken wings are easy to toss together in minutes and taste contemporary even though they rely on a traditional spice blend. They're baked and served with a creamy cilantro sauce for a more refined riff on classic Buffalo wings.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Servings: 40 servings
Calories: 122

Ingredients

For the five-spice chicken wings

  • 40 chicken wing pieces, or 20 whole chicken wings
  • 2 tablespoons five-spice powder
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the creamy cilantro dipping sauce

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup light or regular sour cream
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon, (or substitute lime)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the five-spice chicken wings

  • Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C).
  • If you're usign whole chicken wings, cut off the wing tips and cut the wings in half at the joint. Discard the wing tips or freeze them for making stock.
  • Place the wings in a large bowl. Sprinkle the five spice powder and cayenne on the wings, add a generous pinch or two of salt, and about 15 grinds of black pepper. Rub the mixture into all the wings until all the rub clings to the chicken.
  • Line the wing pieces up on a rimmed baking sheet so the side of the wing that has the most skin is facing up. Roast until cooked through, browned, and crisp, about 25 minutes. (If you prefer a wing that's every iota as crisp underneath as on top, bake the wings on a wire rack situated on the baking sheet. If you prefer a wing that has one side smudged with a sort of gooey crispness from sitting in a teensy puddle of its juices during roasting, leave the wings on the baking sheet.)

Make the creamy cilantro dipping sauce

  • Pulse the cilantro, sour cream, mayo, yogurt, and lemon or lime juice in a food processor. (Or, lacking a processor, whisk them together.) Taste and add a judicious amount of salt and black pepper and pulse again. Cover and toss it in the fridge while the wings do their thing in the oven.

Serve the wings

  • Pile the wings on a platter and serve ‘em hot along with the cold creamy cilantro dipping sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 46mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g