foodie fridays: pumpkin honey-ginger baked wings

Truth: Girls only want one Cheeto.

I would have to agree with my brother Jordan. I reached for his open, lunch-sized package of Cheetos with the sole purpose to grab a single Cheeto. He rolled his eyes and asked if I wanted anymore. I immediately replied, “Yeah, right. I only need the one, bro.”

However, this got me thinking. Why not take more than one? It’s not like I am a Cheeto hoarder or crave Cheetos every day. Although, I am sucker for Cheetos dipped in ketchup! Yep, I like to whiskey tengo it up and dip my Cheeto into some old fashioned ketchup. I swear it tastes like shrimp cocktail. That didn’t help did it?

Okay, but really, why only take one Cheeto? Lord knows I couldn’t eat just one tortilla chip or Cool Ranch Dorito. Come on, you know you like the Cool Ranch flavor! Maybe the Cheeto and it’s yellow 6 coloring has something to do with it? I dunno. Eff. I am rambling. The point is, sometimes a girl needs just one Cheeto end of story. Like, just one fry off the hubs the plate. It’s the natural balancing of the universe.

Which leads us to today’s recipe that has nothing to do with Cheetos. Shoot. Although, I am guilty of eating just one wing. I really need to create new habits. These wings are definitely my new fav when it comes to game day and holiday eating. I feel wings get a bad wrap because they are generally deep fried and hard to eat. I say nay.

This version of east meets west is totes better than the wings at Buffalo Wild. Scouts Honor. The sauce is spicy with a splash of Thanksgiving flare with the addition of pumpkin. Plus, they are baked not fried. What more could a girl want?

Wait. Just one more wing.

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Honey-Ginger Baked Wings

Yield: Makes about 10 to 12 wings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 boneless chicken wings
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoon puree pumpkin
1/3 cup fresh ginger, grated
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, diced
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
Scallions, garnish
Lime wedges, garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine vinegar, ginger, pumpkin, jalapeno, garam masala, coriander, cumin, zest of one lime, and s&p. Add the chicken wings to the bowl and toss again making sure all the wings are covered.

Melt two tablespoons butter over medium-high heat in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Brown the wings on each side for about a couple of minutes. Place the skillet in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the chicken has cooked.

Remove from oven and sprinkle wings with scallions and lime juice. Serve family style.

recipe adapted from Food and Wine

All images and text ©Lauren Grier for The Curious Plate