Appetizers & Snacks
Home Kitchen Spicy Citrus Wings with Cilantro Scallion Dip
These Spicy Citrus Wings are not your long-used chicken wings. Steamed chicken wings are tossed in a spicy sriracha citrus glaze and are broiled and brushed with more glaze until the sticky and sweet. Served with a
- Serves 12 servings
- Prep 20 minutes
- Cook 30 minutes
- Total 50 minutes

I originally saw this dish on Good Kitchen over 10 years ago. 🫣
What caught my attention first was combination of spice and citrus which then triggered a salivary response in my mouth forcing me to immediately buy all the ingredients and make them as soon as humanly possible. Honestly I’ve never been so excited about a wing recipe in my entire life. These wings and this dip is a match made in heaven.
Dependable for the big game that’s this coming weekend. I promise you won’t regret it.
To Make The Spicy Citrus Wings with Cilantro Scallion Dip Set out:
for the dipping sauce:
- green onions
- cilantro
- garlic powder
- plain nonfat greek yogurt
- mayonnaise
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
for the wings:
- chicken wings – Broken down into flats and drummettes.
- orange zest and juice
- fresh ginger
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- honey
- sriracha
- red pepper flakes
Make The Dip:
In a bowl, measure and add 1/2 cup each mayonnaise and plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 2 to 3 sliced green onions and 1/4 cup cilantro. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Mix well until thoroughly combined.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap and stick it in your fridge until ready to serve.
Prep The Wings:
Gather 2-1/2 to 3 pounds whole chicken wings. You’ll need to break them down into three parts; the wingtip (which you’ll discard), the flat or “wingette”, and the old-school drummette.
With your index finger find each of the joints. Using your sharpest knife, firmly cut into the center of each joint. It should only take a little pressure and your knife should do majority of the work to cut right through. I promise it’s actually not as hard as it looks.
You can discard the wing tips or save/freeze them for stock later on.
Place steamer basket in a pan filled with shallow water. The water should only reach the bottom of the steamer basket.
Arrange the wings in the steamer basket in an even layer.
Cover with a tight fitting lid or a heavy plate on top, bring to a simmer and steam for 20 to 24 minutes or until fully cooked.
Preheat you ovens broiler to high and move your oven rack to the second notch under the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with avocado oil or nonstick spray.
Make The Wings:
In a large mixing bowl, measure and add 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey and 2 teaspoons sriracha. Add the zest and juice from a large orange, grate 2 tablespoons of ginger and add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes.
Stir well to combine.
The wings by now should be done steaming and fully cooked. All you have to do now is crisp that glorious chicken skin. First though! We must glaze!
Add in all the fully cooked chicken wings into the spicy orange glaze and toss gently to coat. Being careful not to tear or remove any of that skin.
Place the wings top side facing down, on to the prepared baking sheet. Slide the pan under your preheated broiler and time it for 3-4 minutes.
Remove, turn the wings and brush with the spicy citrus glaze. Place back under the broiler for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Repeat 2 more times, on each side, with the glaze and then slide under the broiler. On the last time, broil for 2 minutes – watching carefully to avoid burning. A little char is okay and desired.
NOTE: everyones oven is different, I recommend watching closely to avoid burning.
Lastly, toss the wings back in the reserved glaze if you like them “wet”.
Serve it up with that fabulous cilantro dip and call it a day.
I highly recommend making a double batch of the wings; you probably won’t want to share these!
The wings aren’t too spicy, but every-now-and-again you get a little sweet heat, but thanks to the dip it wasn’t too hard to handle.
Enjoy! And if you give this Spicy Citrus Wings recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
The recipe
Cilantro Scallion Dip Spicy Citrus Wings
These Spicy Citrus Wings are not your long-used chicken wings. Steamed chicken wings are tossed in a spicy sriracha citrus glaze and are broiled and brushed with more glaze until the sticky and sweet. Served with a simple and short cilantro scallion dip. This dish will serve up to 12 people.
- Serves 12 servings
- Prep 20 minutes
- Cook 30 minutes
- Total 50 minutes
Ingredients
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise ((I use light mayonnaise))
- 1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt (or use sour cream)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
- 2 to 3 green onions (finely chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
FOR THE WINGS:
- 3 pounds chicken wings (cut into drummettes and flats)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 whole orange (zest and juice)
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
FOR SERVING:
- 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
- 1 whole green onion (chopped)
Method
MAKE THE DIP:
- 1
In a bowl, measure and add mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, green onions and cilantro. Season with garlic powder, and a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
- 2
Mix well until thoroughly combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and stick it in your fridge until ready to serve.
MAKE THE CHICKEN:
- 3
Cut chicken wings into drummettes and flats, discarding the wing tips or saving to use in chicken stock at a later time. (see blog post for more info).
- 4
Place steamer basket in a pan/pot filled with shallow water. The water should simply reach the bottom of the steamer basket. Arrange the wings in the steamer basket in an even layer. Cover with a tight fitting lid or a heavy plate on top, bring to a simmer and steam for 20 to 24 minutes or until fully cooked.
- 5
Preheat you ovens broiler to high and move your oven rack to the second notch under the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with avocado oil or nonstick spray.
- 6
In a large mixing bowl, measure and add soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and sriracha. Add the zest and juice from a large orange, ginger and add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine.
- 7
Add in all the fully cooked chicken wings into the spicy orange glaze and toss gently to coat. Being careful not to tear or remove any of that skin. Place the wing top side facing down, on to the prepared baking sheet. Slide the pan under your preheated broiler and time it for 3-4 minutes.
- 8
Remove, turn the wings and brush with the spicy citrus glaze. Place back under the broiler for another 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat 2 more times, on each side, with the glaze and under the broiler. The last time, (skin side facing up) broil for 2 minutes – watching carefully to avoid burning. A little char is okay and desired.
- 9
Lastly, toss the wings back in the reserved glaze if you like them “wet”.
- 10
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and scallions to garnish and serve with the cilantro scallion dip.
From the cook
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on this site should only be used as a general guideline.
Tools
- Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet (2 Pack), Silver
- Goodful Steamer Basket
Per serving
- Serving1 serving
- Calories176 kcal
- Carbohydrates3 g
- Protein13 g
- Fat12 g
- Saturated Fat3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat4 g
- Trans Fat0.1 g
- Cholesterol49 mg
- Sodium507 mg
- Potassium138 mg
- Fiber0.2 g
- Sugar2 g
- Vitamin A193 IU
- Vitamin C1 mg
- Calcium21 mg
- Iron1 mg








