Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Wings

Get that grill fired up and your taste buds ready for some massive flavor. These Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Wings are about the best thing you might make this month. 

A great appetizer, perfect for game day, and spot on for a backyard party dish. You might find that this chicken wing appetizer becomes a part of your regular rotation!

🍾 What makes this recipe special?

I wanted to bring margarita flavors to chicken wings with this recipe and that is exactly what I do. Tequila, lime, and salt are all traditional flavors. 

The sauce has adds bit of kick to it with Sambal Oelek (or use Sriracha if you want), so there is a bit more to this recipe than meets the eye. All of our margarita flavors come together in this wing for a perfect appetizer. 

If you are looking for other spicy recipes, maybe pair this with a Spicy Margarita or this Sweet and Spicy Dry Rub Chicken Wings recipe. Another great appetizer is these Cheesy Fried Pickles or check out this Bacon and Sriracha Chip Dip. 

🍗 Ingredients

Wings are the star of this one, but our sauce is what makes it really special.

• Wings
• Butter
• Cornstarch
• Water
• Sambal Oelek
• Lime
• Sugar
• Tequila
• Salt & pepper

See the recipe card for quantities.

Sambal Oelek

I am in love with Sambal Oelek. Imagine something that is sort of like Sriracha, but maybe a little less sweet and tastes more of the chili and vinegar. Oh, fear not, there is room for both in your fridge. 

I have found that I tend to use Sriracha more as a condiment (think eggs, ramen, etc), while I use Sambal Oelek more often when I cook. Both are awesome and the bold chili bite seemed more appropriate for these wings. If you don’t have Sambal, you can use chili sauce or sriracha as a substitute.

Don’t break down the wing

If I cook wings in a fryer or oven, I will separate the drumstick from the wing, and remove the tip. Leave it all intact when you grill. 

This will allow a greater chance of any fat from the wing to stay in the wing and cook the skin. We don’t want that fat dripping down into the grill.

Meat thermometer – get one

Use a thermometer. If you don’t have one, get one [Affiliate Link]. We need our chicken at 165° Fahrenheit. 

Another nuance of this process is that if you just plunge your thermometer into the skin, you might release some precious juices. When temping these guys, try and avoid puncturing the skin and I tend to temp them in the fat part of the chicken drumstick.

🤷 Substitutions and variations

There are a few ways to change this.

• Sambal Oelek – Sriracha is a great substitute for Sambal Oelek or any other chili style sauce you may have. 
• Lime – You could use lemons as a substitute in a pinch.
• Grilling vs Frying – This recipe is a grilled recipe, but you could deep fry your wings and just toss them in the tequila lime sauce. 

📦 Storage

They should be cooled to room temperature before storing and can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days or in the freezer for up to four months. To reheat, they can be placed in the oven or on a grill until they are heated through to 165° Fahrenheit. 

🎓 Tequila Tidbit

Tequila is a Mexican liquor of 80 proof or higher (in the US) that is made from the blue agave plant. This plant is native to Tequila, Mexico, and prefers high altitudes (5000 feet above sea level) and very specific soil. The agave plant really requires a special location to grow.

OK, so get this, the blue agave is normally pollinated by a native bat when it flowers. After it flowers, it dies. To get around this, commercial farmers cut the shoots of the plant to prevent it from flowering. They, then, plant the shoots to make new agave plants.

Do you know how long it takes for an agave plant to grow so that it is mature enough for tequila? About 8 years… or longer. EIGHT YEARS to begin the process of making tequila, and even longer to make good tequila!

❓ FAQ

📝 Tips and tricks

• Start with a clean grill.
• If you don’t have a digital thermometer, get one. We need our chicken at 165° Fahrenheit to be safe.
• Either cook your sauce inside or if your grill has a side station, you can cook it there.
• If you don’t have, or cannot find, Sambal Oelek, you could use Sriracha or any other chili sauce as a substitute.
• It only seems fitting that you serve it with a Perfect Margarita Cocktail or maybe a Frozen Strawberry Margarita.
• When temping your wings, doing so in the fat part of the drummie can help prevent fat from escaping.

🛠 Products used in this recipe

• Weber Genisis III
• Digital Thermometer
• Grill Tongs
• Bowl for Tossing

😋 Did you make this recipe?

That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.