Turtles and Tails: Chili Lime Chicken Wings

It's turning into a food-focused week, isn't it? Lord knows, I love to eat. And while I wouldn't say I love to cook, I do like trying new things. Something new I tried this past weekend was Chili Lime Chicken Wings. It's a recipe I found on Nom Nom Paleo, my go-to source for easy and interesting paleo-centric cooking.

I made two pounds of these and Tom & I ate them all in one sitting. Honestly, it was ugly. We might as well have been oinking at each other.

I didn't realize how good they were going to turn out or I would have taken pictures right from the start. Maybe I'll have to make them again and update with better pictures. Oh, the hardship. The steps are pretty basic though - you'll have to use your imagination and I'll explain as best I can.

You'll need:

2-6 lbs uncooked chicken wings
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds & ribs removed
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1/2 cup cilantro (I used cilantro paste because the store didn't have fresh)
2 limes (zest and juice is needed)
black pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons coconut aminos (you can substitute soya sauce if you aren't Paleo)
limes wedges for garnish

Get out your blender and toss in the onion, garlic, peppers, cilantro, pepper, fish sauce, and coconut aminos. Add the zest from the two limes plus a 1/4 cup of lime juice. Blend the whole thing together until you get a puree that looks like one of those "healthy" juicer drinks (Eat your veggies, people, don't drink them!)

Put your chicken wings in a bowl or a sealable container and pour the mixture over the wings, making sure they're well coated. Yeah, they look kind of creepy and weird, but it'll all work out. Trust me. Cover the bowl or container and let the wings marinate for 1 to 12 hours in the fridge.

You can cook these in the oven or on a grill. They'll be sticky though so make sure you oil the grill first. Lay them out on a cookie sheet - or a rack if you're lucky enough to have one (I'm not) - so that they aren't overlapping.

I cooked them in the oven and even though I oiled the sheet they still stuck a little bit. Bake them for 30-40 minutes - flipping them halfway - or until they're crispy and brown.

Once they're cooked, plate them up and add lime wedges to garnish. Which I didn't do, but you're a better food stylist than I am, right?

You won't believe how good these are. You definitely have to have the time to marinate them, but it's so worth it!

Extreme wing close-up: