We made these Thai red curry lime wings on a smoggy Saturday afternoon, stuck inside watching way too many episodes of The Naked Chef on DVD (incidentally, we’d been cooking out of this cookbook long before we ever saw the show). I love having the ability to whip up a meal with whatever is in the fridge—to look at a bunch of choy-sum (while feeling like pasta) and come up with Roasted Choy Sum Pesto, for instance. Being able to take a recipe and make it to your own liking is a really useful skill to have.
Today’s curry lime wings recipe was adapted from Tyler Florence’s Wings with Chili-Lime Butter. I tried the original version, but using a whole stick of butter was a bit too much for me. This version is lighter, but still make a rich, spicy, tangy, and delicious chicken wing.
For a spicy sweet chicken wing, take a look at our Honey Sriracha chicken wing recipe.
You’ll need:
- 1.5 lbs chicken wings
- salt and pepper
- 2-3 teaspoons Thai Red Curry paste (you can find this in a can or packet at the Asian grocery store and some large supermarkets)
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoons honey
- Juice from ½ of a large lime
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- a handful of chopped cilantro
Season the wings with salt and pepper (we used the little drumettes only, because they’re actually cheaper here in China than the other part of the chicken wing, and we like them better). It’s best to marinate them overnight, but it’s not strictly necessary. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or non-stick foil.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and roast the wings for 30 minutes. We’re not allowed to barbecue here in the city center of Beijing, but feel free to grill the wings if you want. The smokiness will be fantastic.
While that’s going, combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl to form the sauce. Transfer the wings to a mixing bowl…
And drizzle with the sauce.
Sprinkle in the cilantro.
And give everything a good toss.
These Thai red curry lime wings are so delicious. An amazing balance of spicy, salty, sweet, and sour/tangy. These are easy enough for dinner tonight!
- 1.5 lbs chicken wings
- salt and pepper
- 2-3 teaspoons Thai Red Curry paste (you can find this in a can or packet at the Asian grocery store and some large supermarkets)
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoons honey
- Juice from ½ of a large lime
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- a handful of chopped cilantro
- Season the wings with salt and pepper (we used the little drumettes only, because they’re actually cheaper here in China than the other part of the chicken wing, and we like them better). It’s best to marinate them overnight, but it’s not strictly necessary.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and roast the wings for 30 minutes. We’re not allowed to barbecue here in the city center of Beijing, but feel free to grill the wings if you want. The smokiness will be fantastic.
- While that’s going, combine the rest of the ingredients in a mixing bowl to form the sauce. Toss the hot wings in that mixture and serve.
Steve S says
What I loved about this dish was the simplicity. I was making your Chinese take-out fried chicken wings recipe and had extra wings so I gave this a try while waiting for the take-out wings to marinade. Loved it but just a bit to subtle for me. I do think I’ll try it with a little extra lime juice though and maybe a little curry and Korean pepper paste next time, for a little more zip. But so easy, dinner/appetizers in 35 min. I think I’m gonna luv it w/thighs and legs next time as well. So exciting. Thank you. I’ll make sure to make extra to have enough for a soup as well. Some exciting inspiration thanks to you.
Judy says
So glad to hear that, Steve!
Leigh-Anne Soules says
So I made a BIG MISTAKE, even though it was my 2nd time making this I put the wings with the “sauce” thinking it was the marinade. BUT it turned out absolutely fantastic.
Try it!!!
Judy says
Ok, will do! Thank you for letting us know, Leigh-Anne.
julie a carlson says
These are just OK.. Sorry nothing over the moon good about them….If you do try these, please use full amount of curry paste and do not forget the cilantro! without the cilantro I would have tossed them.. sorry
Judy says
Sorry to hear that, Julie, did you follow the recipe exactly? I have tested this recipe a couple of times at parties and with neighbors, and everyone loves it.
Leigh-Anne says
Made it with boneless chicken thighs and it turned out great, my husband loved it and made great sandwiches the next day.
Bill says
Hi Leigh-Anne, great idea to use boneless chicken thighs and even better idea to use them for sandwiches!
Rick Lui says
I accidentally found this amazing site while searching for…hmm, I forgot what I was searching for. This seems to be the case when you’re surfing from one website to another. I’m blown away on how well done your website is. Bravo!
It’s simple, covered with colorful images and anyone can follow these instructions.
I can’t wait to try this Thai Red Curry Lime Wings recipe.
Oh wait, I remembered now! I was searching for chili oil and found you guys!
Mahalo much as they say here in Hawaii.
Sarah says
Thank you so much for your kind comments Rick! The four of us REALLY appreciate this kind of feedback when we’re sweating over a hot stove on a long blogging day. :)
Annie Sun says
I’m making this again for the second time. This time I’m using smaller chicken wings instead of big drumsticks.
Judy says
Hi Annie, that’s great! I am sure Brian will love it. :-)
Annie Sun says
I made this recipe tonight and the sauce was really good and easy to make. However, every time I bake or roast chicken ipthe juices always makes the chicken kind of soggy instead of crispy. I get rid of the juices halfway and then pop it back in the oven. Should I use a rack to get rid of excess juice?
Judy says
Hi, Annie, yes, a rack would work to get rid of the excess juice, but it might also dry out the wings too much. Instead, you can pat the wings dry with a paper towel before marinating, and make sure the wings are spaced out on the baking sheet when baking. This should solve the problem. :-)
lynne says
I want to try this tonight. Which ingredients do I use for marinade and which ones do I reserve to toss in after baking?
Kaitlin says
Hi Lynne, the salt & pepper go on the wings for baking, and then while the wings are baking you combine the curry paste, the soy sauce, the olive oil, then honey, the lime and the salt to make the sauce. Then once, the wings are done baking you toss them in the sauce. So it’s really a “sauce,” rather than a marinade–similar to how traditional buffalo wings are made. Then you garnish with the cilantro and stuff your face til your heart’s content!!! :)