Jerk Inspired Wings w/ Mango Ranch Dipping Sauce & A Marg
The kind of recipe that will have people asking "who made these?" at the BBQ
Happy Memorial Day Weekend… from Canada!
I’m not going to lie, I am deeply missing American Memorial Day Weekend BBQ Culture this weekend. I just want to be sitting in a good friend’s backyard on a lawn chair with a marg in a solo cup, grazing on grilled meats for hours on end. Like is there anything better?!
If these are your plans this weekend, know that I am deeply jealous, but also know that these wings will be a hit at any BBQ or also just perfect as a super easy summer meal. The rub is inspired by a Melissa Clark NYT Cooking recipe that I’ve made for years but always felt like it needed a sauce with it. I had the idea to make wings instead of a whole chicken with the rub and the rest is history.
These wings are so good. I say “Jerk-Inspired” because they lack the spice and many of the other more traditional Jerk rub ingredients (don’t want to piss off any of my Jamaican ancestors lol), but between the rub with allspice and the mango dipping sauce, they definitely have a Caribbean flare to them.
The rub is pretty simple to assemble but the end result feels incredibly indulgent. It’s sweet and savory and salty in all the best ways. The brown sugar caramelizes and combined with the skin makes crispy outside and juicy meat. The mango ranch is creamy and herby with a delicious hint of tropical fruit from the mango chutney.
If you have a grill, they’re super fun to grill (I’ve included my huband’s tried and true grilling method), but if you don’t (me currently lol) the oven method works just as well! You guys are seriously going to love these!
This is my summertime joy album. It immediately brings me back to summer 2017 when we had it on repeat for a week straight at a rental house in Southampton with a bunch of my friends and family. The next summer I was pregnant lol so I feel like that was my last summer of true freedom, see below for a reference photo.
It is PERFECT summer hangout music and I swear it will put you in a good mood and make you want to dance immediately.
What I’d wear to a Memorial Day BBQ:
(Click to shop) Denim Dress w/ Buttons | Brown Utility Shirt Dress | White Linen V Neck Top | Red 2 Strap Sandals | Summer Print Bow Tie Tank | Red Off The Shoulder Top | Light brown sunnies | Jean Shorts | White Linen Halter Vest | Gold Hoop Earrings | Striped Blue & White Jeans
Okay so the pairing was between a classic marg and a rose from Provence. The marg won out for the newsletter (mostly because I thought the lime would be a really nice compliment), but I can confirm the rose is a great pairing too. Go wild — try both! There are no rules!
My Perfect Margarita
Ingredients
2 oz 100% Blue Agave Tequila
1 oz Triple Sec
¾ ounce fresh lime juice
¼-½ ounce Simple syrup, to taste
Lime wedge for garnish
Instructions
Rub lime along the rim of the glass. Dip the rim in salt on a plate.
In a shaker with ice, mix 2 oz tequila, 1 oz triple sec, ¾ oz lime juice, and ¼-½ oz simple syrup depending on preference. Shake well.
Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy! Cheers!
Jerk Inspired Wings w/ Mango Ranch Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
Jerk-Inspired Chicken Wings
2lbs chicken wings
3 tsp Dark brown sugar
2.5 tsp Kosher salt
3 tsp chili powder
3 tsp Smoked paprika
3 tsp Dry mustard powder
3 tsp Dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
1 tsp Ground allspice
Mango Ranch Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
6 tbsp Mayonnaise
2 tbsp Buttermilk
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp mango chutney
2 tsp lime juice
Instructions
For The Jerk-Inspired Chicken Wings in the oven
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep a sheet pan with parchment paper and a baking rack on top.
Use a paper towel to pat the wings dry. Get them as dry as possible — it helps them get extra crispy when cooking.
In a small bowl, combine all the spices. This makes probably about double the amount of spic rub needed, but I like to make a big batch and put any extra in a ziploc for later.
Add the wings to a large bowl and generously sprinkle the spice mixture all over until the wings are thoroughly coated.
Arrange the wings on the prepared baking rack not touching each other.
Bake for 20 minutes on the upper middle rack then flip the wings and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until they are crispy and reach an internal temp of 160 degrees.
At that point, switch to a high broil, and broil the wings for about 90 seconds to get them extra crispy.
Remove from oven and let them sit at least 5 minutes before serving
For The Jerk-Inspired Chicken Wings on the grill
Preheat your grill to medium heat or 350 degrees.
Use a paper towel to pat the wings dry. Get them as dry as possible — it helps them get extra crispy when cooking.
In a small bowl, combine all the spices. This makes probably about double the amount of spic rub needed, but I like to make a big batch and put any extra in a ziploc for later.
Add the wings to a large bowl and generously sprinkle the spice mixture all over until the wings are thoroughly coated.
When the grill is ready, grill the wings close together, flipping every 5 minutes for 20 minutes.
At that point, switch to a high heat (400-425 degrees), and cook the wings on high heat for 2 minutes per side, making sure the internal temp reaches a minimum of 160 degrees.
For The Mango Ranch Dipping Sauce
Using a food processor, immersion blender, or regular blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Adjust salt and lime juice as needed.
Make sure your wings are super dry so your wings can be super crispy
The baking rack is more of a nice to have than absolutely necessary. If you don’t have one, don’t worry, just skip it!
Because you’re blending, you really don’t *need* to chop your herbs for the mango ranch sauce. Up to you and your ability to eyeball it.
For the mango chutney I used the one from Stonewall Kitchen, but I also love the Trader Joe’s one!
Thanks so much for being here. Love you — mean it.
Cheers,
Jessie