Chicken

Blood Orange Glazed Chicken Wings with Minted Whipped Feta

March  3, 2010
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

I know we fortunate Texans keep bragging about it, but we really have had our first taste of spring this week. The return of green grass and sunshine had me hankering for chicken wings with a sweet and sticky glaze that coats your fingers. These wings are baked until crispy and glazed with a blood orange reduction. I served them with a perky little whipped feta dip flush with mint. Helen and I had ourselves a party! —arielleclementine

Test Kitchen Notes

I made this recipe twice. Not because it’s tricky, but because the first time I ate the whole plate of wings all by myself. The reduction strikes a balance of sweet to start and fiery to finish. The minted whipped feta cuts the heat and provides a salty complement to the glaze. Arielleclementine is spot on in her directions to cook the wings to a crispy state before glazing, and saves your pan with her advice to line it with both tin foil and parchment paper. My one critique is the whipped feta could be thinned -- maybe with goat’s milk -- for easier dipping. - cheese1227 —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • For the Wings
  • 2 pounds chicken wings
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 3/4 cup juice from 3 blood oranges
  • 1.5 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2 tablespoon blood orange zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • For the Whipped Feta
  • 3/4 pound fresh feta, rinsed and crumbled
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • black pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Directions
  1. For the Wings
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  3. Line a baking sheet with foil, then with parchment paper.
  4. Cut the chicken wings into thirds, and reserve the wing tips for stock. Pat dry thoroughly. Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, flipping the wings every 15 minutes.
  5. While the wings are baking, make the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, mix the blood orange juice, zest, honey, and crushed red pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, or until the glaze has reduced to about 1/4 of a cup. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  6. After the wings have baked for 45 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and brush the wings all over with the glaze. Return to the oven to bake for 5 more minutes. Serve warm with Minted Whipped Feta (recipe follows).
  1. For the Whipped Feta
  2. Put the crumbled feta, olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. It should look a bit like hummus. Add the chopped mint and pulse a few times to incorporate.
  3. Serve in a pretty bowl topped with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of mint.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Hannah
    Hannah
  • Vilna Mead
    Vilna Mead
  • Tbird
    Tbird
  • cheese1227
    cheese1227
  • luvcookbooks
    luvcookbooks
I have always loved food. My favorite books as a kid always featured food (eg. The Berenstain Bears Get the Gimmies- so much candy!) and I loved cooking shows like Yan Can Cook and The Frugal Gourmet. I started cooking the Thanksgiving dinner for my family when I was 13 years old. I have food52 to thank for inspiring me to come up with my own recipes, as well as for introducing me to a community of fantastic cooks and their amazing recipes. I try my best to cook locally and seasonally, and I tend to prefer straightforward, simple recipes where the ingredients get to shine. I live in wonderful Austin, Texas with my husband, Andy (a video game programmer) and my son, Henry (an 8-month-old who loves to eat).

50 Reviews

Hannah March 4, 2022
Everyone really likes the whipped feta. I’ve made it by itself for a party dip. But the wings…yum. I would suggest adding a 1/4 tsp of minced garlic to the dip, or really, just a small clove. Letting the dip sit in the fridge for an hour seems to make it more flavorful.
 
Vilna M. July 24, 2015
I wish you could give us the portion size. How many wings a portion?
 
Tbird January 25, 2012
Dare i make these for Super Bowl?
 
arielleclementine January 25, 2012
haha! you dare! they really are good wings. the dip can be a bit thick, depending on the type of feta you use, so thin it with a bit of milk or cream if need be. if you're not quite convinced, i love love this wing recipe, which is great on it's own without a dip: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/09/mahogany-glazed-chicken-wings-recipe.html
 
chefshatz April 26, 2011
I am dying to make this! Do you think this recipe would work substituting skinless chicken thighs for the wings? If so, what would you recommend as far as cook time.
 
arielleclementine April 27, 2011
thank you so much! i think it should work with chicken thighs- though you won't have the delicious/fatty crackly skin bits. the flavors will all be there though. i think the bake time should be pretty comparable. i'd probably drop the temperature down to the 375 or 400 though, since you don't need the high heat to crisp the skin. let me know how it turns out!
 
cheese1227 December 7, 2010
Hi Arielleclemintine,

I want to make these for a party but it's not blood orange season yet. You think I could mix half orange, half pomegranate juice?
 
arielleclementine December 9, 2010
hi cheese! thanks for making these wings again! i think your idea sounds just lovely, though i might use a bit less pomegranate juice then orange juice- i personally find it a bit bitter. please let me know how this works out if you try it!
 
luvcookbooks September 21, 2010
this sounds delish
reminds me of a recipe from The China Moon Cookbook by Barbara Tropp
(no feta, natch)
going to try these
 
arielleclementine October 4, 2010
thanks! i haven't heard of this cookbook, but of course i'm not surprised to hear i'm not the first to put a citrus/chile glaze on chicken! i hope you like it :)
 
Rochelle B. September 20, 2010
This sounds fantastic, but I'm just wondering where everyone is finding blood oranges this time of year? They are out of season!
 
Rochelle B. September 20, 2010
Okay, after picking a few local chefs' brains, I'm thinking that blood orange sorbet would work as a substitution ... I'm going to try it with that and report back. :o)
 
cheese1227 September 20, 2010
There is also a blood orange concentrate that I've used in professional kitchens. Here is a link on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/The-Perfect-Puree-Napa-Valley/dp/B000280UPK

It's a bit steep at $25, but it is concentrate and it freezes really well.
 
Helenthenanny September 20, 2010
oof, that is a tricky one! as i was just telling halfasiangirl and mrslarkin, arielleclementine (the sister of my life) is in europe for two weeks, eating her way through france and italy with her husband, otherwise i'm sure she would love to help find some blood oranges! thanks for the comment (on her behalf), and i'm sure she will look forward to hearing the outcome!
 
arielleclementine October 4, 2010
hi rochelle :) thanks for your interest in my recipe! i created this for the blood orange/feta/mint contest last year, so naturally i used blood oranges. i feel that the best substitute would simply be regular ole freshly-squeezed orange juice. you won't have the reddish-tint on the wings, but i think the flavor will be really similar :)
 
halfasiangirl September 20, 2010
I never would have thought to pair the whipped feta with chicken wins. Sounds fantastic. (P.S. Yay Texas!)
 
Helenthenanny September 20, 2010
hi there halfasiangirl! as i was just telling mrslarkin, my dear sister is in europe for two weeks, eating her way through france and italy with her husband! but thanks for the comment (on her behalf) and DO try them, they are really, really yummy!
 
arielleclementine October 4, 2010
hooray, thank you! and yay texas indeed!
 
mrslarkin September 17, 2010
Yes! Glad this is in the running! How's life down yonder? We've missed you!
 
Helenthenanny September 20, 2010
mrslarkin, hello! ma belle soeur is in paris with her sweet husband for two weeks, but i'm sure she'll be delighted to see your comment upon her return! just didn't want you to feel snubbed by that little orange we all know and love!
 
arielleclementine October 4, 2010
hi mrslarkin! life down here is wonderful! my husband and i just got back from a trip to france and italy, and had a fantastic time- we ate approximately 40 pounds of food- it was terrific! thanks for your kind words :)
 
cheese1227 September 17, 2010
SOOO glad you submitted this one. They are awesome!
 
arielleclementine September 17, 2010
thanks friend!
 
mistermartha April 8, 2010
The wings are in the oven. Smells divine! Thank you for this twist of an idea!
Totally agree that the feta dip was thick- I threw in a splash of whole milk.
 
arielleclementine April 8, 2010
fantastic! i do hope you like them!
 
monkeymom March 5, 2010
This is a tangy sweet hot combo...I'm astounded by your creativity.
 
arielleclementine March 14, 2010
hooray! how lovely of you to say!
 
Allison C. March 5, 2010
Oh, for heaven's sake, you sisters have GOT to stop! This looks amazing--the photo, yes, definitely, but I mean the whole recipe seems fabulous. I will definitely be making this. Have a great time on your spring break with spunky gran (I have some aunts in their 80s who still sizzle, so I can only imagine). Thanks for posting another great entry.
 
arielleclementine March 14, 2010
what fun!! thank you so much! helen and i had a blast with our granny :)
 
cheese1227 March 5, 2010
This is a great combination.
 
arielleclementine March 5, 2010
thank you!
 
theicp March 4, 2010
All I can say is dang, girl!
 
arielleclementine March 4, 2010
haha! thanks, ICP!
 
testkitchenette March 4, 2010
Mmmm....whipped feta, love it!
 
arielleclementine March 4, 2010
thank you, testkitchenette!
 
mrslarkin March 4, 2010
Rats! We've been out-cooked again. Girl, you can make your very own cookbook! This one's yettilicious.
 
arielleclementine March 4, 2010
oh man! i laughed and laughed when i saw this!! thanks for the lovely compliment too :)
 
aargersi March 4, 2010
These sound wonderful! Pefect springtime in Texas (or anywhere but we are the lucky ones in the sunshine :-) snack ... better served poolside?
 
arielleclementine March 4, 2010
thanks, friend! absolutely- if only i had a pool!
 
Hadyourtea? March 4, 2010
fantastic new take on buffalo wings with blue cheese sauce.... yours sounds soooo much better
 
arielleclementine March 4, 2010
hooray! thank you!
 
lastnightsdinner March 3, 2010
Y'all are killing me. Love this.
 
arielleclementine March 3, 2010
yay! thank you, lastnightsdinner!