Make Ahead

Roasted Dates & Honey Wings

February 27, 2017
3.7
3 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

Featuring Medjool dates, this recipe brings out the unique sweetness of roasted dates and honey blended into a Mediterranean-style wing sauce. —Lidia Haddadian

Test Kitchen Notes

These roasted date and honey wings are packed with sweet and tangy flavor! At first, I was very nervous about how much tomato sauce there was in this sauce recipe. However, the roasted dates and honey give it a nice sweetness, which is balanced out by the apple cider vinegar and lime juice. The flavors deepen and caramelize when cooked on the wings. My favorite part of this recipe was the roasted dates. I already love dates but their flavor when roasted reaches a deeper sweetness. Overall, this recipe was fantastic and I would definitely make it again. —appetitesanonymous

Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
  • ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds chicken wings
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup pitted Medjool dates (about 8 dates)
  • ½ cups tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey, extra for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
  • ½ tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine ginger, turmeric, salt and pepper; in a large bowl, season wings with salt/spice mix; coat wings with flour, tossing gently.
  3. Lay coated wings over prepared sheet pan; wrap dates in foil (slightly open) and place next to chicken wings on the side of sheet pan; bake for 20 minutes; remove dates; continue baking chicken wings till cooked through and skin is crispy (about 30 additional minutes).
  4. In a food processor, purée roasted dates, tomato sauce, olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, honey, and paprika; transfer to a large bowl.
  5. Toss hot baked wings in date sauce; transfer back to sheet pan and bake for another 15-20 minutes or till wings are sticky and caramelized.
  6. Drizzle with extra honey. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chives; dig in!
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

1 Review

LeBec F. February 6, 2024
you have inspired me so th.u! this reads like a date bbq sauce. is it? if so i would like to slant it towards Mediterranean spicing. i don't understand the role of the flour and can i play w/substitutions , from kinako[roasted soybean powder] to crushed nuts or beans?
best,
mindy