Air fryer recipe · Starters
Peri-Peri Wings
Smoky, citrus-spiked African chilli wings with a slow-building heat that keeps you reaching for one more.
- 26 minTotal time
- 200°CAir fryer
- 6Serves
- Non-vegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 305kcal
- 17.9 gprotein
- 1.9 gcarbs
- 25.0 gfat
- 0.4 gfibre
Per serving, about 6 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- Chicken wings600 g
- Bird's eye chillies4
- Lemon juice3 tbsp
- Smoked paprika1.5 tsp
- Garlic4 cloves
- Olive oil2 tbsp
Method
Blend the peri-peri
Blitz the bird's eye chillies, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika and olive oil into a loose marinade. Taste and adjust the chilli to your heat, since these chillies are fierce and a little goes a long way in coating all the wings.
Marinate deeply
Slash the thickest part of each wing and coat them generously in the peri-peri paste. Refrigerate for at least thirty minutes so the flavour drives in, and slashing the meat lets the marinade reach deeper than just the surface.
Shake off excess
Lift the wings from the marinade and let the surplus drip away, since a wet coat steams the skin instead of charring it. Reserve a few spoons of the marinade in a clean bowl to brush on at the very end for a fresh, punchy layer.
Ready the finishing brush
Keep the reserved marinade and a brush to hand for the moment the wings come out. Brushing the raw marinade on at the end, rather than during cooking, gives a fresh, punchy layer, and a final squeeze of lemon brightens the smoky heat.
Air-fry the wings
Arrange in a single layer and cook at 200C for 24 minutes, flipping halfway, until the edges char slightly for that flame-grilled look. The chicken is done when it is opaque all the way through with no pink at the centre. Brush with the reserved marinade and serve.
