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Home » Recipes » Chicken Recipes

Tequila Lime Drunken Chicken Wings Recipe

Published: Apr 1, 2021 · Modified: Jun 8, 2024 by Chef Dennis Littley

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My Tequila Lime Drunken Chicken Wings are not only incredibly delicious, they’re also quick and easy to make.

So if you’re looking for a delicious snack for your next get-together or a monotony breaker for a fun family dinner give this recipe a try! 

Updated from original post January 30, 2015

Tequila Lime Drunken Chicken Wings on a white platter next to a kitchen towel
Table of Contents:
  • Audio Player
  • What Ingredients do I need to make Drunken Chicken Wings?
  • Do I have to use Tequila to make these wings?
  • How do I make Drunken Chicken Wings?
  • More Chicken Wing Recipes You’ll Love!
  • Recipe: Drunken Chicken Wings

Audio Player



 

I love buffalo wings and my recipe is the standard I judge all others by. But man (and woman) cannot live by Buffalo Wings alone so I’m always thinking of new and delicious ways to serve them.

What Ingredients do I need to make Drunken Chicken Wings?

overhead view of ingredients to make drunken chicken wings

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Drunken Chicken Wings. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

Do I have to use Tequila to make these wings?

No, you do not. You can leave it out altogether or replace it with Vodka, Rum or Gin.

How do I make Drunken Chicken Wings?

chicken wings in a ziplock bag maninating next to measuring cups and lime halves

Start by combining all the ingredients to make the marinade in a small bowl, mixing well.

Place the chicken wing sections in a large bowl or large ziplock bag, then the marinade. Mix the wings in the marinade so they all get coated.

Cover the bowl or seal the ziplock bag and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. You can marinate the wings overnight if needed. (bone-in and skin-on chicken is okay to marinate overnight)

marinated wings on a sheetpan

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a baking pan with foil and arrange the chicken wings in a single layer on the pan. Pour the marinade evenly over all the wings.

baked drunken chicken wings on a sheet pan

Bake until meat is well browned and pulling away from the bone, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Tequila Lime Drunken Chicken Wings on a white bowl next to a kitchen towel

These wings get that lovely caramelization from the sugar in the marinade and the lime and tequila give it that margarita flavor that you love. But don’t worry all the alcohol burns off when you cook the wings. If you’d rather not use the tequila that’s not a problem, you can substitute your favorite lemon-lime soda.

My drunken chicken wings go great with sriracha or your favorite hot sauce for your friends that want to bring the heat. Just make sure to print out a few extra copies of the recipe if you serve it to your friends because they’re going to be begging for the recipe!

More Chicken Wing Recipes You’ll Love!

  • The Most Ah-Mazing Buffalo Chicken Wings
  • Garlic Ginger Chicken Wings
  • Chinese Sticky Wings
  • Honey Lime Buffalo Wings

Tequila Lime Drunken Chicken Wings on a white platter next to a kitchen towel

Drunken Chicken Wings

Chef Dennis Littley
Everyone loves wings and this recipe for my Drunken Chicken Wings is a delicious new way to enjoy one of America’s favorite dishes.   In an untraditional sort of way.
4.87 from 46 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Listen to the Post
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 253 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 ½ pounds chicken wings tips trimmed off saved for soup.
  • ⅔ cup tequila
  • ½ cup fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or hotter if you like

Instructions
 

  • Start by combining all the ingredients to make the marinade in a small bowl, mixing well.
  • Place the chicken wing sections in a large bowl or large ziplock bag, then the marinade. Mix the wings in the marinade so they all get coated.
  • Cover the bowl or seal the ziplock bag and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. You can marinate the wings overnight if needed. (bone-in and skin-on chicken is okay to marinate overnight)
  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • Line a baking pan with foil.
  • Arrange the chicken wings in a single layer in the pan, and pour the marinade evenly over all the wings
  • Bake until meat is well browned and pulling away from the bone, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  • Any marinade that is on the tray with the fully cooked chicken wings is safe to use since its been a subjected to a high temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 14gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 639mgPotassium: 137mgSugar: 4gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 5.1mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.7mg
Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askchefdennis or tag #askchefdennis!
Pinterest image for drunken chicken wings

Comments

    4.87 from 46 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Whitney Kutch says

    November 19, 2019 at 3:46 pm

    These sound so good! I love chicken wings and am always excited to try new flavors.

    Reply
  2. Kathy says

    November 19, 2019 at 11:02 am

    These look amazing! It’s been so long since I’ve had chicken wings. I really want to give these a try. They look like they’d be delicious.

    Reply
  3. Terri Steffes says

    November 19, 2019 at 9:59 am

    These look really good. I love this combination. I use a similar recipe on chicken thighs. I read a comment in your recipe that I am curious about: chicken wings with bone in and skin on are ok to marinate overnight. This says to me that boneless, skinless chicken is not ok to marinate overnight. Am I correct?

    Reply
    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      November 19, 2019 at 10:08 am

      no you can marinate either style of chicken.

      Reply
  4. Agnes says

    November 19, 2019 at 4:54 am

    Looks like a good recipe to try this weekend. Thanks for sharing the dish with us.Agnes

    Reply
  5. Denay DeGuzman says

    November 18, 2019 at 11:02 pm

    5 stars
    Chef Dennis, these chicken wings look amazing! This is the PERFECT appetizer recipe for Thanksgiving. I’m so excited to make these for my family.

    Reply
  6. Lisa Favre says

    November 18, 2019 at 10:25 pm

    5 stars
    These chicken wings are sheer perfection! I love the fact that they’re called Drunken Chicken Wings – my husband will get a real kick out of that one!

    Reply
  7. Pam Wattenbarger says

    November 18, 2019 at 8:44 pm

    I just received a bottle of tequila. These wings look fab. I can’t wait to try them out.

    Reply
  8. Sarah Bailey says

    November 18, 2019 at 7:29 pm

    There is something about chicken and this sounds like it would taste absolutely delicious. It always amazes me all the different things you can do with chicken.

    Reply
  9. Tasheena says

    November 18, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    5 stars
    OMG! These chicken wings look so yummy. I can’t wait to make this recipe for my family.

    Reply
  10. Barb Webb says

    November 18, 2019 at 6:45 pm

    5 stars
    I’ll take two platefuls, please! My goodness these look ridiculously-delicious!!

    Reply
  11. Rena says

    November 18, 2019 at 5:11 pm

    This sounds amazing! I get so tired of regular buffalo wings and this seems like a huge step up!

    Reply
  12. cait says

    November 18, 2019 at 11:33 am

    im always on the hunt to look for new chicken recipes bc we tend to eat a lot of it during the week- this looks super tasty

    Reply
  13. robin rue says

    November 18, 2019 at 10:32 am

    These chicken wings sound wicked good. I am so excited to try your recipe.

    Reply
  14. melissa chapman says

    November 18, 2019 at 9:00 am

    5 stars
    Your wings look amazing and if they taste half that good, then wow. I never heard of cooking with tequila but I am ready to learn from the best.

    Reply
  15. Amber Myers says

    November 18, 2019 at 8:08 am

    5 stars
    We do love chicken wings! I’ll have to try these out. They sound like an amazing flavor.

    Reply
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My name is Chef Dennis Littley, creator and owner of Ask Chef Dennis Productions. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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