Apricot habanero chicken wingsfeatured

These apricot habanero chicken wings are fruity, fiery, sticky and delicious. A traditional Middle Eastern apricot paste called qamar al-din forms their sweet and fragrant base. Laced with fruity, hot habaneros and a few spices, these wings are the perfect balance of spicy and sweet.

Serve along with sides like these fried green plantain tostones, or these extra special breadfruit tostones.

What is Qamar al-din?

Qamar al-din (or qamar deen) is an intensely sweet and tart apricot fruit leather originating in Syria. It is most commonly used to make a drink of the same name and is also used in various desserts. It’s thick, sticky texture and deeply fragrant flavour makes it a must-try ingredient, unique from other fruit leathers or apricot jams.

You can find my favourite brand of qamar al-din for purchase here (affiliate link), or in any Middle Eastern or some international grocery stores.

I had never seen qamar al-din used in a savory recipe before attempting these chicken wings. They were such a hit and plan to experiment with it a lot more in the kitchen.

Making the wings

This wing recipe is very straightforward, but the flavour of the qamar al-din makes them a real treat.

First you will make the sauce, which comes together quickly and easily on the stove top. Simply melt the qamar al-din into some water. Then once its dissolved and smooth, simmer it with habanero peppers, garlic, spices and vinegar.

Next you will bake-fry your wings, using a cooking method that I adapted from this Serious Eats oven-fried wings method, which results in deliciously crispy wings, without the mess or hassle of deep frying.

Finally, you’ll toss the crispy wings in the sauce and return them to the oven to get them nice and sticky.

Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments!

Print Recipe

Apricot habanero chicken wings

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Snack

Keyword: apricot, chicken, habanero, hot sauce, spicy, wings

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1 14 oz package apricot paste (qamar al-din) can substitute with equivalent amount apricot jam if necessary
• 2 cups water
• 2-4 habanero peppers minced or to taste (you may want to wear gloves when handling habaneros)
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tsp sumac
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 3 tbc apple cider vinegar or to taste
• salt to taste

For the wings

• 4 lb chicken wings flats and drums, or as desired
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 4 tsp kosher salt diamond brand

Instructions

Preparing the sauce

• Dissolve qamar al- din apricot paste in water in a sauce pan over med-high heat, stirring regularly until smooth.
• Add other ingredients and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
• Taste and adjust heat, salt, and acid levels to your liking.

Cooking the wings

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Pat wings dry and toss in baking powder and salt.
• Line sheet pan with foil, place a rack on top and spread wings out, making sure they are not touching.
• Bake for 20 minutes, flip wings, and bake another 20 minutes or until crispy on both sides, flipping once more towards the end of cooking.
• Once crispy, remove wings, toss in apricot habanero sauce, and return to rack to bake for another 5 minutes until sauce is sticky, or, if prefered, serve naked with sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes

Wing cooking method adapted from Serious Eats.