These extra crispy air-fried wings tossed in a spicy habanero hot sauce will be the hit of your next party. The homemade mango habanero sauce is slightly sweet, a bit sticky, and super spicy. They are the ideal chicken wing if you love extra hot wings. You will want to make a double batch of these tasty wings, as they are sure to disappear quickly.
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If you love hot wings, then these air-fryer mango habanero hot wings may just become your new favourite wing.
Taking it up a notch from the typical buffalo wing, these wings are extra spicy. They are made with fresh habanero peppers, which are blended into a sauce with mango, onion, garlic, and ginger. A bit of honey adds just a touch of sweetness, which helps to balance the flavours and makes the sauce cling to the wings.
The wings are coated in a mixture of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and spices before being tossed into the air fryer. The coating on these wings makes them extra crispy and helps give the sauce something to stick to.
They are crispy, sticky, spicy, and absolutely delicious.
These hot wings make a delicious appetizer, snack, or meal. They are perfect for serving on an appetizer or wing platter or with friends gathered around the table for game day.
Because they are made with fresh peppers, the spice level of these wings will depend on how many peppers you choose to use, whether you remove the seeds or leave them in, and can vary depending on the peppers themselves.
Peppers can vary in heat depending on a number of things, including where they are grown, when they are picked, and the individual variety. So use caution when adding peppers, and if you are worried about them being too spicy, it is best to start with fewer habaneros and add more as needed.
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Ingredients
For a complete list of ingredients, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For the Wings
Split Chicken Wings – You will want about 2 pounds of chicken wings. In our family, we do a mixture of flats and drumettes, but you can do all drumettes or all flats if you prefer. If you want a more substantial meal, we also like to do chicken drumsticks.
For the Seasoning
These wings are coated in a mixture of flour, cornstarch, baking powder and seasonings. The combination of these ingredients will give your wings that extra crispy texture you are after. You will need the following:
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Aluminum free baking powder
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Kosher salt
For the Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
This hot sauce is made with fresh ingredients and has exceptional flavour. You will need the following:
Mango – You will use one large mango or approximately one and a half cups of diced mango. If you can’t find fresh mango, you can use frozen; just be sure to thaw it first for the best results.
Habanero peppers – Habanero peppers are spicy little peppers and are what gives this sauce its heat. The heat level in habaneros can vary greatly depending on where they are grown, the season, when they are picked, and the individual variety. We use about five peppers in our sauce, and it is very hot. You can use as few or as many as you like. For extra spicy, leave the seeds in; if you want it slightly milder, you can remove the seeds.
Butter – Gives the sauce a silky smooth texture.
Honey – Adds a bit of sweetness to the sauce to balance the spice and creates a sticky glaze that sticks to the crispy wings.
You will also need the following:
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Yellow onion
- Fresh lime juice
- White wine vinegar
Pro Tip: Use caution when handling habanero peppers. It is highly recommended you use gloves while cutting and seeding peppers as the oil in the peppers can cause burns, especially if you are using them in large batches. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling hot peppers, and be sure not to touch your face.
Step by Step Instructions
Season and Cook the Wings
Step One – In a small bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
Place the wings in a large bowl and toss with half of the flour mixture. Wait 5 minutes, then add the rest of the flour mixture and toss again.
Step Two – Place the seasoned wings in the air fryer basket and spray with a bit of olive oil spray. Cook the wings at 380°F for 23-25 minutes, shaking or turning the wings halfway through.
Pro Tip: The double flouring of the wings takes a bit more time, but this process is what makes the wings extra crispy and delicious. It is worth the extra five minutes!
Make the Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
Step three – While the wings are cooking, make the habanero hot sauce. Start by dicing the onion and habaneros and add them to a small pot with two tablespoons of the butter, garlic, ginger and salt. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the onions and peppers are softened and fragrant.
Step Four – Next, place the diced mango in a blender and add the sautéed mixture. Place the lid on the blender and blend until smooth. Then return to the pot.
Step Five – Add the lime juice, vinegar and honey and stir until the sauce is hot and the honey is melted, then stir in the remaining butter. Heat for another few minutes to ensure the sauce is heated through. Remove from the heat and set aside until the wings are ready.
Sauce the Wings
Step Six – When the wings have finished cooking, transfer them to a large bowl. Pour some of the habanero sauce over the wings and toss to coat. Add as much or as little sauce as you like. Then transfer the wings to a platter and serve.
Pro Tip: If you want to caramelize the wings a bit, you can place them back in the air fryer for about five minutes after you have tossed them in the sauce. This will make them extra sticky, but keep an eye on them as the honey in the sauce may cause them to burn.
Pro Tip: This recipe makes enough sauce for 2-3 batches of wings, depending on how saucy you like them. The remaining sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Serving Suggestions
They are great on an appetizer platter, can be eaten as a snack, or they can serve as the protein portion of your meal.
When served on an appetizer platter, they are great with other wings, such as air-fried parmesan garlic wings or air fryer BBQ chicken wings.
They also go great with some crispy air fryer sweet potato fries, tater tots, or stuffed potato skins.
When served as part of a meal, then you can’t go wrong with a simple salad, baked potato, or even some creamy mac & cheese.
I always like to serve wings with a side of dip, and these wings match well with creamy garlic dip or your favourite ranch dressing.
Storage
We recommend that these wings are eaten the same day they are made. But if you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for about three days.
Leftovers can be enjoyed cold, or you can pop them in the air fryer at 350°F for 5-6 minutes to warm them up.
Top Tips & FAQS
- Use caution whe handling fresh peppers. Gloves are recommended while chopping peppers and be careful not to touch your face.
- Don’t stack the air fryer basket too full. A bit of overlap is fine, but a full basket will prevent the wings from crisping and they may stick together.
You can reheat these wings in the microwave, oven or air fryer. To reheat in the air fryer, set the temperature to 350°F and heat the wings for 5-6 minutes or until they reach the temperature you prefer. If they have been previously coated in sauce, keep an eye on them, as the honey in the sauce will burn if heated too long.
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Printable Recipe
Air Fryer Mango Habanero Hot Wings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings wings and drums, split
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon table salt
Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
- 1 whole mango, peeled and diced or 1 ½ cups diced mango
- 3-5 whole habanero peppers
- ¼ cup diced yellow or sweet onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ tsp kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar or white vinegar
- ¼ cup salted butter divided
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Place the chicken wings in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Sprinkle half the flour mixture over the wings and toss to coat. Let rest for 5 minutes, then add the remaining flour and toss again.
- Place the wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket and place the basket in the air fryer. Set the temperature to 380°F and cook the wings for 23-25 minutes until crisp and cooked through. Shake the basket a couple of times during the cooking process to ensure even cooking.Avoid crowding the basket and work in batches if necessary.
- While the wings are cooking, make the sauce.
Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
- Peel and dice the mango and place it into a blender.
- Carefully dice the habanero and add to a sauce pot with 2 tablespoons of the butter, the diced onion, garlic, ginger, and salt. Heat on medium heat for 6-7 minutes until the onions and peppers have started to soften and are fragrant.
- Add the pepper mixture to the blender, place the lid on the blender, and puree until smooth.
- Return the mango habanero mixture to the pot and add the vinegar, lime juice, and honey. Heat on medium heat until the sauce is simmering, then stir in the remaining butter. Stir until the butter is melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Remove the pot from the heat and set aside until the wings are ready.
Sauce the Wings
- When the wings are finished cooking, place them in a large bowl.
- Pour some of the sauce over the wings and toss to coat. Add as much or as little sauce as desired.
- Move the wings to a platter and serve.
Notes
- Use caution when handling habanero peppers. You are highly recommended to use gloves while cutting and seeding peppers as the oil in the peppers can cause burns, especially if you use them in large batches. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling hot peppers, and be sure not to touch your face.
- If you want to caramelize the wings a bit, you can place them back in the air fryer for about five minutes after you have tossed them in the sauce. This will make them extra sticky, but keep an eye on them, as the honey in the sauce may cause them to burn
- This recipe makes enough sauce for 2-3 batches of wings, depending on how saucy you like them. The remaining sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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