Elote-Style Chicken Wings

Mexican corn on the cob is a treasure. I don’t know a single soul who doesn’t enjoy a good elote. So why not apply that same energy to chicken? These keto-friendly elote chicken wings will make your life a little better, and the way 2020 is going, we all need some sunshine. Chicken is such a bad b*tch. She can take on anything you throw her way. Sweet, savory, salty, tangy, zippy…whatever the note, chicken can take it. 

What’s so incredibly delicious about elote is how simple it is. You simply smear the hot corn with mayo (Japanese mayo, in my case), coat it evenly with cotija cheese, and chili powder (chili powder, and Tajin for me please), and a good amount of lime juice and cilantro. Like, who knew something with so few ingredients would make corn even better? God bless the human being who first created it. But see, I don’t wanna just stop there at corn…let’s do this same thing to chicken, shall we?

You don’t even really need a recipe for elote wings, because as always, things will depend on how much chicken you have. I had about 2 pounds of chicken wings, so I’m just gonna give you eyeball measurements for what I had. Please double, triple, quadruple as you need to. This is more about the method than ingredient amounts.  Please follow me on Instagram, check my *Highlights* for a demo on how I made these incredible elote chicken wings.

Chicken is just…I don’t know man, we vibe. I hook chicken up properly, and she just accepts what I throw on her and struts her badassery all the way down my happy little throat. Wait…

More chicken!

• Chicken Taquitos with Chipotle Salsa and Guacamole
• Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich
• Million Dollar Chicken

Elote-Style Chicken Wings

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★★★★★

5 from 10 reviews

• Author: Chef Resha
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings

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Description

We took all the flavorings of Mexican street corn and turn it into elote chicken wings. That’s it. That’s the description.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 2 pounds chicken wings, flats and drums
• Olive oil
• Flaky kosher salt

Elote mixture

• 1/4 cup mayo (or Kewpie), plus more if needed
• 1/4 cup grated cotija cheese, plus more if needed
• Zest and juice from 1 lime
• Chili powder
• Tajin (chili lime flavor), optional
• Fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Jalapeños, very thinly sliced or minced

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Instructions

I cooked my wings in an air-fryer for 45 minutes at 435 degrees.

1. Pat the wings dry of any excess moisture with paper towels. Place the wings in a medium bowl and drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with a large pinch of flaky kosher salt, and toss to coat. Make sure each wing is properly seasoned and coated with the oil. Line the chicken in an even layer on the rack or basket of your air-fryer. Air-fry for 40-45 minutes at 435 degrees, or until your wings are golden brown and crispy — registering 170 degrees internally. Depending on your air fryer, you may have to flip the wings half-way during cooking.
2. When the wings are done and crisp, remove them from the air fryer and place them into a medium bowl. Add in the mayo and lime juice, and toss to coat. If you need a little more mayo, add it in. You are looking for each wing to be coated just enough for the remaining ingredients to stick to it. Sprinkle in the cotija cheese. Toss until the wings are evenly coated with cheese, adding more if needed. Finally, sprinkle in a desired amount of chili powder, Tajin (if using), jalapeños, cilantro, and the zest of the lime. Feel free to add more lime juice if your wings are too pasty — the extra lime juice will make it a smoother coating.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

You can do this same method in an oven if you do not have an air fryer.

• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 45
• Category: Chicken
• Method: Air-fry
• Cuisine: Mexican

Keywords: elote wings, elote style wings, elote chicken wings, air fried elote wings

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