
Sweet Peeper Wings with Creamy Garlic Dip

Two varieties of charred chiles, Fresno and Shisito, provide vibrant color and feisty heat to these smoky, savory wings. (The peppers look great and they’re fun to eat whole, but slice them into rings if you prefer.) Adding fresh lime juice and a vinegary pop of hot sauce is essential for balancing the flavors. Creamy Garlic Dip will help cool the fire; stir it together an hour (or up to two days) in advance, so the flavors have time to meld. The addictive dip is equally delicious with crudites and potato chips.
Sweet Peeper Wings & Charred Chiles with Creamy Garlic Dip
Servings
4-6
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
This recipe is endlessly flexible, so feel free to mix up the supporting players here. You can swap in a bag of mixed mini sweet peppers for a heat adverse crowd (a.k.a. family night). Cilantro works well here, but chopped oregano, marjoram, or parsley would also be delicious. Out of limes? Use lemons instead. The only essential ingredients are napkins and cold beer.

Ingredients
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1 cup mayonnaise, preferably Duke’s
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8 ounces sour cream
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½ cup Cotija
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4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
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1 teaspoon Holy Garlic
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Several dashes hot sauce
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2 Scallions, thinly sliced
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3 pounds chicken drumettes
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Olive oil, for drizzling
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2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Sweet Peeper
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1 tablespoon baking powder
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1 pound red Fresno chiles
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1 pound Shishito chiles
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½ cup lightly chopped cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
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Juice of 1 fresh lime, plus more as desired
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Hot sauce, as desired for heat
For the Dip
For the Wings
Directions
To make the Creamy Garlic Dip, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Cotija, garlic, Holy Garlic seasoning, and hot sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt or additional hot sauce as desired. Cover and refrigerate the dip until it's well chilled, or up to 2 days in advance.
Place the drumettes in a mixing bowl, drizzle with enough oil to lightly coat, and toss to combine. Sprinkle the chicken with Sweet Peeper and baking powder and toss again to coat the surface of the wings. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the fire.
Prepare your grill for two zone cooking and build a medium high fire. Clean and oil the grates. When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, grill the chicken over direct heat until they’re lightly charred on both sides. Use tongs to move the chicken to indirect heat, stacking the drummettes as needed for space. Place a grill pan over direct heat, close the grill, and allow the pan to heat for 10 minutes. Place the chiles in the grill pan and cook (flipping and rotating as needed) until they’re charred on a few sides, about 3-4 minutes total. Pour the chiles into a large mixing bowl. When the chicken is cooked through, add the wings to the chiles, along with the cilantro, lime juice and hot sauce. Toss enthusiastically to combine, taste for seasonings, and add more lime, salt, or hot sauce as desired. Serve immediately, with the chilled Creamy Garlic Dip on the side.
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