Mango Habanero Chicken Wings Recipe

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This mango habanero wing sauce is lower calories and gluten-free- a healthy alternative to the ones at Buffalo Wild Wings!

Mango Chile Chicken Wings

About These Mango Habanero Chicken Wings

Spicy chicken wings are a family favorite thanks to a funny story from when I was living in San RamĂ³n, Costa Rica. None of my friends, including my now-husband Ricardo, had ever visited the States. They would constantly ask about the food here- and I was trying to explain spicy chicken wings.

One day, on the corner near my apartment, Anthony’s Pizza popped up with a sign that said “New York-style pizza and wings.”

I went in, and not only were Buffalo chicken wings on the menu, but they tasted JUST LIKE HOME. When I shared them with Ricardo (now my husband) he took one bite and has been hooked on chicken wings ever since.

Back before we had kids I used to love to go to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch a Husker Football game and eat wings and drink beer. The best. Of course that all changed once the kids could walk and the arcade games were just eye height.

Now my metabolism has slowed and I have less free time- so it was time to concoct a wing recipe that I love and isn’t so high on the calories and saturated fat. 

Mango Habanero Chicken Wings Easy Recipe

These mango habanero wings are delicious- a perfect combination of sweet and spicy- not to mention easy. Mango is a staple in the Costa Rican diet, and I love love love the taste of the habanero chile in the sauce.

Grilling chicken wings is a great alternative to frying them, and this recipe doesn’t call for butter so it also cuts down substantially on fat. It still does have quite a bit of sugar so I hesitate to call it a “skinny chicken wing” recipe, but it’s one you can feel ok about indulging in. I love how the grill eaves the wings crispy on the outside but still tender and juicy on the inside. So good.

The combination of sweet and salty in this recipe will have you begging for more- and when you add the kick from the habanero sauce these will become a game day favorite. Plus- who doesn’t love mango? It’s ain ingredient we love here, and traditional to Costa Rica too. Here’s the recipe.

More mango recipe from Pura Vida Moms:

Mango Habanero Wing Sauce Recipe

Ingredients: 

  • 2 lbs raw chicken wings
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • Juice of one lime
  • 8 oz mango puree*
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1- 2 tablespoons El Yucateco Green Chile Habanero
  • Salt to taste

Mango Habanero Chicken Wings Ingredients

Instructions:

In a small bowl, combine garlic, lime, mango puree, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Whisk until combined and set aside.

Preheat your grill and place the chicken wings on the grill. Cook, turning at least once until the internal temperature reaches at least 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from gill and place the wings in a large bowl or gallon-sized ziplock bag. 

Pour the wing sauce over the wings and shake or stir until the wings are completely coated. Let rest, covered, for about 5 minutes and serve hot.

*Note- You can often find mango puree at Asian grocery stores. I just used a can of mangos, drained a bit of the juice, and pureed them in the blender or food processor for this recipe.

Grilled Mango Habanero Chicken Wings

More grill recipes from Pura Vida Moms:

Substitutions

You can use garlic powder in place of minced.

Some people use mango nectar instead of the puree- I think the sauce is too thin then so I’d add a half teaspoon of cornstarch and whisk it into the juice before adding the rest of the ingredients.

You could dice up habanero peppers and add them to the sauce to make a chunkier wing sauce.

Variations

You could bake these wings instead of making them on the grill. Just heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the wings on a greased baking sheet (or use aluminum foil) and put them the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, turning once. 

I tried to market these in the slow cooker- they didn’t work very well so I wouldn’t recommend it. if you are looking for slow cooker wings, try my Spicy Sweet Slow Cooker Habañero Wings Recipe.

Serving Suggestions

Of course, you have to serve these mango habanero wings with the requisite carrots, celery and blue cheese or ranch dressing. However, if these wings are going to be part of your game day, Fourth of July, or Super Bowl spread, might I suggest these additional appetizer recipes?

Delicious Grilled Chicken Wings

Printable Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Grilled Mango Habanero Chicken Wings

Mango glazed chicken wings piled on a plate with a small bowl of dip and sliced vegetables.

These grilled mango habanero chicken wings are lower calories gluten free- a great alternative to Buffalo Wild Wings!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs raw chicken wings
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • Juice of one lime
  • 8 oz mango puree
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1- 2 tablespoons El Yucateco Green Chile Habanero Sauce
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, combine garlic, lime, mango puree, brown sugar, and hot sauce.
  2. Whisk until combined and set aside.
  3. Preheat your grill and place the chicken wings on the grill.
  4. Cook, turning at least once until the internal temperature reaches at least 185 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Remove from gill and place the wings in a large bowl or gallon-sized ziplock bag. 
  6. Pour the wing sauce over the wings and shake or stir until the wings are completely coated.
  7. Let rest, covered, for about 5 minutes and serve hot.

Notes

You can often find mango puree at Asian grocery stores. I just used a can of mangos, drained a bit of the juice, and pureed them in the blender or food processor for this recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 888Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 187mgSodium: 1189mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 3gSugar: 33gProtein: 40g

Please double-check this information with your favorite nutrition calculator.

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Christa Jimenez

Welcome! I’m Christa, a Spanish teacher married to a handsome Costa Rican and mother of two bilingual daughters. We’ve spent over 25 years living in and traveling to Costa Rica with our daughters, and this website is my love letter to all things Costa Rica- and to bilingual parenting too. You can read my full story here. Thanks for stopping by!

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