Adobo Chicken Wings

A beloved East Village bar snack, with Filipino flavors.

Serves
serves 4 to 6
Time
1 hour 30 minutes

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT TAYLOR-GROSS

Updated on June 28, 2021

Filipino Thai American chef King Phojanakong developed these bright and savory adobo chicken wings for Jimmy Carbone’s now-defunct Jimmy’s No. 43 in Manhattan. This home adaptation opts to crisp the skin under the broiler rather than in a deep fryer.

Featured in: "The Pride of the Philippines Makes a Killer Bar Snack."

Ingredients

10 chicken wings (about 2 lb.), tips removed, drumettes and flats separated
³⁄₄ cup plus 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar, divided
³⁄₄ cup soy sauce
¹⁄₂ tsp. whole black peppercorns
8 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
¹⁄₂ cup mayonnaise
¹⁄₂ cup sour cream
¹⁄₄ cup finely chopped cilantro
¹⁄₂ tsp. garlic powder
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground ginger
³⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt, divided
Finely grated zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
¹⁄₂ tsp. ancho chile powder
1 Fuji apple, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

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Instructions

Step 1

In a large bowl, toss the chicken wings with ¾ cup rice vinegar, the soy sauce, peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, and 1¼ cups water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside.

Step 3

Transfer the wings and marinade to a medium Dutch oven, set over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven, and bake until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven, uncover, and use tongs to transfer the wings to the lined baking sheet. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the wing-cooking liquid and discard the rest.

Step 4

Preheat the broiler. Broil the wings, flipping once, until browned and crispy all over, 8–10 minutes.

Step 5

In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved cooking liquid with the remaining 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, the mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, garlic powder, ginger, ½ teaspoon salt, and lime zest. In a medium bowl, toss the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt with the lime juice, chile powder, and apple slices. Serve the wings hot, with the dipping sauce and apple slices on the side.