Time for another chicken wing throw down! Today we paired our wings with a salsa to create the most incredible Smoked Citrus Chile Chicken Wings with Black Bean Corn Salsa recipe featuring Bush’s Black Beans! For short, we can refer to this recipe as the “S Triple C W with Double B C Salsa” because I know this title is a mouthful! Nevertheless, all we’re trying to do here is put the tastiness of this recipe into words. Let me promise you, it will not disappoint!
Post Sponsored by Bush’s® Beans
Smoked Citrus Chile Chicken Wings Deliciousness
Let’s first dive into the “S Triple C W” piece of this recipe, and by that I’m of course referring to the smoked citrus chile chicken wings! The work for these chickens actually began the night before with a marinade. To begin, I placed all the chicken wings into a large bowl. Next, I poured achiote seasoning, chipotle puree, hot sauce, blood orange juice and lime juice over the wings. Then, I mixed the wings with all the ingredients until each wing was covered thoroughly. Let these sit covered and in the fridge overnight.
The best part about prepping food the night before is that it’s ready to go for dinnertime the following day! Once you’re ready to start cooking, just pull your wings from the fridge and place them on your preheated smoker. I smoked my Citrus Chile Chicken Wings for about an hour and a half, waiting until they hit an internal temperature of 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
Give Me the Deets
Now, let’s dive into some detail here of these Smoked Chicken Chile Chicken Wings. We’re all familiar with lime juice and chipotle puree. If you have been following my fire cooking journey for a hot sec, you know I’m a BIG fan of these ingredients (hello Chipotle Garlic, my first ever seasoning and the beginning of my love affair with chipotle). However, a couple items in this marinade might be new to you, like the achiote seasoning and blood orange juice.
Here’s a trivia question for you: is achiote a pepper or a seed? In all honesty, I probably would’ve guessed pepper, but if you said seed you are correct! It’s bright red/orange in color and has a tangy pepper flavor. Similar in color, blood orange juice is another ingredient I love to throw in every now and then. It also adds a great citrus flavor that provides some zip to these Smoked Citrus Chile Chicken wings!
Cool Beans Bro
Step two for this recipe: the black bean salsa! Nothing like a fresh, crisp salsa to pair with these wings, or any meal for that matter. The MVP for this salsa is, you guessed it, the black beans. I started with Bush’s Black Beans, drained and rinsed them and then tossed in some corn, bell peppers, onion, garlic, Mexican crema, lime juice and a splash of hot sauce. Then, simply stir until everything is well mixed and covered.
The black beans and Mexican crema provide the perfect smoothness to balance out the crisp crunch from the peppers and onions in this salsa. The colorful side dish stands out at any meal and can be an awesome substitute for a standard veggie or salad. It can also be served as the main dish, or alongside these kicking smoked chicken thighs, when paired with some tortilla chips, perfect for any family gathering, friend fiesta or sporting tailgate! Keep everyone on their toes and try something different for a change. This salsa is the way to go!
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Serving Up the Smoked Citrus Chile Chicken Wings with Black Bean Corn Salsa
Before pulling the Smoked Citrus Chile Chicken Wings off the smoker, I prepped the glaze. To do this, I put some butter and agave nectar in a sauce bowl. I placed it on the smoker to let the butter melt and combine with the agave nectar while the wings finished cooking. Stir this mixture until it’s smooth, then pull it from the smoker along with the wings.
In a large bowl, I poured the glaze over the wings and gave them a toss. About halfway through tossing I threw in some chopped cilantro. Then, I finished tossing them and placed the wings on a large platter with the black bean corn salsa. Served it up with some ranch for wing dipping and a few utensils for that salsa. As always, best enjoyed with friends and family! Cheers!
Smoked Citrus Chile Chicken Wings with Black Bean Corn Salsa
Ingredients
Wings:
- 2 lbs of Chicken Wings
- 1.5 tbsp of Canola Oil
- Ranch for serving
Marinade:
- 1.5 tbsp of Achiote Seasoning
- 1 tbsp of Chipotle Puree
- 2 tsp of Hot Sauce
- 1 Blood Orange juiced
- 2 Limes juiced
Glaze:
- 2 tbsp of Butter
- 1.5 tbsp of Agave Nectar
- 2 tbsp of Cilantro chopped
Black Bean Corn Salsa:
- 1 15 oz can of Bush’s Black Beans, drained
- 1 15 oz can of Yellow Corn, drained
- 1/8 cup of Green Bell Pepper diced
- 1/8 cup of Red Bell Pepper diced
- 2.5 tbsp of Red Onion diced
- 2.5 tbsp of Mexican Crema
- 2 tbsp of Cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp of Cotija Cheese grated
- 1.5 tbsp of Serrano Pepper diced
- 1 tbsp of Green Onions diced
- 8 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 tsp of Hot Sauce
- 2 Limes juiced
Instructions
- In a food safe bowl, add your chicken wings along with all the marinade ingredients. Mix thoroughly then place in the fridge for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.
- The next day, preheat your smoker to 275F. Add some wood chips or wood chunks for additional smoke flavor.
- Add your chicken wings to the smoker and cook for 1-1.5 hours until they are 175F+ internal. As the wings smoke, mix together the ingredients for the Black Bean Corn Salsa. When done, place in the fridge until ready to serve. About 10 minutes before the wings are done, add a skillet with butter and agave nectar to fully melt.
- When the wings and butter are done, pull the wings off and place in a metal bowl. Add in the agave butter along with the chopped cilantro. Toss the wings until they are fully coated.
- Serve the wings with the Black Bean Corn Salsa on a large plate along with some ranch for dipping. Enjoy!
Loving these recipes! Weather over here in uk isnt quite bbq weather, but will be soon and I’ll be trying this and a load more, keep them coming!!!!!!!
What kind of smoker are you using? Any good recommendations?
Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco!