Chipotle Agave Chicken Wings

Another delicious take on baked chicken wings! Recipe is from a PBS cooking series - Pati's Mexican Table

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Marinade

• 2  cups buttermilk
• 3  garlic cloves, minced (or pressed)
• 2  chipotle chiles, seeded and minced (canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce)
• 1  tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1  orange, zested
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice
• 1  tablespoon kosher salt (or less to taste)
• 1  teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3  lbs chicken wings (tips trimmed and divided into flat portion and drumettes)

• Wing Sauce

• 4  tablespoons  agave syrup (or maple syrup)
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1  teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2  tablespoons adobo sauce
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)

• Dipping Sauce

• 1  cup  Mexican crema (creme fraiche or sour cream)
• 1⁄2 cup queso fresco, crumbled (or a mild feta cheese)
• 2  tablespoons  freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2  tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2  tablespoons chives, chopped
•  kosher salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
•  carrot sticks
•  celery rib

Directions

1. In a large bowl or baking dish, add all the ingredients for the wing marinade and mix to combine. Add the chicken wings and mix well to make sure all of the wings are coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
2. Peheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a cooling rack onto a lined (with aluminum foil) rimmed backing sheet and brush the cooling rack with vegetable oil. Remove the wings from the marinade and place them directly onto the cooling rack. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, flipping once after 25 minutes, until crisp and browned on all sides.
3. While the wings are baking, place a small saucepan over medium heat and add all of the ingredients for the wing sauce; and bring to a simmer. Whisk to emulsify and combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine the dipping sauce ingredients; stir well and set aside.
5. Once the wings are ready, place them in a large bowl. Whisk the agave wing sauce once more ; then pour over the wings and toss well so that all the wings are coated. Serve with the crema dipping sauce on the side.