Foodiggity likes its chicken spicy… Fortunately, Sriracha abides. Of course everyone has their own taste regarding heat, so this becomes a great opportunity to work the senses and test out our free thinking approach to cooking.

Asian cuisine—especially Thai—is about finding balance, so we have compiled a list of ingredients that will complement each of the taste zones and find your appropriate heat level through experimentation.

As mentioned on our Power to the People page, we will present the reader with a base. Instead of focusing on numbers, we will stress the role of each ingredient. Consider foodiggity merely a guide… Sort of like a culinary Sherpa.

What you’ll need:

20-24 Chicken Wingettes and/or Drumettes

The Rub
• Ground Coriander (sweet, citrus undertones)
• Ground Cumin (smoky, earthy)
• Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

The Sauce
• Huy Fong Sriracha Hot Sauce (accept no substitutes)
• Ketchup (sweet)
• Honey (sweet)
• Rice Vinegar (acid)
• 1 Lime, juice and zest (acid, sweet)
• Soy Sauce (savory, and also provides our salt)

The Garnish
• Green Onion, green parts thinly sliced
• Lime Wedges

Rub
Begin with 3 tablespoons coriander, 1 tablespoon cumin. Give this mixture a whiff. It should have some good citrusy notes and some smoke/earth from the cumin. Add garlic powder to taste. Pinch of salt and pepper. Add enough olive oil to form a motor oil consistency.

Coat wings with rub, let marinate in fridge for 1-4 hours.

Sauce
Start with a base of ½ cup Sriracha to 1 cup ketchup. This should provide a good spice level for almost anyone. Adding the remaining ingredients will cut into the heat and give the sauce its balance.

Add vinegar, soy, and lime a bit at a time to achieve desired hot level. Too hot? Add a bit more acid to cut it. Not sweet enough for you? Get some more honey in there. This is your sauce, so balance it.

Sauce can be kept at room temperature while our wingers cook.

Cook
Arrange wings on baking sheet and roast at 375°F for 30 minutes. At this point you can either decide to deep fry for crisp, or continue to roast in oven for an additional 30-45 minutes until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Finish
Toss wings in prepared Sriracha mixture a few at a time to coat. Garnish with sliced green onion and lime wedge. Enjoy your moment of Zen.

Disclaimer
Although it is still common practice to add sauces such as bleu cheese or ranch to hot wings, foodiggity does not condone this practice and cannot be held responsible for ruining perfectly good wingers.

Here is a great article on the origin of this Thai-inspired hot sauce (sign-in to NY Times required, but worth it).

‘Power to the People’ is foodiggity’s take on the concept of a recipe. Right on.