This Hoppy Citrus IPA Glazed Wings recipe is unique and TASTY! The glaze is sweet & savoury with a little heat and a bit of bitter hop bite.
Originally published September 26, 2014. Updated on 3/18/2021
Eek, it's been over a week since I posted my Hoppy IPA BBQ Sauce Recipe... guess I should get to posting the other deliciousness that resulted from that day in the kitchen!
While the BBQ sauce was kind of a last minute "Ooh, you know what we should try making?" thought, these wings were a recipe idea I'd been tossing around in my head for a WHILE.
We were actually in the grocery store buying ingredients to make these, when having the idea to make BBQ sauce!
I've said it before... I'm not a fan of drinking beer, but I do LOVE it as an ingredient. That BBQ sauce was amazing, Jalapeno Beer Peanut Brittle is probably my favourite brittle ever, and I frequently use beer as an ingredient in soups, fondues, sauces, etc.
In these wings? Completely fantastic!
The flavours went together so well, complex but coherent, and definitely unique. It was sweet and savoury with a little heat and a little bit of bitter hop bite - perfectly balanced, and so, SO good.
Hoppy Citrus IPA Glazed Wings
Let me share what the hop heads had to say about it, though:
Trevor’s Take
"I would first like to say, I love hops, the more hoppy the beer the better.
I however have never had anything really made with hops beyond a hop candy sold from my local brewing supply shop.
I was excited for my first dive into cooking with hops, also nervous, I had never really heard of anything besides a tasty beverage made with hops.
Hoppy Citrus IPA Glazed Wings!
These little treats were deep fried chicken wings and drummies, they were covered lightly in a light orange glaze, they looked really good.
My first bite was a great crisp feel followed by first a nice honey taste, followed with the fresh taste of citrus from an orange, it was then all combined at the end with the bitterness from the hop.
Very much like a very good beer the taste had the distinct front, middle and end tastes you would expect. It was truly delicious!" - Trevor
Porter’s Take
"These hop wings are delicious!
The flavors explode in your mouth, with sweet honey and orange popping up first and the slightly bitter citrus finish with a little bit of spice.
I tore through my wings super fast, this is an addictive sauce! It's not simply a variation of another sauce or a replication of a commercial sauce, this stands out on its own so well.
I love trying new flavors of wings, but this is one where I'd keep coming back to it over and over, it quickly became my favorite." - Porter
An interesting note about my husband: He has some weird "top of the food chain guilt" thing going on.
He doesn't mind eating meat, he just doesn't want to be reminded that it used to be an animal... so he hates eating food off the bone, etc.
I think this is the first time I've seen him seem totally OK with eating non-boneless wings!
A Note About Hops
A note about hops: While we used fresh hops - as that's what we had readily available - you can also use dried.
Use about half as many, if you're going with dried.
Dried (and sometimes fresh, too!) hops are available from home brewing supply stores everywhere.
More Hops Recipes!
Are you - or do you know - a die-hard hophead? Just interested in learning more about adding a punch of flavour to your culinary repertoire? Either way, I have some more recipes for you!
Homemade Hop Extracts
Homemade Hop Spa Bath Set
Hop Brownies
HopCorn - Hopped Popcorn!
Hop Flavoured Beer Lollipops - Lollihops!
Hop Flavoured Dark Chocolate Truffles
Hop Lemonade
Hop Marinated Chicken Skewers
Hopped Cheesecake with Citrus Glaze
Hoppy Citrus French Macaron Recipe
Hoppy IPA BBQ Sauce
Hoppy Dill Pickle Relish
Hoppy IPA Pickles Recipe
Hop Sorbet
Fan of hops? You'll LOVE my cookbook, Hedonistic Hops: A Hop Head's Guide to Kitchen Badassery"!
Hops are prized for their ability to impart varied, complex flavours to beer… but did you know they can also be used culinarily? While hops may seem like a bizarre or exotic item to cook with, it’s the same as using other herbs and spices in your kitchen… you just have to know what to do with them. Appetizers, main dishes, beverages.. even desserts can be uplifted with hops! Even those who are not fans of beer will love the unique flavours that various types of hops can bring to their plate. Floral, earthy, peppery, citrusy… Cooking with hops is a great way to expand your seasoning arsenal!
Order your copy directly through this website, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller!
Share the Love!
Before you dig in, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
Also, be sure to subscribe to my free monthly email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.
Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
Hoppy Citrus IPA Glazed Wings
Equipment
- Frying Thermometer
Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil for deep frying
- 4 lbs Raw Chicken Wings
- Salt
- 1 cup IPA of choice
- ½ cup Fresh Hops Divided (We used Centennial)
- 1 cup Honey
- 1 Jalapeno Pepper Finely chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves Pressed or finely minced
- Juice and Zest of 1 Orange
Instructions
- Heat oil 375 degrees F. You can use a deep fryer, or a heavy pan. If not using a deep fryer, use a deep, heavy pot, filled to at least 3″ deep.
- Sprinkle chicken generously with salt, allow to air dry while preparing glaze.
- In a medium saucepan, bring IPA and ¼ cup of the hops to a boil. Turn heat down to medium-low, simmer until it has reduce to about half the original volume. (Just eyeball it!).
- Once IPA has reduced, add honey, jalapeno, cloves, orange zest/juice, and a pinch of salt. Bring back up to a simmer, simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add remaining hops, simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Pour glaze through wire strainer, discarding solids left behind. Return to pot and keep warm while preparing chicken wings.
- Fry chicken wings in batches of about a dozen pieces each – allowing oil to come back up to temperature between each batch – until golden brown. (About 10-15 minutes per batch).
- Transfer fried wings to a large bowl, toss with glaze, and serve hot!
Nutrition
More Wing Recipes!
Love wings? Here are a few more ideas for you!
Honey Garlic Sauce for Wings
Honey Jeow Glazed Wings
Maple Dijon Wings
Smoky Dry Rub for Wings
Spicy Ginger Glazed Wings
Tangerine Thyme Dry Rub Wings
Whisky Honey Mustard Wings
Leave a Reply