Step up your wing game with these delicious Scarpariello Chicken Wings. These chicken wings are seared until golden, baked until crisp, then tossed in an irresistible sticky sweet garlic cherry pepper vinegar sauce!
These scarpariello wings combine all the flavors of chicken scarp but with super crispy chicken wings.
While Carmine’s in New York City may have popularized scarpariello wings, their version includes rosemary, sage, oregano, and Tabasco, while my version more closely resembles my recipe for Chicken Scarpariello.
Scarpariello chicken wings are perfect for game day and Super Bowl gatherings but are also great anytime you’re craving something a little agro dolce, or sweet and sour.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Chicken wings. For this recipe, I use “party wings” which are a combo of flats and drumettes. I’ve found Costco usually has the best prices on wings.
- Vinegar. An essential component to scarpariello sauce! I use red wine vinegar.
- Honey. Not shown. For sweetness and to balance the dish.
- Garlic. For great flavor.
- Cherry peppers. I used jarred whole cherry peppers, removed the seeds and stems, and minced them. But it’s even easier to use this cherry pepper hoagie spread.
- Flour. All-purpose flour helps the sauce thicken and stick to the wings.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Remove the stems and seeds from ~5 cherry peppers and mince them. You should have approximately 5 tablespoons worth of minced peppers. Since they vary in size you may need to use more or less than 5. You may wish to taste the cherry peppers at this point to see how spicy they are and add/remove as needed. Mince 8 cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons worth of flat-leaf Italian parsley. Preheat the oven to 425f and set the rack to the middle level. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top of it. To a large frying pan, add enough vegetable oil to reach 1/4″ high and heat the oil to ~360f. (Photo #1)
- Using a paper towel, thoroughly dry off 2 1/2 pounds of party wings to remove excess moisture, then season the wings with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. (Photo #2)
- Once the oil has reached ~360 add the wings in one layer working in batches as needed. Take care to not overcrowd the pan. I recommend a splatter guard because things can get a bit messy here. (Photo #3)
- Fry the wings for 3-4 minutes per side, or until crisp on both sides. (Photo #4)
- When the wings are crisp, place them onto the wire rack and sprinkle them with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt on both sides. Bake the wings in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until crisp, flipping them at the halfway point to achieve even cooking. (Photo #5)
- Pour the excess vegetable oil from the pan, and wipe it down with paper towels if necessary. Heat the pan to medium heat and add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with the minced garlic. (Photo #6)
- Once the garlic turns lightly golden add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until golden. (Photo #7)
- Add the cherry peppers along with 1/4 cup of dry white wine, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of honey and turn the heat up to high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes, while using a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add 3/4 cup of low-sodium chicken stock and bring to a boil, then cook the sauce until it is sticky and thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Turn the heat down to low and taste-test the sauce. (Photo #8)
- Once the wings are cooked, remove them from the oven, add to the sauce, and mix to coat well. (Photo #9)
- Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle with the minced parsley and 2 tablespoons worth of Pecorino Romano cheese and serve! Blue cheese dressing on the side is optional but great for dipping! Enjoy! (Photo #10)
Top tips
- Taste your cherry peppers. Some cherry peppers are mild while others tend to be hot. It’s a good idea to taste each one during the mincing step to check the heat level. You may wish to adjust the amount of cherry peppers used based on your tolerance for spicy foods and the amount of heat you want in your scarpariello chicken wings.
- Dry your wings. Be sure to dry the chicken wings very well. This will help them crisp better.
- Foil your baking sheet. This not only makes for an easier cleanup, but it catches any fat that may drip from the wings and can help prevent smoking.
- Cook wings just in the oven. For an alternative way that uses only the oven to cook the wings use the same method in this garlic parmesan wings recipe.
More game-day appetizers
Wings are an integral part of any Super Bowl or game-day spread. Whether they’re scarpariello chicken wings, Buffalo wings, or garlic parmesan wings, I love them all! Here are a few more of my favorite game-day appetizers.
- Stromboli – pizza dough rolled with pepperoni, ham, and provolone.
- Spinach artichoke dip – creamy blend of spinach, artichoke hearts, mozzarella cheese, and cream cheese.
- Hot roast beef sandwiches – on garlic rolls with melted mozzarella and onion jam.
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Scarpariello Chicken Wings
These scarpariello chicken wings are lightly fried then tossed with a sticky sweet cherry pepper, vinegar, and honey sauce for the ultimate sweet and sour chicken wings!
Ingredients
For the frying stage
- 2 1/2 pounds party wings about 24-28 wings
- 3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- vegetable oil for frying
For the sauce
- 4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 5 tablespoons cherry peppers stems and seeds removed, minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf Italian parsley minced
- 2 tablespoons Pecorino Romano grated, plus more for garnish
Instructions
Fry the wings
- Preheat the oven to 425f and set the rack to the middle level. Line a baking sheet with foil then place a wire rack on top of it. Pour vegetable oil a 1/4-inch high into a frying pan and heat to just smoking (about 360f).
- Dry the wings off very well with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season the wings with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt, granulated garlic, and black pepper.
- Add the wings to the pan in one even layer, working in batches if needed, to not overcrowd the pan. Fry the wings for 3-4 minutes per side or until crisp on both sides.
- When the wings finish place them onto the wire rack and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt on both sides. Bake the wings in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until crisp, making sure to flip them at the halfway point to achieve even cooking.
Meanwhile, make the sauce
- Pour away the excess vegetable oil from the pan used to fry the wings and wipe it down with paper towels.
- Heat the pan to medium heat and add the butter and olive oil along with the garlic. Once the garlic turns lightly golden add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes or until golden.
- Add the cherry peppers, vinegar, white wine, and honey, and turn the heat to high. Boil until reduced by half (about 2-3 minutes) while scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge the brown bits.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil once more. Cook until the sauce is sticky and coats the back of a wooden spoon then turn the heat down to its lowest level. Taste test the sauce and if required, season with salt to taste.
- When the wings have finished cooking, add them to the sauce and mix well to coat. Sprinkle with parsley and the grated Romano cheese and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Test the cherry peppers for spice level. Adjust to personal taste.
- Salting the wings before and after they come out of the partial frying process is important. Chicken needs plenty of salt!
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and should be reheated in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.2g | Protein: 7.4g | Fat: 10.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 7mg | Sugar: 6.9g | Calcium: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made them got Super Bowl, they were a hit!!