You had me at "Let's eat some chicken wings." Particularly if they are lightly coated in a tantalizing pesto sauce. Think about it for a minute... pesto and chicken were made to be with one another. Why not add it to chicken wings? Typically pesto is too chunky as a coating, but wait until you try this recipe. The pesto coats each wing perfectly. The perfect pesto chicken wings recipe.
This Pesto Chicken Wings recipe is: Gluten Free, Low Carb and Fabulous.
PESTO CHICKEN WINGS ARE WAITING FOR YOU
Sounds like a bad horror movie... the pesto chicken wings are waiting for you (queue the creepy music). Instead, this chicken wing recipe should have organs and harps playing from the heavens, shining light upon them to bask in their true glory. Maybe both examples are a little ridiculous, but I will say that these wings are really good.
I have been searching through all my SEO tools (note to self: you have too many SEO tools) looking for search terms people might use to find these delightful wings. Nobody has been searching for "pesto chicken wings" anywhere. Zero, zilch, nada. I was so surprised that I still can't believe it. But the analytics don't lie.
Why hasn't anyone jumped on the pesto wing bandwagon? I think it is due to traditional pesto being a little oily, chunky and really not doing a great job of coating anything. Pesto is perfect for dipping or topping, but not really for coating. So why am I wasting time with this recipe? Because I have an incredible pesto recipe that is light, fluffy and coats perfectly.
Stick with me to find out how to make a pesto that will stick to your wings.
MAKING THE PERFECT PESTO WING SAUCE
The perfect pesto wing sauce needs to coat the wing well and not be oily. That's a lot to ask of a pesto.
For this recipe, however, we are going to use a pesto that is almost made like the traditional recipe, but we add in ricotta cheese. When you process the pesto, the ricotta changes the texture of the pesto completely. There is an airiness which almost makes it seem as though you're not eating pesto at all. It is truly wonderful.
I stumbled upon how to make this pesto on one of our trips to Italy. We had the most incredible pesto sauce created by a small pasta shop which I brought back home to France with us. I made wings, dunked it into the sauce and am now sharing this delightful experience with you.
WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR CHICKEN WINGS:
Here are some great links on how to prepare your chicken wings and to cook them:
- How to Prepare Chicken Wings
- Crispy Baked Chicken Wings
- How to Grill Chicken Wings
- How to Smoke Chicken Wings
LOVE WINGS? SO DO I. HERE ARE SOME OTHER GREAT CHICKEN WING RECIPES:
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE PESTO CHICKEN WINGS RECIPE:
When you make the pesto sauce, it is great for so much more than just these wings. You may add it to fish, chicken, shrimp, scallops, pork, pizza, pasta, lamb and more. Last weekend I cut up some cucumber and red bell pepper to dip into the pesto. Just scooped it up like an excavator. The next day I killed the batch with some local small batch potato chips.
These wings may change your thoughts on chicken wings forever. After you try them, there is no longer a need to goto a bar or restaurant to get overpriced wings. Just make them at home. They will taste better, have better ingredients and bring a bigger smile to your face than any restaurant can manage. Trust me on this and give this recipe a try.
Perfect Pesto Chicken Wings
The combination of the fresh and light pesto with the super tasty chicken wing is a match made in heaven. Go ahead and revel in the flavor combinations. Grill or bake your wings!
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe Pesto Sauce
- 14 Chicken Wings, Drumettes & Flats separated
- 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
For the Pesto Sauce
- Make the pesto according to the recipe. Set aside in the refrigerator until the wings have been grilled.
For the Grilled Wings
- Turn on your grill and allow to preheat.
- After the wings have been separated, liberally apply salt and pepper to both sides of the wings.
- Place the seasoned wings on the grill. Allow to cook for 3 minutes and rotate all the wings.
- Continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Flip and repeat 2 more times or until the wings have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Remove the cooked wings from the grill. Place them on a platter or in a bowl, depending on how you will serve them.
- If they are on a platter, dip the wings into the pesto sauce.
- If they are in a bowl, add about ⅓ cup of the pesto to the bowl. Toss gently with tongs and serve.
Notes
I like grilling the wings for this recipe. It adds a nice flavor component that works perfectly with the pesto sauce. If you would like, go ahead and bake your wings in the oven, saute them or deep fry them. Whatever you want to do, it will taste wonderful!
If you want to add some spice into the mix, sprinkle on some red pepper flakes or add in some Hatch Chili Powder.
Nutrition Information
Yield
28Serving Size
wingAmount Per Serving Calories 92
Thanks for the recipe, in my house these will forever be known as “Eagle Wings” lol, Angela Hicks
Hi Angela:
"Eagle Wings", that's hilarious! Happy to hear that you and your family enjoy these wonderful chicken wings. We simply can't get enough of them.
Have a fantastic day in the kitchen.
Scott
I can’t find the pesto wing sauce recipe. Can you send it to me please. Thank you
I enjoyed the article about the Pesto Wings but do not see the recipe for the Pesto.
It sure would have been helpful if the pesto instructive were included...