On the very long list of things that I am convinced that other people do effortlessly while I typical flail and fail in the face of — dancing, running, walking from one room to another without forgetting what they were looking for — making dinner on a regular basis with a minimum of brow sweat and complaining is near the top.
It likely doesn’t help that I often spend my cooking hours chasing some very specific idea (a star! a pretzel-y pretzel!) of what I want to cook next, and that this item may or may not amount to dinner, leading to countless days when I realize at 5 p.m. that I have an incoming hangry preschooler and very little plan for what to feed us. A domestic goddess, I hope you never mistake me for.
On the worst of these days, we order sushi or pizza. On the best of these days, I find something that both saves the day and is actually declared a winner by all involved parties and I can’t wait to tell you about it, such as Pasta with Garlicky Broccoli Rabe or Sizzling Chicken Fajitas. [See more in the long overdue new category, Weeknight Favorites.]
Last month, the late Gourmet Magazine came to my rescue, and not for the first time. Why did nobody tell me that roasted (or grilled, if you’ve got one) chicken wings were the ultimate weekday night dinner savior? You cannot mess them up. They’re done in just over 30 minutes in the oven, but even if you, say, left them in 20 minutes longer, they’re just fine, which I know from experience. They take on the flavor of whatever you pour over them without requiring a multi-hour or overnight marinade because seriously, who plans that far ahead for a 30 minute meal? (See above: probably people who aren’t me.) And it turns out, if you’ve got the kind of 4.75 year-old that isn’t usually inclined to embrace new foods, they may actually go berserk for what they think are baby drumsticks. They might eat a frightening amount. You might have to bite your tongue when this happens, because you know by now it might never happen again. And then you can make them again next week, when you forget to plan for dinner again.
Weeknight Favorites: A new and long-overdue category. What’s it missing?
One year ago: Slow and Low Dry Rub Oven Chicken
Two years ago: Flag Cake and Blackberry Gin Fizz
Three years ago: Flatbreads with Honey, Thyme and Sea Salt
Four years ago: Mediterranean Pepper Salad, Cherry Brown Butter Bars and Watermelonade
Five years ago: Porch Swing
Six years ago: Chopped Watermelon, Vegetable and Feta Salad
Seven years ago: Roseanne Cash’s Potato Salad
Sticky Sesame Wings
Adapted, barely, from Gourmet Magazine
You can definitely mess with the proportions here; we’ve also enjoyed it with slightly more hoisin and half the honey. I think a little grated fresh ginger could be good in here, as well as a dash or two of Sriracha. We had this with rice (I’m currently enamored with this and this) and roasted asparagus. If I hadn’t waited until the last minute, I may have made this Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint or the Sugar Snap Slaw with Sesame-Miso Dressing from TSKC.
If you can’t find “wingettes” (often sold as “party wings”), use regular chicken wings but cut off tips from chicken wings with kitchen shears or a large heavy knife (you can use them for stock), then halve wings at the joint.
Yield: 4 main-course servings
3 pounds chicken wingettes or chicken wings (see note up top)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons mild honey (I often halved this)
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Pinch of cayenne or dash of Sriracha
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 scallion, finely chopped
Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil and lightly oil it.
Stir wings together with garlic, salt, soy, hoisin, honey, sesame oil and cayenne or Sriracha until coated. Spread wings and any sauce that fell to the bottom of the bowl out on the prepared baking pan in one layer. Roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wingettes to a large serving bowl* and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.
* If you end up with a puddle of sauce in the bottom of your baking pan (I did the one time they were more tightly packed in a dish), after removing the wings, you can pour the extra sauce into a saucepan and reduced it until thick, then stir it over the roasted wings before adding the sesame seeds and scallion.
This is tonight’s dinner. Seriously. Thanks for saving the day SK!
Carrot salad! That delicious one you posted not long ago! It’s got protein, carbs, and a veggie and if you remember to do your garbanzos on the weekend, it’s totally quick to throw together. Just remember to buy extra pistachios for the preschooler who is “helping” you.
For the weeknight favorites, I mean…
Please tell me that Jacob’s hand friend has a special voice. When my daughter feeds her stuffed panda some of her strawberries or Cheerios there is a distinct sound (not unlike Cookie Monster gobbling cookies) that she throws onto him. Nothing is cuter in the universe.
And also the chopped salad with good bread. And I’ll stop now.
I turn to pizza too when I need a fix on a hard crazy day.No judgements here.
I have this sticky sauce is pre-made in fridge( a few differences with the honey but the base flavors are there).
Really; this on wings, prawns and almost anything ( tofu is reat too) but it does make you feel cleverly domestic ;) Delicious Smitten.k!
That category needs shakshuka! I have it at least once a month because it’s so reliably delicious when the bf and I are not feeling particularly creative in the kitchen.
Sade — Yes! I was just thinking that and then I walked into the other room and forgot. Because that’s what I do. Thanks.
Made this and they were utterly delicious … only comment is I cut back salt to 1/2 tsp and they were still a bit salty . I think next time I make them…. cause I WILL… I would cut back on the soya and hoisin ,.. very tasty with stir fried rice . Thnx
I made these last night. The wings were SO good!! I forgot to add Sriracha and they were still amazing.
My dad’s favorite part of a chicken is the wing with the caveat that it has to have the very end joint. I made the mistake of cutting it off one time I made wings and I thought he was going to cry. What I didn’t realize (because that part doesn’t come with wings at a bar, and let’s face it, I never get to eat a wing off a roast chicken) is that it gets ridiculously crispy and delicious.
If you like excellently flavored spicy-ish stuff, I feel it is my duty to introduce you to this stuff which I buy at an Asian grocery store for maybe $2 per jar. http://www.amazon.com/Lao-Gan-Ma-Chili-Crisp/dp/B0051D84JU
I still miss Gourmet! (And, btw, is that first direction a typo–heating the oven to 450º?)
Anne — Whoops, yes. That should be 425.
BHT — Thank you! That definitely explains how I mixed it up. Should be fixed now.
One of my weeknight favorites is your Spinach and Chickpeas dish (Espinicas con Garbanzos). Delish and quick! I also can’t thank you enough for pasta with garlicky broccoli rabe – a weeknight savior!
Looks delicious! To save washing a dish, couldn’t I just toss it all together in the prepared foil-lined pan? (and I miss Gourmet too! I mean, of all the cooking magazines to ax…!??!)
sally — You could. I wasn’t convinced that the salt and garlic would get as evenly distributed, so I didn’t, but I’m sure it can be mixed enough that it will work.
You’re not alone. Weeknight dinners are the bane of my existence. Especially while testing ice cream recipes, I tried to put six ice cream flavors in front of Andrew and convince him that a scoop of each will yield a sensible dinner. Needless to say, I failed :)
These look so good! I love chicken wings. Mmmm
The fact that you cook delicious things for this website and then are in charge of dinner seems entirely unfair :) That’d be like if you were a masseuse and then your husband came home and wanted a back rub. Right?
These look so delicious, and I agree that chicken wings/drumsticks(+sauce+rice in the rice cooker)= a great, easy meal. Fried rice is also a winner in terms of ease and time.
I’ve learned that if I don’t meal plan, easy dinners just don’t happen. I don’t plan for every night, and try to give myself some flexibility, but life is too crazy and ordering thai food is too easy otherwise. My friends sometimes laugh, but the details keep us eating healthy and keep me from going crazy. Posting my meal plans every week online makes me think through them more and stick to them a little better. This gives me free time on the weekends to do the fun kitchen experiments that can take more time/create more mess. Your galette will be happening soon.
Allyn — “I’ve learned that if I don’t meal plan, easy dinners just don’t happen.” This is so, so true. I need to embrace planning.
I’m thinking of trying this sauce/prep with tofu! Sounds great- thanks!
Oh yes. I’m so glad I just stopped my recent bout of vegetarianism… Now these can be on my menu :)
I just did a search in my Evernote recipe folder for smitten kitchen and found several of your recipes that have become weeknight staples. The miso sweet potato broccoli bowls are my favorite, and I usually double the dressing to use on quick lunch salads during the week. One pan farro has served as a quick meal at least once, ditto the pasta with white beans and garlic rosemary oil.
Molly — Thank you! Great suggestions. I’m glad you’re so enjoying the archives.
It looks like you have a duplicate paragraph at the top, with two different temperatures :)
Any chance you have photos of how to cut up regular chicken wings? I have trouble picturing how one turns those large, 3-section wings in the grocery store into these little things to eat.
This looks simply amazing! Definitely adding it to the list. :)
Wow, this looks so much better than most of the chicken wings that I order at restaurants. By the way, I love the serving bowl and trivet that you used. So pretty!
Sounds pretty great..could probably be used on drums and thighs too. My go to quickies when people are howling with hunger..that bacon and potato hash of yours with an egg on top, gussied up grilled cheese sandwiches, herb omelet with a goat cheese filling, and of course, breakfast for dinner…pancakes, waffles etc.
My favorite bookmarked weeknight recipes: Ginger and leek fried rice, bacon corn hash, and pasta with cauliflower, walnuts, and feta. And the black bean tacos, which I make just about every other week in the summer, but I see you’ve already added that :)
Thanks for all the suggestions! It was a good reminder and I’ve added a whole bunch that are our staples too.
These look divine. My go-to with wings is tequila, lime juice, and sriracha with a bit of brown sugar. But these look really delicious; now if I could just get the rest of the family to eat wings…oh wait, never mind. More for me!
We’re vegetarians at my house and I was already planning to make sesame tofu tomorrow for dinner when I saw this post, so I think I may give your sauce a shot. Thanks!
Another addition to the #WeeknightFavorites category would be the “cauliflower, bean and feta salad,” which I made last night and my fiance and I devoured. It was quick and easy and perfect for a vegetarian meal! Next time we’ll be making double (read: triple).
I make your chicken meatballs – the one with pancetta and tomato paste – about twice a month for dinner. Easy, delicious, and pairs well with a lot of sides.
Also belonging with the Weeknight Favorites: bacon corn hash and asparagus pancetta hash. Hash + egg = simple weeknight dinner.
This is totally me, too — I’ll spend the afternoon reading a ton of different recipes and then making a dish (usually a dessert) that is a combination of those recipes so it may not even work, and then looking up around 5 pm to find five people wanting dinner and having absolutely nothing in mind (but I could tell you about my research into sour cherry pie! peanut tofu! zucchini fritters!) Ha. I thought I was the only to do this!
I also call it the tyranny of the evening meal – They want to eat EVERY NIGHT?!?!? geez…
Gail — That EXACT LINE got scrapped in an edit, but I basically feel like that all the time. No matter how many years pass, I cannot get over my surprise on a nightly basis that a) it’s dinner time and b) people are looking to me to see if I’ve provided it.
(I should insert here a back statement about how we do not feel it’s my job to cook dinner because I’m the woman or the mom. As it’s actually my day job to cook, I’m mostly volunteered myself to be the one to make sure dinner happens. Not that I’m any good at it.)
I make the warm butternut and chickpea salad at least a couple of times a month for a weeknight dinner. The squash and chickpea Moroccan stew and a variation on the peanut sesame noodles are also weeknight staples for me.
My guy and I still make your make your “quick zucchini saute” on a regular basis. It’s so quick and easy and more importantly, yummy! The only thing that I do differently is I use a dry non-stick skillet to toast the almonds.
The zucchini fritters aren’t bad either!
This is a great category. Thanks for adding it! The recipes I rely on cooking for small kids:
Asparagus, Goat cheese, and lemon pasta
Bacon corn hash
kale and quinoa salad
potato and broccolini frittata
sweet potato and sausage soup (requires a little more lead time, but less supervision)
This looks delicious! I love easy/fuss-free weeknight dinners. :) Thank you!
Love this new weeknight favorite. I don’t care how hot it is outside, I always want a hot dinner. I love that this one is done in 30. Off to check out more weeknight favorites! :)
Japanese pancakes – I love these for midweek dinner!
Your buttermilk chicken is a GREAT weeknight staple. When I have time (hey, it does happen occasionally), I clean and prep a few chickens and freeze them in the marinade. Pull out a bag one night to defrost, roast it up the next day or the day after, and it’s simple enough and delicious!
This is the third time in a couple of weeks that I’ve had a comment fail to post. You blocking me? Kidding…but really, I am puzzled at the failure.
…and, of course, my gripe posts! No breaks for me!
Susan — Never! It’s probably more of a cacheing issue.
Gourmet Magazine saves me from time to time as well, hahaha. Great recipe for the next time with friends :)
I saw this post and immediately went and took some wings out of the freezer that had been in there for… a while. My favorite weeknight dinners for little to no planning are usually a variation of 1) salad with some sort of protein, some sort of cheese, something crunchy, and some kind of vinaigrette, 2) pasta or soup with beans, tomatoes, and whatever veggie is in the fridge, 3) quiche or frittata with veggies and cheese on hand. I try to plan a variety of proteins, cuisines, and levels of cooking commitment each week, but at least one of these three is in the rotation most weeks.
I make your eggs baked in tomato sauce for a great week night meal. It’s especially good planned for later in the week since the eggs keep much better than other proteins.
Could I do this in a foil – lined baking tray (metal)? Or should it be glass..
Jill — I used a baking sheet/roasting pan.
Huevos rancheros for the list!
Looks delish!
Oh… totally been there with researching trying to find something interesting to make for the blog and family. Pinterest… aka the vortex can suck you right in and leave your head spinning on what to make next.
This recipe sounds killer can’t wait to try it!
Last summer I made your greek salad a whole bunch of times (with sautéed halloumi for the win) and that can count as a meal, at least if you add a brownie or two, right?
Re: your back statement. Totally the same here — though I complain about it, I wouldn’t want to relinquish control, especially about what to eat, though I’ll gladly take clean-up help. Because if I did, we’d eat way less zucchini, eggs, chickpeas, and fresh cheese… which figure in nearly all of my meals, and which would *not* if my husband took over!
Hate to break it to you, Deb, but your Weeknight Favourites link only takes me to the Recipe Index… Waaaaaaahhhh! (yes, that’s me crying).
I love to make Rice Stuffed Tomatoes, Spaghetti with Cheese and Black Pepper, and Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms on weeknights.
You introduced me to The Birthday Cake Until the End of Days. You will always be a domestic goddess to me.
This looks so amazing – I love chicken wings! I bet this would be perfect for a potluck!
I’d like to throw in a vote for the super-simple tomato/butter/onion pasta sauce. It takes a bit of time to cook, but it’s pretty much back burner, and it’s great with a quick pan-fried fish filet or chicken cutlet and some long, twirly pasta (sadly, I have never found the telephone cord pasta you used – boo!). That plus salad equals easy, quick dinner in under 45 minutes (assuming you have planned ahead, which, well, I rarely accomplish).
Emergency dinner? The best defense is to have a labeled and dated stash of dinners for three in the freezer. When I hunker down to make meatballs and sauce, I make a huge amount. It makes the same mess in the kitchen to make a dozen or three dozen. You can double or triple chicken in red wine; beef bourguignon. Bet you can think of other mains. Pack them up in plastic lidded containers, LABEL and stack them where you can find them in the freezer.
On those nights when dinnertime sneaks up on you, because real life ignores the clock, you are OK. Thaw in the microwave, heat through on the stove while you cook your pasta [or rice for the chicken].
nom nom nom nom nom…. why oh WHY am i in an ill-equipped vacation cottage?
must. make. nooooowwwwww.
Ohhh it looks yummy!! Wings were on sale a while back and we put them on the grill — they turned out great and this is without frying. I have a super important question to ask you — {ahem!} as a new food blogger how do you keep trying out new recipes without letting it all go to the hips and thighs?? I want to do desserts and all but you have to taste right?? Well, if it doesn’t taste right you have to keep going until you get it right. Right?? And now that we’re empty nesters who eats it all? I wish our kids and grandkids lived closer (actually they do too — they want us to move closer to them – the little gluttons}. Anyway, I’ve been reading and reading and noone seems to address this problem. I love your photos!!
Marisa — 1. I’ve totally got hips and thighs. 2. I figure there’s always going to be temptation in life (bakeries, restaurants and Thanksgiving pies) so best to master at home how not to enjoy things in moderation. Realistically, though, most of the savory stuff you see on the site ends up being our lunch or dinner; the sweet stuff is usually destined for a party or event, so we’re rarely going to have more than a serving and if there are leftovers and we’re at home, we freeze them so we can dole it out more slowly. I don’t keep four layer cakes around for snacking.
Additional category suggestions — Thank you! Wild Rice Casserole, Tomato and Sausage Risotto, Alex’s Chicken Marsala (which we went on a wee bender with this winter, leading to an even-simpler recipe update in the notes) and Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onion all added now. They’re our favorites too.
Helen — The link should go to the Recipe Index but then jump (anchor link) down to the section with the grouping of Weeknight Favorites. Did that not work? You can also find the link to “Weeknight Favorites” it in the “Resources” section up top.
Your Broccoli, Cheddar, and Wild Rice Casserole is a weeknight saver around these parts.
Alex’s chicken and mushroom marsala is a weeknight favorite for us–in fact, I made it just last night! We use breast tenderloins instead, and it’s just great, especially with pre-sliced mushrooms to save even more time.
These look amazing!
Also, I am absolutely obsessed with your tomato and sausage risotto. I’ve also gotten my family and friends obsessed with it, and we all make it regularly for both weeknight and weekend dinners. I know risotto isn’t always thought of as quick meal to make, but there’s something so relaxing about all that stirring (and by that point, the wine is open) at the end of a long day! I’d definitely lobby to have that added to your weeknight list :)
I’ll be getting my husband to put these on our Kamado Joe smoker soon.
I love these flavors. I may just try this marinade on a whole chicken, cut up. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Deb. Enjoy summer!
I’m so excited to make this!!! We are camping this weekend and I would love to try these on the grill. Any tips?
Yay! Glad to see Farro made the list. We’ve had that about once a week for the past year, and especially in the winter with canned tomatoes, frozen chicken breast, and Penzey’s basil, it is my go-to pantry meal. Even with the repetition still my husband is excited each time it makes an appearance. Thanks for the tasty recipe!!
Looks super yum! Do you think you could also do this w/ a whole chicken cut up into 8-10 pieces (splitting breasts and thighs). Cooking time would be different but otherwise would work fine, right?
beh — Definitely. I’m a fan of the high-heat roast for almost all chicken parts.
nancy — Thanks, I’m glad!
Frozen chicken wings have come to my rescue many times. I’ve also noticed we eat a lot of tacos when the creative juices are not flowing.
not sure why this won’t let me post, but i’ll try one more time.
for a favorite weeknight recipe (not sure if this qualifies but if i’ve got the ingredients on hand, it’s pretty easy), we love the chicken with grapes and olives from your book. so good!!!
I suggest adding pasta with peas, ricotta and lemon to the weeknight list. I’ve had it four, no, five times in the last month. It’s on the table in about twenty minutes and I’ll keep eating it till all the peas in the garden are gone!
Don’t forget the asparagus with chevre and pasta http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/05/asparagus-goat-cheese-and-lemon-pasta/ for your weeknight meals list! Fast and fabulous.
This looks really good!!
These look amazing. More suggestions: your shredded chicken tacos, tomato & sausage risotto (both from ’06!), rigatoni with eggplant puree, and the mushroom & artichoke marsala. Suppose I’m a sucker for easy, vegetarian pasta dishes. I’m nodding vigorously in agreement about shakshuka, an all time-favorite of mine.
Noted that, seven years ago, you published “Rosanne Cash’s potato salad,” which I made for the umpteenth time this past weekend (with my own tweaks, i.e., bacon). I had been trying to find a potato salad like my mom’s (who never wrote a recipe down), and loved this one. I served it to my mom recently, who asked for the recipe.
These look like they would be a hit at a summer party!
The smashed chickpea salad from 2009 (!) is a go to for lunch and dinner. I tend to add bits of protein (roasted sausage, leftover chicken) if available and diced bell pepper too.
Riciculously tempting! We have a houseful of picky ones coming next month. Making these!
Hey, Deb-
I just made this using drumsticks and it was superb, if I do say so myself! I borrowed the cooking directions from The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen by Levana Kirschenbaum (it’s a great book that I recommend to everyone regardless of religion). My little Jacob tossed in the scallions and sesame seeds so it was a lot of fun to make. The results are on Instagram. Thanks for another great dinner!
Best,
Nikki
Observations from the new weeknight favorites category: egg dishes and pastas make for easy dinners, Chicken Milanese reminded me of how much I used to love Ann Burrell’s show, too (what happened to the Food Network??), surprised you consider a risotto that requires sanding stove side for 25 minutes a weeknight thang–or maybe I need more patience on weeknights.
ATG — I think the charm of the tomato-sausage risotto is that it’s SO hearty and a crowd-pleaser, plus, containing tomatoes, spinach and sausage, it’s basically a balanced meal. And we almost always have enough for two days.
Panzanella suggestions — Thank you, added now. I really do forget about things in the archives all of the time. (I was at my parents place last month and my mother made the most amazing flank steak on the grill with a hoisin sauce — turns out, it’s here! She marinates it overnight or for an afternoon and then, while it grills, cooks down the sauce so it’s safe to pour over. And cuts the flank steak paper thin.) (Also it appears I have a hoisin habit.)
My two cents for great weeknight meals: eggs in tomato sauce, shaved asparagus pizza, carrot salad with tahini and crisped chickpeas (I think someone else said this as well. We love it. I have used dry roasted almonds instead of pi$tachio$.), spring panzanella (I make those croutons for any panzanella I make), silky cauliflower soup & the tuna salad recipe in pitas… yum. I love the new category!
Deb, anyone…Can leftovers be frozen? Thanks.
(bowing down) Thank you. Thank you. And thank you again for a recipe that is quick and easy and only requires I stock some wingettes for frequent use. I have a feeling my little will love them too.
We just got our first gas grill and so I am wondering if these could be grilled instead of oven roasted. Any idea, Deb or readers, on how long to cook? Or is this just too “saucy” for the grill?
Ann — I would definitely grill them if I had a grill! It might be a little saucy, but you can just leave a lot of it in the container or bag where you mixed them, and reduce it into a food safe sauce on the stove. Or brush it over them on the grill.
Thanks for the category addition! I know I will reference it heavily.
These sound delicious!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Mmmm…I made something similar to these once and think it’s time to try it again, with your recipe! Hoisin sauce is magic.
I made your scaled down version of cold rice noodles with peanut lime chicken last week, and it was a very doable weeknight meal. It also elicited many “wows” from my family.
I made this, tasted it and immediately thought of you. Such a good summer staple.
http://www.chow.com/recipes/30740-dill-chickpea-and-feta-pasta-salad
and from your archives this one if you did it more streamlined– worth it!
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2013/04/lentil-and-chickpea-salad-with-feta-and-tahini/
Deb!
You mentioned in the pretzel post about a cooking school/market place in Brooklyn to buy the lye. Is this is a good cooking school to take classes from?
Also, after a couple of years gone by, having read your post about the carousel in Brooklyn for the boy birthday bash- my family finally went on Saturday! It was so idyllic and sweet.
More exciting for the 4-1/2 year old though, was the subway passing overhead across the East River. We ended up making a subway voyage to take that very subway across. Maybe it was more exciting for the grown ups too?
We had our first rat sighting on the Q rails which made my boy REALLY psyched. This is of course, because of the Subway (your book recommendation) advertisement of such…. we are definitely entering the gross boy stage.
If you ever visit back to the Chapel Hill area with Jacob in tow, check out Pullen Park’s carousel. It goes fast!
Mary Moss — I’m glad the carousel was a hit. Yes, Brooklyn Kitchen offers some great classes; I’ve even taught one or two (when I was book touring, more like demos). They’re a bunch of blocks from any subway, but otherwise worth the schlep. You can also take cheese classes at Murray’s Cheese or… sheesh, there are a ton of places offering classes. But I’d say BK’s are particularly on trend (pizza making with Roberta’s Pizza, pickling with McClures…)
sorry to post again, but i just made this for the family tonight and it was awesome!! i’m going to have a hard time resisting making this a weekly dinner event. it truly was incredibly easy, and so delicious! i also made that snap pea slaw from your book, but basically just made the dressing and poured it over armenian cucumbers and grated carrots, since that was all i had to use. of course, toasted sesame seeds over both chicken and slaw, and with a side of black rice. i was very proud of myself. thursday is normally the night when i start coming the take out menus at 4:30 pm!
The asparagus, chorizo & croutons (using canned beans and with a side of scrambled eggs) and spinach quiche are some of our weeknight favorites!
This delicious-looking recipe reminds me of Japanese recipe (tebasaki.) The cookbook “Japanese Soul Cooking” (au. Ono and Salat) has many recipes like this, some suitable for weeknight meals, Japanese home-style. So different from the Japanese food you see in restaurants; much more like the food my half-Japanese mother made for us growing up — chahan, korokke, etc. (btw — I don’t represent these authors; a Japanese friend sent the book to me and i’ve been really tickled with the familiarity and weeknight-ease of the recipes.)
This looks absolutely delicious! Silly question since you said this recipe was meant for a quick weeknight dinner, but would it be okay to marinate the wings overnight anyways? These seem great for a party and I wanted to get all my prep work done the day before. Thanks!
Maggie — You can, but of course, there’s no need to.
I love sesame chicken, so these wings are right up my food-alley! Can’t wait to try them!
I love your list of weeknight favs – Thanks!! Saves me from getting lost down the “recipe index rabbit hole” and ending up well-read but without supper :)
Wings on the weekend?
Shiver me timbers!
I thought they needed more prep time and this pos/article/recipe has rocked my world!
Wings 24/7mforever!
Gah!
Meant to type “wings during the week.”
(embarassing)
The post should have read:
Wings on durnig the week?
Shiver me timbers!
I thought they needed more prep time and this post/article/recipe has rocked my world!
Wings 24/7 forever!
I made these the other night and threw some thighs in with the wings. My family loved them, and they are not big wing fans! Thank you for a new go-to quick dinner!
You can totally cut honey. Deb, please do not make it to the American-Chinese dish:-((
So fab!! Made these last night and LOVED them – quick and easy – perfect weeknight meal!
Hi Deb! Do you have any substitution suggestions for hoisin sauce? I don’t particularly love the stuff…
Hina — It’s a pretty central flavor here, really like an Asian barbecue sauce. You could use any other sauce or flavor combination you like, however, and use the same roasting technique to get nice oven wings here.
Do you have suggestions for temp./amount/cooking time if one were to do drumsticks rather than wings?
Adam — Smaller drumsticks usually roast in about 30 minutes, for us.
Definitely add your zucchini strand spaghetti to your weeknight favourites. Served with some bread, cheese and soppressata (and some rosé wine) its one of my favourites!
For weeknight meals, I look for recipes that I don’t have to shop for. I also precut my mirepoix (except onion) and mushrooms and then freeze them. This makes things really fast. I use your:
1. Cream of Mushroom soup: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/01/superlatively-souper/
2. Dal http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/06/and-then-i-moved-into-the-refrigerator/
3. Cauliflower soup http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/09/the-fragile-cooking-ego/
4. Pasta a la vodka: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2006/08/the-abhorred-and-the-adored/
5. Pho in a crockpot (if I planned ahead)
Oh gosh these look so good! Bet they are really yummy!
Love the new category!
Your asparagus goat cheese lemon tarragon pasta is a really quick weeknight meal we’ve made over and over again – I might have missed it, but I don’t think it’s on the list?
HIya – I like these very much, but I also did another step beforehand. I boiled the wings for 5 minutes in water. This keeps them moist and they don’t dry out or burn in the grill or oven.
Cheers
Anyone looking for tips on grilling these here you go.
Thanks for the great recipe Deb! I first made these in the oven and they were great but I wanted to try them on the grill- glad I did- it really brought them to the next level. I used a gas grill. There is one crucial modification I believe (I do this with bbq chicken as well) cook the chicken first without the sauce! Throw the wings in a ziploc with some olive oil, salt and pepper (the oil will help them brown and not stick to the grill). Then grill over medium/medium low heat until they start to brown (time will depend on the temperature and your grill). Remove from grill and toss with sauce in a bowl. Return wings to the grill and continue to cook until they have a nice dark color (not burnt!) while basting with any extra sauce.
Waiting until the end to put on the sauce allows the wings to get nice and crispy and the sauce has time to just caramelize but not burn. They were SO good!
I’m allergic to many ingredients in hoisin (gluten, red no 20, corn, brown rice) so I substituted with some Worcestershire sauce and it was acceptable, but I still wanted more of the depth and sweet/salty balance that you get from hoisin. So the next time I used a dark fruit jam (had blackberry on hand, but plum or grape would work, too), increased the garlic, added fresh ginger and seasoned to taste with a little lime juice & brown sugar. And, wham! Deep, dark, rich, tangy & sticky wings – without the hoisin which I can no longer eat (darned celiac disease!).
Thanks for inspiring what is already a weeknight and party favorite! (“Already?!?!,” you say? Um, yeah, I’ve made this three times since you posted two weeks ago. :)
I’m a little confused about how to convert the wings into wingettes (doh). I’m not sure what you mean by cutting off the tips and when I break them at the joint, the drumettes don’t like nice like yours. Is there any way to provide a visual?
Jen — I bought them as “party wings” so I didn’t separate them. Try YouTube for a video tutorial; I use it all of the time to figure things out.
these wings were fantastic & very simple to make – made them last night alongside a tiger salad adapted from xi’an famous foods. thanks for always, always providing the most killer recipes.
“I needed this – I ran blank on ideas what to cook for dinner. Cheers”
New favorite! I overnight brine 8 chicken thighs and proceed with recipe. Bake in top 1/3 for 20 minutes and take them out and spoon remaining sauce and return to oven for another 20 minutes. Perfect every time.
These are SOOO tasty, and the sauce is awesome. I actually doubled the sauce recipe, using a full Tablespoon of sesame oil, and marinated my wings in the sauce for a good 3-4 hours. After marinating, I took half the sauced and cooked it down til it reduced by about half. During roasting I flipped the wings over and basted the sauce that dripped down onto the pan back over each wing, just once. Served these with white rice topped by the reduced marinade, and a simple green salad with rice wine vineagrette. SOOOO yummy! I think I will try it on boneless chicken breast next. Thanks for the recipe Deb!
I need these in my life! Thank you for this gorgeous post :) I can’t wait to give it a go.
The genius of this recipe is that it is so fast and easy and so endlessly variable and, I would say, pretty near impossible to screw up. I made it your way the 1st time and it was great, but then the 2nd time I played with it a lot. More garlic, less hoisin, more sesame oil, more honey, some rice vinegar, more sriracha. I monkeyed with it, and I’m fairly certain this is the spirit you like to encourage devotees of Smitten Kitchen like myself. And my son and my husband couldn’t stop eating it. The words, “IT’S LIKE CRACK” were uttered!
Also I made a quicker/dirtier version of the much-beloved mango slaw, with peanuts as a nice balance to the wings!
Deb – These look awesome! I was thinking of making them with drumsticks and was wondering about brining them before hand. Do you think that would be a worthwhile endeavor?
Taste great. Any tips for getting the skin a bit crispier without a fryer?
Josh — It’s always an uphill battle with stickier or wet sauces. However, did you try running them under a broiler for the last few minutes? Grilling them might also improve the exterior texture.
This looks utterly delicious! I definitely have to save this one for my recipe book on Pinterest!
Hey, just wanted to pop in and let you know that I made these earlier this week. I used chicken legs & thighs. I did them with only one TB of honey, and an extra TB of hoisin sauce. I forgot to add the sesame seeds and the scallions at the end. But they were still delicious.
Also, I noticed the link to the slow-and-low dry rub oven chicken, linked in the “one year ago” slot. So I checked it out. THAT recipe recommends brining your chicken pieces. So I used the brine from that recipe and the sauce from this recipe and SHAZAM! Deliciousness. And the leftovers have been good, too.
I’m gonna work on figuring out how to crisp up the skin. There will probably be a broiler involved. I’m also going to try these on the grill. Thanks for a keeper recipe.
I’ve made these twice now and this recipe exceeded far my expectations! These are really flavorful, easy, and a crowd pleaser. I’ll be preparing these wings for years to come! I used approx. 1.5 T honey, 3 T hoisin and 1 tsp siracha. I did not marinate but I want to try that next time. Deb you share the best recipes. Thanks!
I’ve made this many times; it’s fool proof, easy, and always a crowd-pleaser. It’s everything I look for in a good recipe. We even BBQ’d this at a work function and it turned out great!
I find it best to marinate overnight (sometimes longer). I had no luck with aluminum foil because it kept sticking so I switched to parchment paper–works wonders! I halve the honey like you do and then add a huge dollap of sriracha. I love it when the heat comes ever so slightly in the background.
I love your blog and follow it religiously. Thanks so much and keep writing!
I didn’t see any comments about this, sorry if it’s a duplicate – but the sauce recipe worked beautifully on tofu, if anyone is veg and unsure… I press, cube, and bake my tofu for about 30-40 minutes (flip once), then pour half the sauce over and put it back in the oven at a lower temperature (on my gas stove, it’s notch 1) for another 10-15 minutes while I steam veggies, cook down the remaining sauce, and finish up rice. Genius. You are a genius. Thank you.
Wow, this looks A-MAZ-ING!!! love to try this recipe tonight at dinner. Thanks for sharing this mouthwatering recipe.
I’m not normally one to eat wings (and had never made them) but these looked amazing and I knew I had to try. Wings (already cut up – big bonus) were on sale at a local grocery last weeknd so that was my queue. I surprised my family Monday night just before the Colts game on TV and boy were they a hit! Thank you for this amazing recipe! Even I couldn’t stop eating them! I went back to the same store tonight before their sale was over to get 6 more pounds of wings for Sunday football.
This is now a go to recipe! I have 3 college age kids that devour these every time we make them. They are also great on the grill! Makes a great appetizer dish for parties too!
For a party of approximately 20 people (6 kids who likely would not eat chicken wings) how many do you suggest that I prepare (6 lbs?), alongside other dishes of course. Do you have any recipes for other types of wings – buffalo or a spicy garlic?
I grated a small amount of raw ginger on top of the wings after they were cooked. Added a bit of kick to the wings. Great recipe, thanks!
Could I make this with chicken parts? How long do you think I would have to cook the recipe using parts?
Paige — Probably, but time would vary by the size and type of chicken part. Chicken breasts that aren’t too large, usually 35 minutes. Drumsticks, maybe 25 to 30.
oh man, these look so good. the only problem is, i once made the mistake of making homemade buffalo wings awhile back so now all wings must be buffalo according to boyperson. maybe next time i’ll do half and half and see what happens.
we use alton brown’s method (but not his sauce, melted butter is not sauce…for wings anyway, imho) which makes amazing oven wings. for those looking for crisper skin they might try it (it’s wicked easy!), but it does require some planning ahead. you steam the wings for ten minutes, chill them in the fridge for at least an hour on a cooling rack in a foiled sheet pan (paper towels below), then remove the paper towels and shove them in a 425 oven for 20 minutes per side. make sauce on the stove, toss with wings in a big bowl as soon as they’re done and inhale.
you can leave the wings in the fridge for much longer than an hour of course, so that makes timing easier to deal with. i also don’t have a cooling rack and have had great results just putting them directly on the paper towels, then directly on the foil (which i spray with a little pam). but i imagine for the crispiest results, use the rack.
anyway, with game day approaching i keep seeing delicious wing recipes i want to try, and this is no exception. hopefully there isn’t a revolt.
Made this tonight with2 boneless, skinless chick. breasts cut into chunks. Also added frozen broccoli florets to the pan. Aside from this alteration, I followed recipe exactly, but it turned out lousy. Nothing was sticky, sauce wouldn’t reduce, and chicken was tasteless. Disappointed bec. the sesame sauce cost $5. only to use very small amount. Where did I go wrong? :(( I also made rice to go with it.
Made this last week with wingettes, doubled the sauce recipe ( for white rice sauce), allowed wingettes to marinate for 30 minutes or more, and baked they until they were brown/darkened and somewhat crisp. They were very flavorful and simply good, not as sticky as I thought they would be, but still very tasty. In fact, I’m making them again today…my teenager really enjoyed them :-))
I made these yesterday for my Super Bowl party. I decided to marinate the wings in the sauce overnight. Baked them the next day as written. They never really got “sticky”. Do you think possibly because there was too much juice from marinating? Anyway, not quite as good as most of your recipes but I might tweak the recipe. Love your cookbook and all your blog posts.
Hi Laura — It might be. I find that some wings are more watery than others and if I don’t get the consistency I want — if sauce is puddled at the bottom — I’ll just reduce it in a saucepan and get it to the right consistency after. Not ideal, and it doesn’t always happen, but better than undersauced wings.
Are sesame oil & toasted sesame oil interchangeable or best not to with these wings? I bought toasted sesame oil by mistake darn it!
Lynnmarie — I actually meant toasted sesame oil, which is used more often in Asian recipes. It tastes a million times better (more of a flavoring than just a fat).
I only found regular chicken wings and was too lazy to cut the tips off and separate them at the joint. Ugh. They came out kinda gross (I’m really not a fan of ligaments and that other stuff around joints). If I make these again, I’ll definitely look harder for party wings. The husband was unfazed though, and ate them all.
This is among my all-time favourite recipes. I’ve made this at outdoor BBQ’s on the grill, baked in the oven for tomorrow’s lunch, and for large parties/potlucks. It’s fool-proof, easy, and delicious–my kind of recipe. I’m always reluctant to order wings at a restaurant now… because I know this is way better. Just follow the recipe and adjust as needed. I use less honey and a liberal splash of Sriracha for that kick.
They’re also not as sticky as I thought they’d be–but that’s ok. I like to see a bit of the sauce forming a dark charcoal-y crust. I always marinade overnight.
I made these today, and they turned out really great! This was my first time making wings, and I really liked that these were baked. I could have used more acid – I ended up squeezing some lime over them before eating, but I think my idea of wings is a sweet & sour combo. Cutting up the wings is SO much easier when you have a sharp knife! I struggled through the first 3 wings and then finally switched over to a sharper knife. I got the hang of cutting up the wings on the last two, and now my fear of wings is solidly over! Thanks, Deb!
I know the chicken skin adds flavor and moisture but also most of the fat and calories. Is there any way to make these skinless or will they end up too dry? Any way around that problem??
thanks!!
You can try and it might work flavor-wise but skinless wings… it always feels like there’s no much there to me.
Can these be grilled? Should the wings be marinated in the sauce? Thanks!
Sorry for the delayed response on this, but yes and yes.
Made these this evening, but didn’t love them. They were a bit bland even after marinading them.
Even though rhe recipe doesn’t say anything about this, I’ve found that drying all meat before cooking/marinating makes a difference in the final results. If you mixed the wings just out of the package with the sauce, they’d be pretty wet and would dilute any marinade and it wouldn’t cling as well either. This extra step might help.
SO GOOD! perfect. seriously. make them.
WE LOVE THESE WINGS. Seriously, this is one of the best weeknight recipes in this entire website. We’ve made them countless times– currently sitting in the oven, getting cooked to go on a picnic.
Do you think this would work with boneless chicken breasts cut into pieces? How would you adjust temp and cooking time?
Dear Deb, when I click on the links in this sentence, it takes me to a 404 forbidden site message: “We had this with rice (I’m currently enamored with this and this)”.
Thanks!
Weird, it’s just the Lundberg brand, not sure why their web people don’t know how to make URL redirects. ;) I fixed the URLs for them.
The suggested rice dishes to accompany these wings – the links for them aren’t working. Can you tell me what they are or provide working links?
Now fixed; but it wasn’t rice dishes, it was just varieties I’d been cooking.
This is kind fo a basic question, but can I make this with chicken thighs instead and just cook them longer or will the sauce burn that way?
Yes, but they’re not ideal for crisping up with this method.
Has anyone tried marinating these ahead of time?
So sad. This turned out to be rather tasteless. Not quite sure why.
I made these tonight along with the SK oven fries with this dipping sauce and it was delicious
https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ginger-sesame-sauce-51112280
Can you make this with drumsticks?
I haven’t yet but I’d think you could. I wouldn’t expect them to get as crispy as wings but I would expect them to get much crispier than roasted drumsticks usually do.
Made this last night for my husband and picky 3.5 year old! My kid DEVOURED these and was then adorably and frustratingly covered in sauce :) (straight to the bath). My husband thought they were “good” – whatever dude, they were delicious!! These are going on a rotation in our house, 100%. I did have to reduce the “pan sauce” as it didn’t want to stick to the drumettes, but it only took a few minutes in a pan. Very easy, very delicious! Thank you, as always, Deb!
How would you update this recipe now that you’ve perfected baked wings with your more recent Buffalo wings recipe? Bake the wings Buffalo style then toss with the Asian sauce once they’re out of the oven? Maybe thicken the sauce up a bit first?
Very tempted to try exactly this!
I know it’s been years, but just in case someone still stumbles on this recipe as I did, I thought I’d chime in. It was really disappointing. Bland taste, and the skin stayed flabby even when patted dry first and cooked until quite colored. I use a bottled product called Teriyaki Baste and Glaze that has a similar flavor profile but I think would provide far more depth of flavor and better glazing, and no work at all. My favorite baked wing recipe, which just involves coating them in a spice and olive oil mixture, gives a crispy and delicious result. I was looking for an alternative for a change; this isn’t it.
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs and adjust the cooking time? Thanks.
Yes, but you might want to use this approach.
Gotcha! Thanks