Chicken Wings, Citrus-Glazed with Orange and Lemon (Paleo, AIP)

These citrus-glazed chicken wings are paleo and AIP-friendly.

With Christmas and New Year being around the corner, it’s finally time for those much-awaited festivities and amazing foods! Many of you would agree that during the holiday season you tend to eat anything-that-comes-your-way but if you have a leaky gut you may end up having health issues. Therefore, even in the festive season, you need to take care of what you eat, especially if you are intolerant to certain foods or just want to stay healthy. Some ahead of time preparation goes a long way to enable you to enjoy end of year celebrations without sacrificing your well-being.

Different countries have different Christmas traditions regarding food. For example, in English-speaking countries, traditional Christmas dinner features turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy and different root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, etc. Other types of meat are also used. For dessert, pumpkin or apple pie are among the staples.

What flavors make you feel that Christmas is in the air? I don’t know about you but to me Christmas and New Year were always associated with citruses, such as oranges, mandarins, clementines and so on. This year is not an exclusion. Indeed, when we talk about flavors there’s nothing better than citruses to make a dish both tasty and festive! If you agree with me, you may consider a few of my recipes for your holiday menu:
Roasted beets with orange balsamic reduction
Instant Pot pulled pork
Lamb liver paté with lime and blueberries
Lemon turmeric gummies
Orange pumpkin energy balls

WHAT DISH TO MAKE?

This year I am making these citrus-glazed chicken wings as one of the main treats. They are so delicious! The sauce is bursting with flavors and it has everything I want in a sauce for my citrus chicken. Zingy orange and lemon coupled with sweet, savory and spicy ingredients of the glaze make these zesty chicken wings highly addictive. You can have one and then the next one and then one more and you will still want more!

And the process of cooking is easy too. Make simple marinade that incorporates orange and lemon juice (and zest!), honey, ginger, garlic and coconut aminos. After that leave the chicken wings in the marinade overnight. When ready, bake the wings in an oven and serve. And the resultant flavor is just out of the world!

FINAL WORDS

So, put all your apprehensions and hesitations at rest and enjoy Christmas and New Year holidays, filled with citrus flavor! Which is the great news as citrus fruits are loaded with vitamin C, which is essential for many important processes in your body. This vitamin is also a great defense mechanism during cold and flue season. Citrus is hence definitely the go-to food and flavor of the season! I like to say that “it keeps your gut healthy and your mind happy”. Therefore, include citruses as much as you can in your diet, celebrate them! There are literally tons of recipes with citrus fruits that you can find nowadays, so enjoy them ever so often!

CITRUS-GLAZED CHICKEN WINGS WITH ORANGE AND LEMON

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds chicken wings
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (optional)
• 1/3 cup coconut aminos
• 1/3 cup liquid honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoon ginger powder
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs (spring onions or coriander leaves)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Clean and pat dry the chicken wings.
2. Prepare the marinade. In a bowl combine together the orange juice with zest, lemon juice with zest (if using), coconut aminos, honey, ginger and garlic powder.
3. Arrange the chicken wings in a large baking dish* and pour the marinade over the wings. Cover the dish with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
4. When you are ready to cook the wings, preheat the oven to 375F.
5. Remove the plastic wrap, turn the wings over and bake them in the marinade for 1 hour** or until thoroughly cooked. Turn and bast with the sauce once halfway through.
6. Garnish the citrus-glazed chicken wings with fresh herbs.
7. Serve and enjoy with your loved ones!

NOTES

* You may use two dishes.
** Cover the dish to prevent splashing.