OmGOODness were my newest Sweet and Spicy Honey Pomegranate Wings absolutely wonderful!! Wowzas!! If you’re a wing lover too, you just landed in the right spot, because these li’l gems were devoured in record time!! And I’m sure your family and friends will enjoy them as much as we did!

And, guess what? They’re super easy to make, too!! They start with my slightly spicy rub, and then go into the oven to bake until fall-off-the-bone tender! Not a tough bite to be found, and they always turn out soooo juicy and tender when cooked this way!

And while they’re baking, just whip up the easy sauce….

…place the cooked wings into a large bowl…

…then pour the sauce over the wings and toss to coat! And WAH. LAH. You’ve got some damn tasty wings like none other! *You might want to save some of that sauce aside for dipping! Just saying. 😉

Slightly spicy, tender, juicy, succulent, sweet and sticky wings! OH yea, baby!!

And though I bake these babies, you could also grill them if you’d like! Wings usually, *depending on size*, take only about 18 – 20 minutes (give or take a few) to cook through. But for those who don’t have a grill, don’t care to, or face inclement weather and it just isn’t possible, the oven makes them even better anyways!

So whip up a batch of these this weekend….but…inviting friends over to share them with…well…that’s up to you! I won’t tell!! 😉 Enjoy!!

*For this recipe I used Stirrings Simple Pomegranate Martini Cocktail Mix, (a non-alcoholic mixer made with pomegranate and lemon juice, and a little sugar). You can purchase this item on Amazon or through their website.

Yield: 2 - 4 servings

Sweet and Spicy Honey Pomegranate Wings

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Ingredients

• 12 large wings pieces, patted dry

For Dry Rub:

• 1 Tbl. dark brown sugar
• 1 Tbl. smoked sweet paprika
• 1/2 Tbl. regular table salt
• 1/2 Tbl. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried leaf oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. cajun seasoning such as Slap Ya Mama

For Sauce:

• 1/2 cup non-alcoholic pomegranate martini mixer (such as Stirrings), or pomegranate juice (regular or Cran-Pomegranate)
• 2 Tbl. honey
• 1 Tbl. Heinz Chili Sauce, not to be confused with hot chili sauce!
• 1 tsp. sriracha
• 1/4 tsp. regular salt
• 1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

Rinse and pat dry wings, then set onto a baking sheet or in a shallow dish.

In medium to small bowl, combine rub ingredients until very well mixed.

Sprinkle half onto one side, turn over carefully, not disturbing the rub, and sprinkle other side until they are all coated well.

Cover and marinate for several hours or overnight. If in a rush, it's ok to go ahead and proceed, though. They're just a bit better if they have time to absorb the rub is all.

TO BAKE:

Preheat oven to 375º F.

In small bowl, mix together Spice Blend until very well mixed. Sprinkle "ugly/bottom sides" of chicken pieces with half of the spice blend mixture. Place onto sprayed cooling rack placed over a foil-lined baking sheet, seasoned side down. Sprinkle tops with rest of seasoning. *Pieces will be well coated. Don't worry, it's not too much. Pop into oven and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven, toss chicken wings in sauce, plate and serve with a little of the sauce on the side for dipping. (*While chicken pieces are baking (or grilling), make Sauce.)

IF YOU'D RATHER GRILL:

Heat grill to medium heat. Oil grates with a vegetable oil-soaked wad of paper towels using tongs. Carefully place wings onto grill, minimally disturbing the rub, close lid and leave them be. Cooking time depends on the size. Most regular-sized wings take about 16-20 minutes, but these took a total of 35! (So check inside to make sure.) *Turn them halfway through cooking. And keep lid closed. When done, remove and place into sauce, toss to coat, serve as is or return pieces to grill, and grill just a few minutes on each side for grill marks. Serve with a little of the extra sauce for dipping.

TO MAKE SAUCE:

Add Sauce ingredients to a small saucepan, bring just to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and low boil for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a little syrupy but not thick. Remove from heat and set aside.