This Miso Tomato Caramel Glaze has found a permanent place at my table. Amazing on chicken wings, it is also an incredible go-to sauce for lacquered ribs, roasted squash, sweet potatoes, or roasted chicken. The flavor hits all the notes that I care about: sweet, savory, funky, citrusy, crispy (not a flavor per se, but it should be). Aromatics of cinnamon and star anise plus the herby-bright finish of cilantro and lime give this quick-to-make sauce dimension and depth. Plus, featured here: a way to bake wings in the oven that genuinely tastes better than a fryer. Maybe I like finger food now?

Ingredients

For the wings

4 lbs. Chicken wings, cut into drumettes and flats

2 Tbs. Baking powder

2 Tbs. Garlic powder

2 Tsp. Kosher salt

1 Tsp. Chili flakes (I like Burlap & Barrel’s Silk Chili Flakes which are botanically identical to Aleppo)

For the Miso Tomato Caramel Glaze

1 Tbs. Miso

2 Tbs. Rhea Tomato Caramel

2 Tbs. soy sauce

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. water

Juice of 1 lime

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise pod

Cilantro to serve

Lime slices to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.
2. Rinse and pat dry the chicken wings. Make sure they are quite dry as this will help them get extra crispy.
3. In a bowl, combine the baking powder, garlic powder, Kosher salt, and chili flakes, mixing well.
4. Coat the wings in the baking powder mixture, taking care to make sure they are evenly coated.
5. Arrange on the wire rack, spacing them evenly and leaving space between each.
6. Bake for 25-minutes. Flip each wing and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
7. About 15 minutes before the wings are through baking, prepare the glaze by combining the miso, Tomato Caramel, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, cinnamon stick and star anise pod into a sauce pan. Cook on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved completely and the sauce begins to thicken. Whisk constantly to prevent the sugar from burning.
8. Once the sauce has thickened (about 5 minutes), remove the pan from the heat and add the juice of 1 lime. Whisk to combine.
9. Remove the wings from the wire rack and plate. Drizzle the glaze over the wings, top with cilantro, and serve immediately.