These Air Fryer Maple Scotch Bonnet Chicken Wings are sticky, sweet, spicy, and packed with umami flavour. A while back, we visited Ramoramen Soho, and we spotted Maple Scotch Bonnet Chicken Wings on the menu. We didn’t end up trying it at the restaurant, but I’ve been very much intrigued by the idea. That’s how this recipe came about, and these homemade air fryer chicken wings turned out to be such a wonderful delight! Cooked entirely in the air fryer, the wings turn beautifully golden and juicy before being tossed in a sweet-spicy miso maple scotch bonnet sauce that delivers just the right balance of heat and flavour.
What Are Scotch Bonnet Chicken Wings?
Scotch Bonnet Chicken Wings are chicken wings coated in a spicy glaze made using Scotch bonnet peppers, one of the most popular chilli varieties used throughout Caribbean and West African cooking. Known for their fruity sweetness and intense heat, Scotch bonnets pair particularly well with sweet ingredients such as maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar, creating a balanced sweet-and-spicy wing sauce.
Why You’d Love This Miso Maple Scotch Bonnet Chicken Wings Recipe
Scotch Bonnets may sound like this intimidating & fiery hot chilli pepper that would blow your head off. You’re not entirely wrong, but they also have a sweet undertone that makes them a great ingredient to play around with. When paired with maple syrup, it gives this lusciously addictive sweetness that would make you keep reaching for more of these wings. To give them a little flavour boost, I’ve also added a little scoop of miso to give that extra umami. It’s like a tantalisingly sweet & spicy chilli glaze over the chicken wings, but with more flavour depth and simply better. Safe to say that these wings went down as an absolute treat at home!
How to Handle Scotch Bonnet Peppers
Scotch Bonnet, often known as one of the hottest chillies in the world, is a type of chilli pepper ubiquitous in West Africa and the Caribbean. It is closely related to Habanero and has a heat rating of 100,000–350,000, which is on the upper end of the Scoville Scale (the official measurement of how hot a chilli is).
This means we are prone to chilli burn if we are not careful when handling raw scotch bonnets. Kitchen gloves are, therefore, highly recommended when chopping the chillies. Remember not to rub your eyes after touching the chillies, as that could get rather painful! It is also recommended to thoroughly wash any surfaces or utensils that come in contact with the peppers.
How to make Miso Maple Scotch Bonnet Chicken Wings with an Air Fryer
To break down the recipe into three simple parts, you first marinate the chicken wings to ensure the meat comes out juicy & flavoursome. Then you pop them into the air fryer to cook. While the wings are cooking, make the Miso Maple Scotch Bonnet glaze and toss it all over the chicken when ready.
Ingredients You Need
- Chicken Wings
- Salt
- Chilli Powder
- Lemon Juice
- Oil – vegetable/sunflower oil
- Scotch Bonnet Chilli Peppers*
- Butter
- Miso Paste – I use red miso for a deeper flavour*
- Maple Syrup
- Chives – for garnish
*See recipe notes below
Cooking Tips & Recipe Notes
- Marinating is key to making the most delicious chicken wings. I always marinate them with salt, chilli powder, lemon juice, and oil to make the meat more succulent and flavoursome. If time allows, marinate them overnight. But if not, at least an hour of marination would make a difference.
- As mentioned above, it is highly recommended to wear kitchen gloves to avoid chilli burn when you are handling Scotch Bonnet peppers due to how intensely hot they are.
- If you don’t want it to get too spicy, simply remove the seeds, as that is the hottest part of the chilli pepper. This will significantly mellow down the heat level while retaining the pepper’s distinctive flavour, and won’t scare away anyone who can’t take spice.
- Miso pastes mainly come in white/yellow, red, and brown. The darker the colour, the deeper & stronger the flavour you get. I find Red Miso complements this recipe best as it adds a distinct oomph & umami without being too overwhelming. If you can’t specifically get your hands on red miso, any other miso would work. Though perhaps you’d like to slightly increase the amount if using a lighter white/yellow miso, or decrease the amount if using dark brown miso.
- When cooking the chicken wings, it is important to preheat your air fryer beforehand. This is to ensure that the chicken gets cooked straightaway and yields a lovely golden brown finish. It also helps to ensure your food gets cooked evenly in the air fryer.
- Do not overcrowd your air fryer and cook in batches if needed. This is to ensure your chicken gets cooked evenly – you don’t want to end up having some parts of your chicken still raw and some parts overcooked!
Scotch bonnet peppers are among the hotter chilli varieties, but the maple syrup helps balance the heat with sweetness. Removing the seeds significantly reduces the spice level.
Yes. Use fewer Scotch bonnet peppers or remove all the seeds before chopping.
Absolutely. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for approximately 30-35 minutes, turning halfway through.
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Air Fryer Miso Maple Scotch Bonnet Chicken Wings
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken Wings
- 1 heaped tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- 1½ tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
For the Miso Maple Scotch Bonnet Glaze
- 2 heaped tbsp Butter
- 1-2 Scotch Bonnet finely chopped*
- 1 tbsp Red Miso*
- 4 tbsp Maple Syrup
To Garnish & Serve
- Chives finely chopped
Instructions
- Marinate chicken wings with salt, chilli powder, lemon juice, and oil for at least 1 hour.1 kg Chicken Wings, 1 heaped tsp Salt, 1½ tbsp Oil , 2 tbsp Lemon Juice, 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
- Place the chicken wings into the air fryer basket. Do not overcrowd and cook in batches if need to.
- Cook the chicken wings for 5 minutes, then flip the wings and cook for another 5 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
Making the Miso Maple Scotch Bonnet Glaze
- In the meantime, make the glaze by melting the butter in a pan over medium heat.2 heaped tbsp Butter
- Add the scotch bonnet and saute for 1 minute.1-2 Scotch Bonnet
- Stir in red miso, then add the maple syrup. Mix to combine and let simmer till slightly thickened.1 tbsp Red Miso*, 4 tbsp Maple Syrup
- Once the wings are ready, toss them in the glaze until fully coated.
- Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately.Chives
Notes
- Kitchen gloves are highly recommended when chopping the scotch bonnet to prevent chilli burn.
- Removing the chilli seeds will mellow down the heat level if you don’t want it to get too spicy.
- The darker the miso paste, the deeper & stronger flavour you get. We feel Red Miso is the sweet spot for this recipe but feel free to use other ones and adjust the amount accordingly to get the right flavouring.
- Preheating your air fryer ensures the chicken gets cooked right away and yields a golden brown finish, as well as ensuring it gets cooked evenly.
- Do not overcrowd your air fryer and cook in batches if need to. This is, again, to ensure your chicken gets cooked evenly.
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looks very tempting and healthy. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thank you so much for your comment! Hope you enjoy it 😄