Pineapple Chicken Wings, Baked, Air Fryer or BBQ

Pineapple chicken wings with jalapeno peppers, dried mint & paprika, contains instructions for baking, air frying and cooking on the BBQ.

Tinned pineapple forms the base for the sweet and spicy glaze on these wings that are as easy to cook for 2 as they are for 12.

Fruity Spicy Chicken Wings

Yes, fried chicken wings are absolutely magical, but to be honest, looking after a deep fat fryer is a pain.

As a result, they are a real rarity in our house, that does not mean that we don’t eat wings though!

I have a bit of an obsession with wings in a fruity and spicy glaze and I cook them all of the time.

These pineapple chicken wings are given a bit of spice courtesy of fresh jalapeno pepper. They join other iterations like my mango and habanero wings, gochujang Korean chicken wings and date and harissa chicken wings.

Like both of those dishes, I have three sets of instructions for cooking these delicious nibbles. Air fryer, baked and grilled on the BBQ, knock yourself out all three are delicious and work perfectly.

Baking them takes longer at around an hour, both the air fryer and BBQ methods take around 35 minutes to cook.

If you are looking for other wing variations, check out my lemon pepper wings, South African inspired peri peri chicken wings and my Thai influenced chicken wings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to cook wings?

If we are talking pure taste then the BBQ is best as far as I am concerned. But as obsessed with food as I am, I don’t fire up the grill every time I want wings!

Then we have the choice between the air fryer and oven-baked. The air fryer does a marginally better job and it cooks the wings quicker, but I cannot stand cleaning the thing when I am done!

So I usually oven-bake my wings. But all three methods are superb and just work!

How do I prepare chicken wings?

You just need a sharp knife and a little bit of knowledge, once you have the technique it takes no time at all.

• Place a wing skin side down on a chopping board with the wing forming a V shape with the point of the V towards you.
• Use your fingertips to locate the joint between the winglet and drumette. It will be really knobbly and easy to locate.
• Cut through the gap in this knobbly section with the knife cutting right through the V shape. It should slide through with little resistance, we are not cutting through bone!
• Repeat the process with the wing tip if it is there. Do not throw them away, freeze them, they make a great stock.

What does the baking powder do?

The bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in the baking powder makes the chicken more alkaline.

By some process that I do not understand, this helps crisp up the skin of the wings wonderfully. You can use neat bicarb if you like, but I find that can leave a lingering “metallic” flavour that I am not keen on.

Serving Suggestions.

I’ve said it before, when it comes to wings I am heading in for a meat feast.

I usually have a big bowl and serve them with something like rocket (arugula) or watercress. The heat from the wings wilts the greens and some of the glaze transfers to it and makes it really quite delicious.

However, these pineapple and jalapeno chicken wings are particularly good with a side of wedges, chips or fries.

Potato wedges cooked in an air fryer are particularly good and superbly simple, you can also match the seasoning to the wings. In this instance, I would add just a little smoked paprika, salt and pepper.

But don’t get tunnel-visioned on spuds, these sweet potato fries or even these carrot and parsnip fries would work superbly.

If you are planning ahead then give cheesy polenta fries a whirl, they are spectacularly good!

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Air Fryer, Oven or BBQ depending on how you want to cook the wings.
• Baking tray and foil if you are cooking them in the oven.
• Mini blender.
• Weighing scales and or measuring spoons.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen tongs.