Recipe Pairing: La Sirena Chardonnay with Citrus Spiced Chicken Wings
March 18, 2026 | Recipes | La Sirena Winery
Continuing our recipe pairing series with Chef Christina Machamer, these tangy, savory chicken wings make a delightful pairing with our La Sirena Chardonnay.
Citrus Spiced Chicken Wings
Pair with La Sirena Chardonnay
INGREDIENTS
1.5lbs Chicken Wings
1T Kosher Salt
1.5t Sugar
1 Yellow Onion, Sliced
3 sprigs Thyme (Lemon Thyme if available)
1 Bay Leaf
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
.5c Seasoned Flour (recipe below)
3C Canola Oil
3/4c Fresh Orange Juice
6T Melted Unsalted Butter
.5C Frank’s Hot Sauce
.5t Chinese Five Spice
2T Citrus Zest- I like a mix of Lemon and Orange
1 Bay Leaf
t.t. Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
SEASONED FLOUR- I usually mix a large batch of seasoned flour to keep on hand for anything that needs to be dredged or breaded
4c AP Flour
2T Kosher Salt
1T Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1T Garlic Salt
1T Paprika
1T Sugar
1t Cayenne
METHOD
1. Combine Salt, Sugar, Onion, Thyme, Bay Leaf, and Garlic in a large glass or plastic bowl. Add Chicken and toss to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow chicken to marinate in refrigerator, preferably overnight.
2. On the second day, remove wings and discard marinade. Place wings on a wire rack over a sheet tray and allow to air dry in the refrigerator for an additional 24 hours.
3. Add Oil to a heavy bottomed cast iron pan or heat a deep fryer to 350 degrees. Evenly coat wings in seasoned flour and allow to rest about 15 minutes, allowing a coating to form.
4. In a separate pan, reduce orange juice to .25C. Add butter, hot sauce, spices, zest, and bay leaf, and return to a simmer. If desired, drizzle in a cornstarch slurry to bring sauce to desired thickness and make it more stable. (Cornstarch slurry is made with 1T cornstarch: 1T Cold water, whisk together and add only as much as is needed. Sauce will thicken when it resumes a simmer.
5. Fry wings until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. If wings start to get too brown before they come to an internal temperature of 165, they may finish cooking in a 400-degree oven.
6. Toss wings with sauce and garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.
Recipe and photo © Christina Machamer - do not copy or reproduce without permission.