Chicken wings with mango Recipe Inspired by Jamie Oliver
Chicken wings with mango is the Nokx Majozi recipe that pulled me straight toward the braai. I cooked it as an admiring reader, and it delivered the sort of generous, vivid food I hoped for: familiar wings transformed by ripe fruit, citrus and a proper lick of charcoal. It feels festive enough to put in the middle of a gathering, yet the ingredient list remains straightforward. The glaze lands in layers. Mango and honey make it glossy and sweet, lime and apple cider vinegar keep that sweetness lively, and paprika, garlic and chilli bring warmth rather than a flat blast of heat. After the slow grill, the skin is burnished and sticky with dark char marks, while the meat stays juicy. The fresh salsa adds cool mango cubes, crisp onion, tomato, coriander, chilli and lemon. The part I found most useful was the timing of the glaze. It is cooked first, cooled before it meets the meat, and divided so a clean portion remains for basting. The wings spend at least two hours in the rest, preferably overnight, then cook away from fierce coals before the final five-minute baste. That patient order lets the chicken cook through before the honey-rich coating can catch. I like serving the wings straight from a broad platter with the salsa tucked around them, so every piece can pick up something fresh and sharp. They are satisfyingly messy, so napkins belong on the table. For an even simpler presentation, the chef's suggestion of fresh mango slices in place of the salsa keeps the same sunny contrast without asking for another mixed component.
Foodmitrecipe
Per 1/6 of the recipe
Nutrition for Chicken wings with mango
- Saturated fat
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugars
- 22 g
- Sodium
- 430 mg
Estimated values. Nutrition values are approximate. More precise calculations will be added in a future update.
How to make Chicken wings with mango
Mango-glazed wings
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Step 1
Blend the mango base
Put the roughly chopped mango, garlic, paprika, lime juice and apple cider vinegar in a food processor. Blend until no pieces remain and the mixture is smooth enough to coat the wings evenly.
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Step 2
Simmer the mango base
Scrape the mango mixture into a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, watching the pan and stirring as needed so the fruit cooks without catching on the bottom.
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Step 3
Finish and cool the glaze
Stir in the honey, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, chilli flakes and lime zest. Keep stirring for 1 minute, until the glaze looks cohesive and glossy. Season with sea salt and black pepper, take the pan off the heat and leave the glaze to cool.
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Step 4
Coat and chill the wings
Pat the wings thoroughly dry with kitchen paper and place them in a container that fits in the refrigerator. Spoon a small bowlful of the cooled glaze into a separate container for basting later. Pour all the remaining glaze over the wings and turn them until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight; keep the reserved glaze separate.
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Step 5
Prepare the braai
Light the braai 30 minutes before cooking. Once the coals are hot, lightly brush the grill grate with oil. Set an adjustable grate at medium height; if the grate is fixed, bank the coals to one side and plan to cook the wings on the cooler side, away from direct heat.
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Step 6
Grill gently
Arrange the marinated wings on the prepared grill over the gentler heat. Cook for at least 30 minutes, turning them occasionally so they color steadily on all sides rather than scorching in one spot.
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Step 7
Baste and check the center
Brush the wings with the separately reserved glaze and cook for 5 minutes more. Cut into a thick wing right down to the bone: the juices should run clear and the meat should show no pink. If either cue is missing, continue grilling and check again. Move the cooked wings to a serving platter.
Fresh mango salsa
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Step 8
Fold together the salsa
While the wings cook, gently combine the mango cubes, red onion, tomato, coriander and red chilli in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and fold once more without crushing the fruit. Spoon the salsa around the grilled wings when they reach the platter.
Because mango and honey darken quickly, protect the wings from fierce coals and save the separately reserved glaze for the final five minutes.
Chicken wings with mango, ready to serve
Serving ideas for Chicken wings with mango
Choose a presentation that fits the occasion, from relaxed sharing to individual plates.
Braai sharing platter
Pile the glazed wings loosely on a broad, pale ceramic platter so the charred edges and golden coating remain visible, then spoon the fresh salsa in pockets around them rather than covering every piece. Put the platter in the middle of the table for a relaxed braai or party, with a stack of napkins close by. The open arrangement lets guests choose a wing and take as much of the sharp, juicy salsa as they want.
Individual dinner plates
For a seated dinner, divide the wings among simple stoneware plates and place a neat spoonful of mango salsa just to one side. Leave enough clear space to show the shiny glaze and dark grill marks rather than crowding the plate. This presentation keeps the sticky chicken and fresh mixture distinct until each person combines them, and it turns the same six-serving recipe into an easy, informal first course or light main.
Simple mango-side tray
When I want the most pared-back version suggested with the original dish, I would arrange the hot wings on a shallow outdoor serving tray and use fresh mango slices in place of the mixed salsa. Set the slices beside, not beneath, the chicken so they stay fresh and do not absorb the hot glaze. The bright fruit still answers the smoke and chilli, while the tray format feels natural for a casual snack passed around outside.
Let’s cook Chicken wings with mango together
Check off your ingredients, follow each step, and start the timers when you are ready.
Get everything ready
Mango-glazed wings
Fresh mango salsa
Step-by-step with timers
Mango-glazed wings
Blend the mango base
Put the roughly chopped mango, garlic, paprika, lime juice and apple cider vinegar in a food processor. Blend until no pieces remain and the mixture is smooth enough to coat the wings evenly.
Simmer the mango base
Scrape the mango mixture into a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, watching the pan and stirring as needed so the fruit cooks without catching on the bottom.
Finish and cool the glaze
Stir in the honey, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, chilli flakes and lime zest. Keep stirring for 1 minute, until the glaze looks cohesive and glossy. Season with sea salt and black pepper, take the pan off the heat and leave the glaze to cool.
Coat and chill the wings
Pat the wings thoroughly dry with kitchen paper and place them in a container that fits in the refrigerator. Spoon a small bowlful of the cooled glaze into a separate container for basting later. Pour all the remaining glaze over the wings and turn them until well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight; keep the reserved glaze separate.
Prepare the braai
Light the braai 30 minutes before cooking. Once the coals are hot, lightly brush the grill grate with oil. Set an adjustable grate at medium height; if the grate is fixed, bank the coals to one side and plan to cook the wings on the cooler side, away from direct heat.
Grill gently
Arrange the marinated wings on the prepared grill over the gentler heat. Cook for at least 30 minutes, turning them occasionally so they color steadily on all sides rather than scorching in one spot.
Baste and check the center
Brush the wings with the separately reserved glaze and cook for 5 minutes more. Cut into a thick wing right down to the bone: the juices should run clear and the meat should show no pink. If either cue is missing, continue grilling and check again. Move the cooked wings to a serving platter.
Fresh mango salsa
Fold together the salsa
While the wings cook, gently combine the mango cubes, red onion, tomato, coriander and red chilli in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and fold once more without crushing the fruit. Spoon the salsa around the grilled wings when they reach the platter.
The story behind Chicken wings with mango
Recipe notes by Sophie
The recipe that led me to the braai
I came to this dish because I enjoy how Nokx Majozi builds big flavor from ingredients that still feel recognizable at the market. A mango-based coating sounded especially right for a braai, where fruit and smoke can meet without either one needing to dominate. Once I had the wings marinating, the kitchen smelled of lime, garlic and paprika, and I understood why the recipe asks for a patient rest instead of rushing directly to the fire. Cooking it made me feel like a reader learning the logic of her food, not trying to speak in her place.
Learning to trust gentler heat
My first round over the coals taught me to respect the distance from the heat. Mango and honey color fast, so a dramatic flame is not the goal. I kept the grill at medium height and, where the heat ran stronger, shifted the wings toward the quieter side. During the initial half hour I turned them from time to time but held back the separately reserved glaze. Brushing it on only near the end gave me the lacquered surface I wanted without burying it under bitterness. Cutting one wing at its thickest point, right down to the bone, was a much better test than judging the char.
The fresh half of the plate
At serving time, the salsa made the whole platter come into focus. The cooked glaze is rounded, sticky and smoky, whereas the uncooked mango, onion, tomato, coriander, chilli and lemon stay distinct and lively. I liked dragging each wing through a little of that mixture between bites. The contrast also made the modest quantity feel suited to sharing as the recipe intends. This is the sort of plate I would happily put down at the center of a relaxed gathering, with no attempt to make sticky fingers look overly formal.