These Pepperoni Chicken Wings bring Italian-inspired flavor to your game-day spread. The recipe pairs chicken wings with a rich tomato sauce made with sliced pepperoni, garlic, onion, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper. Blended until smooth, the sauce has a thick, hearty consistency that makes a flavorful base for the wings.
The original recipe also includes a lemon, limoncello, and fresh thyme marinade, adding a bright herbal and citrus note that complements the savory pepperoni sauce. The sauce can be made ahead, making this a great option when preparing several wing flavors for a gathering.
Serve the warm wings over a layer of pepperoni sauce, with fresh thyme and lemon wedges for garnish.
Chicken Wings Sauce – Pepperoni
Ingredients
Lemon-Limoncello Marinade
- ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon quartered and seeded
- ¼ cup limoncello 2 ounces
- ¼ cup fresh thyme leaves plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
Pepperoni Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 5 ounces pepperoni sliced (about 1 cup)
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 canned whole peeled plum tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth plus up to 2 tablespoons more as needed
Chicken Wings and Serving
- 2½ pounds chicken wings cut at the joints, wing tips discarded (about 24 pieces)
- Cooking spray as needed
- Lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
Prepare the Wings
- Combine the olive oil, lemon quarters, limoncello, thyme leaves, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute and 30 seconds.
- Place the chicken wings in a large bowl and add the marinade. Toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate for 8–12 hours.
- When ready to cook, prepare the marinated wings using the cooking method in the Basic Chicken Wings recipe. Cook until the thickest portion of each wing reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Make the Pepperoni Sauce
- While the wings cook, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add the sliced pepperoni and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pepperoni releases its fat.
- Stir in the fennel seeds and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Crush the plum tomatoes by hand and add them to the pan with ½ cup broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender. Allow steam to escape according to the blender manufacturer’s instructions, and blend until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add up to 2 tablespoons additional broth as needed to achieve a thick, hummus-like consistency.
Serve
- Spread a thin layer of pepperoni sauce on a serving platter.
- Arrange the warm, cooked wings over the sauce.
- Garnish with fresh thyme and serve with lemon wedges. Serve any remaining sauce on the side or reserve it for another use.
Notes
Nutrition Disclaimer
Art of Cooking Recipes (Paulson Pursuits} is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.