The sweet notes of cinnamon sugar cover the outside of the dish, mixed in with a light, buttery sauce to hold it all together.
With every bite, you get a taste of the decadent inside, combined with the slightly sugary exterior, melting in your mouth as you tear each piece off.
This golden-brown, tender meal hits the spot every time, making you feel all warm and cozy after devouring the entire plate. Breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert, this dish is perfect for any time of day.
Oh, but I’m not talking about cinnamon rolls.
I’m talking about cinnamon roll chicken wings.
Cinnamon roll is just one of the many sauces Jeffrey Flores and his family have conjured up, somehow making the unusual always taste great.
Whether you’re covering their Korean-style ribs in a rich chocolate chiltepin sauce, or grabbing a basket full of crispy, tangy, green chile wings, you’ll want to sit down and buckle your seatbelts because the food at will have you on cloud nine.
Flores’ journey started in Puerto Rico, where he was born and raised. When he graduated high school, he wanted to pursue a career as a chef, but since there wasn’t much money to be made in the restaurant industry, he decided to switch things up.
Eventually, he found himself moving to Tucson, and landed a job at the APPInternational Airport. Across the street from the airport was Los Betos, where Flores and his brother would stop by frequently for a quick lunch.
When Los Beto’s went up for sale, the brothers decided to throw their hat in the ring and take on the franchise with their mother, and were instantly bit by the restaurant bug.
Soon, the wheels began turning in their heads. Flores’ brother, Miguel, had always thought about starting a restaurant that specializes in chicken wings, and around 2020, the brothers set their sights on the new building right across the street from Los Beto’s.
It was like fate.
The Flores’ family secured the space and got to work. At that point, they knew they wanted to serve chicken wings, but they also wanted to pair those wings with something unique. Inspiration struck them in the form of an old family favorite- their carne asadas.
“We do a lot of carne asadas, and I make ribs for the family,” Flores said. “They all love it so I knew this item had a future at the restaurant.”
They had the flaps (chicken wings) and now they got the racks (ribs), combining the two to make a tasty menu that also pays homage to where it all started: the APPairport.
Jeffrey Flores, left, and Auxi Navarro at Flaps and Racks and Acai Paradise, 3253 E. Valencia Road.
Flaps and Racks, located at , officially opened in 2021. The lively restaurant is filled with laughter and the thumping beats of reggaeton songs that play overhead. It’s hard not to stare into the open kitchen area and watch the chefs work their magic, tossing crispy chicken wings around in flavorful sauces.
Small planes hang from the ceiling, and actual seats from an airplane surround the booths. Flores says he often sees families fight over who gets to sit in the airplane seats.
Unlike other barbeque restaurants, Flores uses spare ribs instead of baby back ribs, to ensure the most tender and juicy ribs for their customers.
Juicy is also a great word to describe their chicken wings. Flores said he steams the wings before deep-frying them, that way he achieves the crispy, golden exterior while still having a succulent, savory interior.
On their own, the ribs and wings are extremely delicious, but once they’re smothered in one of Flores’ specialty sauces, they are out of this world.
Barbecue chiltepin, chorizo, citrus chipotle, green chile, pizza, and cinnamon roll are just a few of the sauces you can choose for your wings and ribs. Though some of them may seem a little unconventional, Flores always makes it work.
Take their cinnamon roll wings for example. The wing is covered in cinnamon sugar and a light butter sauce, capturing the staple brown sugar taste of a cinnamon roll.
Cinnamon roll wings from Flaps and Racks.
The wing beneath is crispy and juicy, and the result is the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I was blown away by how much I loved it. It sounds a little crazy, but trust me, it was a 10/10 wing.
“It’s our version of chicken and waffles,” Flores said.
Another of their favorites, is the green chile sauce, which Flores refers to as his 3 a.m. sauce.
One early morning, Flores found himself thinking about different recipes, trying to figure out how to create a green chile sauce for his wife.
He bought all the ingredients, put it together and slathered it on a wing. While it tasted amazing, it look unappetizing.
“It was green that you would not expect to see on a wing,” Flores said.
So he got back to work. He bought more green chile and threw it on the grill, but this time he told his wife not to peel it before tossing it in the blender.
That was it.
He was able to get that smoky, tangy flavor while getting it to look prettier, similar to a salsa verde.
I am thankful inspiration struck Flores at 3 a.m. Their green chile sauce had a nice kick to it and you get a heavenly smoky and zesty aftertaste with every bite. Though these wings are a bit more wet than the cinnamon roll ones, the skin still keeps its crispy shell.
Before I knew it, my six bone-in wings were gone, and I was ready to lay down and take in all the deliciousness I just inhaled. (It was especially impressive because these wings are nice and plump, not skinny, little pieces.)
Whether you like your wings plain, or prefer their loaded wings (topped with crumbles of chorizo), Flores and his family know how to cook up a mean chicken wing.
There’s no turbulence at Flaps and Racks; your flavor journey will be smooth sailing!