These Sticky and Crispy Asian Chicken Wings have the perfect crunch and sticky sweetness – the BEST chicken wings!
Updated for 2018 with video!
Telling you that these chicken wings always go down well is a serious understatement.
The first time I made them a couple of years ago, Chris was at work, so I served them up to the kids and got the following responses:
MY LATEST VIDEOS- Complete silence for the first 10 minutes (except the sounds of frantic chewing/crunching)
- Eyes rolling back in heads
- Phrases like ‘you’re the best mummy ever‘, ‘we’re so lucky to have a mummy who’s a food blogger‘ and ‘oh my gosh these are the best things I’ve ever tasted‘
All in a day’s work hey! These wings make the top 10 list for Chris and the kids along with some other favourites like the Crispy Sesame Chicken and Crispy Chilli Beef.Ā Did i ever mention i LOVE making Asian RecipesĀ š
When Chris did come home from work, he had 5 minutes before he had to be on a phone call, so he literally hovered over the plate I’d saved for him and devoured the lot.
4 people, 1.5kg of chicken wings. Gone.
The crispiness of the chicken wings is amazing – especially considering they’re oven baked. I have Nagi’s recipe from Recipe Tin Eats to thank for that. She’s the chicken wing queen!
Each wing is chopped into the two pieces, dried thoroughly with kitchen towels (to ensure they don’t absorb too much baking powder) then mixed in a bowl with baking powder (it HAS to be baking powder, NOT baking soda), salt and pepper. There’s quite a lot of baking powder and salt in this recipe, which sounds a little strange, but it really draws the moisture out of the chicken to get that perfect crunchy crispness. Check out my notes re: baking powder below.
They’re cooked at low temperature initially, to slowly render out the fat, then the heat is turned up until the wings are crisp and browned.
The delicious sticky sauce is based on the one I use for my sticky Chinese pork belly (another family favourite!). I doubled it for this recipe, and changed a couple of the quantities very slightly.
It’s poured over the wings right before serving, and it works so well!!
Notes about baking powder:
I get lots of messages on how delicious these wings are, but also the occasional message that the wings tastes bitter – despite assurances the recipe was followed to the letter and baking POWDER not baking soda was used. After doing a little research, it seems that some people can be sensitive to the taste ofĀ sodium aluminum sulfate – which can be an ingredient in some baking powders. People who are sensitive to it notice a bitter taste. If you are sensitive to it, you may have noticed certain cakes taste bitter. However, cakes contain a lot less baking powder then this recipe, so you may not have noticed it before and still been sensitive to it.
My tips would be to:
- Dry the wings before dusting with the baking powder – so they only get a light coating.
- Measure the amount of baking powder used exactly, and discard any excess left after tossing together with the wings.
- Use aluminium-free baking powder – make sure it has noĀ aluminum sulfate in it.
Can I make these chicken wings gluten free?
Yes, you can replace the soy sauce with tamari. Also, make sure you’re using a gluten-free baking powder and sweet chilli sauce.
Can I make them ahead?
I prefer these wings fresh out of the oven, but you can make the wings ahead – without the sauce- then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Reheat them on a wire rack over a tray for about 5-6 minutes at 200C/400F until they’re crisp again.
You can also mix the sauce ingredients together, then cover and refrigerate (uncooked). Pour into a pan and boil as per instructions before serving.
Is there a vegetarian option?
I have been asked this question a number of times and after much testing i made a veggie option.Ā These Baked Asian Cauliflower Wings are as good as this chicken version.
Equipment used:
In order to make these amazingĀ Sticky and Crispy Asian Chicken Wings you will need:
- Large Bowl
- Tray with rack
- A good Kitchen knife.
- Chopping Board.
- Fying Pan/Skillet
- Measuring Spoons
- Grater for grating the ginger.
- Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons.Ā We have just bought these and love them!
The Sticky AND Crispy Asian Chicken Wings Recipe:
Sticky AND Crispy Asian Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Chicken Wings:
- 1.5 kg chicken wings
- 2 level tbsp aluminium-free baking powder (It has to be baking powder, NOT baking soda) - see further notes on baking powder below
- Ā¾ tsp salt (make sure it's regular table salt)
- Ā½ tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp chopped spring onions/scallions
Sticky Asian Sauce:
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 5 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp lemon grass paste
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 120C/250F and place a rack on a large baking tray.
- Cut each wing at the joint so you have a mini wing and a drumette. Dry the wings with paper towels, then place in a large bowl and add the baking powder, salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Note - it's important to dry the wings first so they only get a light coating. Discard any remaining coating once tossed together.
- Place in a single layer on the rack, skin side up. It's fine for them to be touching. Place on the lower shelf of the oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, turn the oven up to 220c (425f), rotate the tray and place on a higher shelf in the oven for 45-50 minutes until the wings are golden and crispy. Take out of the oven to cool slightly.
- Place all of the sauce ingredients into a saucepan, stir and bring to the boil. Allow to bubble for 5-10 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly (it will thicken more as it cools). Turn off the heat.
- Place the wings in a large bowl and very carefully pour over the sticky sauce (be careful, it will VERY hot). Toss to combine, then serve topped with chopped spring onions.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Notes about baking powder:
I get lots of messages on how delicious these wings are, but also the occasional message that the wings tastes bitter - despite assurances the recipe was followed to the letter and baking POWDER not baking soda was used. After doing a little research, it seems that some people can be sensitive to the taste ofĀ sodium aluminum sulfate - which can be an ingredient in some baking powders. People who are sensitive to it notice a bitter taste. If you are sensitive to it, you may have noticed certain cakes taste bitter. However, cakes contain a lot less baking powder then this recipe, so you may not have noticed it before and still been sensitive to it. My tips would be to:- Dry the wings before dusting with the baking powder - so they only get a light coating.
- Measure the amount of baking powder used exactly, and discard any excess left after tossing together with the wings.
- Use aluminium-free baking powder - make sure it has noĀ aluminum sulfate in it.
Can I make these chicken wings gluten free?
Yes, you can replace the soy sauce with tamari. Also, make sure you're using a gluten-free baking powder and sweet chilli sauce.Can I make them ahead?
I prefer these wings fresh out of the oven, but you can make the wings ahead - without the sauce- then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Reheat them on a wire rack over a tray for about 5-6 minutes at 200C/400F until they're crisp again. You can also mix the sauce ingredients together, then cover and refrigerate (uncooked). Pour into a pan and boil as per instructions before serving. . Nutritional information is per chicken wing.Nutritional Information
This post was first published in June 2016. Updated in June 2018 with additional tips and recipe video.
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Paul says
The cauliflower version is as good as the chicken? Are you kidding?
Veronica Cain says
I hosted some friends and I must admit I was super nervous about using baking powder in my wings. Haha. I followed the recipe completely and they were such a hit. I made my own lemongrass paste because I’ve never heard of it before. It was worth the effort. My friends raved and have asked me for the recipe. Love it! Thanks for sharing.