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:
- 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. Did i ever mention i LOVE making Asian Recipes 🙂
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! There soo good, I made a Buffalo Chicken Wings too!
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 of 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 no 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. These Baked Asian Cauliflower Wings are as good as this chicken version.
Equipment used:
In order to make these amazing Sticky and Crispy Asian Chicken Wings you will need:
-
- Large Bowl
- Tray with rack
- A good Kitchen knife.
- Chopping Board.
- Measuring Spoons
- Grater (for grating the ginger)
- A large Frying Pan or Skillet
- Wooden or Silicon Coated Spoons. We have just bought these and love them.
The Sticky AND Crispy Asian Chicken Wings Recipe:
Sticky AND Crispy Asian Chicken Wings
These Asian Chicken Wings are Sticky AND Crispy. The best party food ever!Ingredients
Chicken Wings:
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) 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
- ¾ tsp salt (make sure it's regular table salt)
- ½ tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp chopped spring onions/scallions
Sticky Asian Sauce:
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- pinch 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 (fan) 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.1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) chicken wings, 2 level tbsp aluminium-free baking powder, ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper
- 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 (fan), rotate the tray and place it on a higher shelf (higher middle) 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.1 tsp vegetable oil, pinch salt and pepper, 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, 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
- 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.3 tbsp chopped spring onions/scallions
Video
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 of 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 no 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.Nutrition
Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 99mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.3mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was first published in June 2016. Updated in June 2018 with additional tips and recipe video.
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We were so looking forward to these but they were terrible, bitter and left nasty taste in all our mouths. I read your notes about the baking powder and followed your instructions to the letter. At the stage where the wings were done they looked fabulous and super crispy , my regret was not trying one of these before adding the sauce so unsure if the horrid taste was from the baking powder or the sauce. However enough to say I will not be cooking these again and am still looking out for a super wing recipe. Sorry for my comments but just being honest.
Sorry to hear you didn’t like them Anita. Did you use aluminium-free (aluminium sulfate-free) baking powder? If you could tell me what brand of baking powder you used, that would be really helpful to try to figure out the problem you had.
I had the same issue and baking powder was aluminum sulfate free.
You can be honest without being rude, which you were. It won’t always work out for some, but in general look at the reviews. It’s obvious that it shouldn’t come out how it did for you. So you can be *a bit* nicer while “being honest”. I don’t know what went wrong in your case, but I can assure you the recipe is amazing and it should NOT taste bitter. And this comes from someone who absolutely HATES bitter taste. Can’t stand it. Maybe you didn’t dry the chicken enough, which would leave a more baking powder sticking to it (which shouldn’t happen). Why don’t you consider it an option that you might’ve been the one who did something wrong?…
And about the “waiting for the perfect wings” you can always just go to another recipe website, no? It’s free.🤷🏼♀️
Thank you Romi ❤️
Can’t get enough of these. Amazing. Thank you so much. A showstopper with guests
I never leave reviews, this is a first. Having read a few of the more negative ones (the ones that don’t give full five stars), I felt I had to. This recipe is really easy to follow, simply ingredients (easy to source), and produces an amazing dish!!! The crispy chicken works perfectly with the sticky source, which leaves so much flavour in your mouth after eating. Superb dish!!!
I recently made these wings and have to say they are the best chicken wings I have ever had. Crispy skin and a scrumptious, delicious, finger licking sauce. My husband wanted more. Easy to make, too. The only thing I changed was I added about 1/2 teaspoon of chili crisp to the sauce. These are out of this world delicious!!!
Hey Anita (and Nicky as you keep getting this comment) I found the same, but then remembered a simple tip! Turns out not all Honey, Sweet Chilli Sauce, Salt or Brown sugar are the same. I made ours to the recipie exactly, but I found our sauce was pretty bitter. But it was easily remedied and boy did it turn this from a bitter dud to a sticky tasty umami sweet treat! Just add a few pinches of salt (counterintuitively
not sugar) to reduce the bitternness, mixing and tasting each time, as you just want the bitter to go away, not to make it salty. As if by magic for me, on the second pinch the nasty bitter taste had gone and pure deliciousness emerged! This was the second time I have used this recipie (forgetting I tried it before) and had the same problem the first time but didn’t know the salt trick then! Give it another go you shalln’t be dissapointed!
Soooo good! Deliciously crispy and sticky with the perfect balance of salty and sweet. I did replace the baking powder with potato starch.
Thanks for this fabulous recipe, it’s a keeper.
To be honest I didn’t particularly like them at all Very salty and a bit cardboardy 1 bottle of Kecap manis ( Malay one ) half a shallot 1 Birdseye chilli & some coriander all mixed together is by far the best dip for chicken wings
GIRL. These wings are SO good!! So I made this on whim and had to use what I had on deck. My sauce was soy, raw honey, gojuchang, garlic, vegetable oil, apricot preserves, and a bit of cayenne because I love spice… perfection. I added the other ingredients to my shopping list so I can make them again next week. These were the best wings I probably ever had and I can see myself making them weekly. That crunch + that flavor is other worldly.
Baking powder has changed everything for me. I only have aluminum free powder so it worked great.
As for the suave. It was amazing although I was missing some ginger! I also used coconut aminos in place of soy since I’m avoiding soy in my diet. Seems like whole family agrees it should be part of our weekly dinner rotation!
These were awesome! I used regular baking powder and they turned out nice and crispy. I also substituted lemon juice and cornstarch for the lemon grass paste and the sauce turned out sticky and tasty! Will definitely make these again!
The Asian sticky wings calls for soy sauce. I am not a big fan of soy sauce. Is there anything I can use as a substation for the soy sauce.
I did make the wings and they were a hit. My husband loved them. I liked them but the soy sauce was over nearing.