11 delicious, easy Asian Chicken Wing Recipes that are the perfect finger foods. Inspired by Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai and Indian cuisines, they're the perfect easy appetizer for a summer party!
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Chicken wings are great appetisers for parties such as Super Bowl Sunday!
Not only are they so much juicier and tastier than chicken breasts- which can run dry- they have the highest skin:meat ratio of any mainstream cut of chicken. (I'm ignoring stuff like chicken feet or neck, which are an acquired taste!)
This makes chicken wings especially well-suited to frying and baking, as crispy chicken skin is super delicious!
Drums vs flats
The wing can be divided into 2 parts: Drums/ drumettes (that look like mini chicken legs) and Flats (wingettes.) The 1st has more meat but the 2nd has more skin, so becomes crispier after roasting!
Fun fact: People think chicken wings are dark meat but they're actually white meat. Either way, they're full of gelatine, making them a great substitute for chicken feet when making Chinese soups! (There's not much meat in the wingtip, so I recommend cutting those off to make chicken stock.)
Expert tips for the best baked wings
I love fried Asian chicken wing recipes but fried foods aren't the healthiest, so I make baked wings quite often. To get the crispiest skin without frying, here are some of my secret tips:
- mix the chicken wings with flour, salt, pepper and a touch of baking powder (not baking soda!) The baking powder helps to draw the moisture out of the skin. Ideally use aluminium-free baking powder, to avoid a metallic aftertaste.
- refrigerate the wings uncovered for a minimum of 30 minutes (ideally overnight)
- gently rub the wings with paper towels to make them as dry as possible before baking
- leave the wings on the counter for 15 minutes before baking so they won't be stone-cold going into the hot oven.
- bake in a single layer (if they're touching, they will steam and not crisp up)
- use a wire rack over a tray- this allows more air around the wings, and the skin becomes crispier
- start the chicken wings at a low temperature to render out the fat, before increasing the heat to broil it
Once you know how to bake crispy wings, you can make the best Asian chicken wing recipes even if you only have simple ingredients such as hoisin sauce or oyster sauce.
FAQs
Depending on the size, it can be anything from 1-3.5 oz.
Be very careful of oil splatter when deep frying frozen wings, especially if there are ice crystals on the chicken. (Oil burns are no fun! I really recommend thawing the chicken first. Alternatively, bake or air fry them instead if you're not experienced with deep frying.) It usually takes 10-12 minutes to cook the wing through, but this will change depending on the size of the wing. Always make sure it reaches an internal temperature of 165F/ 73.9C at the thickest part.
You can bake frozen chicken wings the same way you do regular wings- just pop them into the oven for a longer amount of time (at least 50% longer, according to the USDA). Note that if your chicken wings have been frozen as a huge block, it will take much longer to melt them so that they can be separated on the baking sheet.
Alternatively, if possible, leave the wings in the fridge overnight to defrost first and at room temperature for 20-30minutes before baking (so that the meat is not cold when it enters the oven. This helps to keep it tender and juicy.)
Vietnamese-inspired
Baked fish sauce wings
I love these Asian wings because they're delicious and require minimal clean-up! Although the recipe asks for gula melaka, I usually substitute with brown sugar. (Gula melaka is a pain to chop up so I save it for very special occasions.)
Squeeze some lime juice over the wings before serving for extra flavor!
Korean-inspired
To get the full Korean experience, pair crispy chicken wings with cold beer- in Korea, they call it chimaek!
Tip: Any extra spicy gochujang sauce you have can be used for these butternut squash French Fries!
Korean Fried Chicken (KFC)
Japanese-inspired
Maple & Miso
Air Fried Teriyaki Wings
If you want to make it a full meal, here are some side dishes that go really well with teriyaki.
Chinese-inspired
Tip: Chinese recipes are all about the green onions, fresh ginger and fresh garlic- the Holy Trinity of Chinese cooking. If you're a fan of Chinese recipes, don't forget to stock these 3 aromatics in your kitchen.
Citrusy Ginger wings
Sweet & Spicy
Thai
Honey Sriracha (Paleo)
Not-so-fun fact: Did you know that sriracha is such a popular sauce, there was a shortage of Sriracha in the States in 2022?! (Well, the chili crop failure also played a part!)
Curry Sriracha with molasses
Sticky Thai wings
Indian-inspired
Tandoori Chicken
Other Asian chicken recipes
Another easy poultry recipe is Cantonese soy sauce chicken. Note that it takes 2.5 hours (mostly passive cooking) so if you're in a rush, try this quick and easy braised soy sauce chicken that is done in ⅓ the time instead.
Other chicken recipes you may want to try include:
What is your favourite on this list of Asian chicken wing recipes?
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