Inspired by the famous Pok Pok wings, this Vietnamese Crispy Fish Sauce Chicken Wings Recipe has big, punchy flavors. Though baked and not fried, it is still super crispy, tangy and delicious with a fingerlicking, sweet, salty and tangy sticky glaze!
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Why Make This
- They're crispy, sticky and mouthwatering, like Andy Ricker's Pok Pok wings.
- But they're healthier! Baked not fried, they're still so crispy that you can crunch up the bones in the wing-tips! (In fact, most people can't tell they aren't fried.)
- Easy and less work: you can the delicious, fingerlicking glaze without having to baste!
Note: If you're craving chicken but not in the mood for baking today, how about this one-pot soy sauce chicken or this braised Chinese chicken that is as good as takeout?
Ingredients
You will need:
- chicken wings: Choose the best quality meat you can afford. As we are not marinating the meat, the wings get super crispy BUT the flavour doesn't have time to soak right down to the bone. Chicken that has been reared more ethically (e.g. free range, better feed etc) will have so much flavor, you won't taste the lack of marinating! For more Asian wing recipes, click here.
- fish sauce: It's the star of the show, so use the best bottle of fish sauce you can buy (I like Red Boat Fish Sauce which is recommended by many chefs.)
- light soya sauce: the fish sauce and soy sauce together can be too salty. If your soy sauce runs salty, use low-sodium light soy. (I use regular light soy sauce.) Do not substitute with dark soy or sweet soy sauce as they are not the same thing.
- Sugar: palm sugar, or Gula Melaka, goes best with these South East Asian flavors. If you can't get it (or find breaking down the big cylindrical blocks that Gula Melaka comes in a hassle), brown sugar is a close 2nd choice. (White sugar is an acceptable 3rd option.) If you buy gula melaka for these spicy fish sauce chicken wings and have extra, you may want to use it in this kueh dadar pandan snack or this vegan coconut caramel sauce. Don't reduce the sugar as you need it to balance the saltiness!
- calamansi limes: I prefer the floral flavour of calamansi lime juice. However, I have tested lemon juice and even rice vinegar with these baked vietnamese chicken wings and both work.) Click here for more calamansi lime alternatives.
- sambal chilli: if out, use sriracha or red chilli padi, deseeded and finely sliced- quantity depends on your heat tolerance- i usually use 6 red chillies. (If you don't remove the seeds, your tongue will burn)
Scroll to the recipe card for a full list of ingredients!
Step-by-step Instructions
- Use kitchen towels to dry the skin of the chicken. You want it as dry as possible.
- Lightly coat the wings in baking powder- shake off any excess!
3. Lightly oil a wire grill. Place the wings on the grill then set over a baking tray, ensuring that the wings have gaps in between them.
4. Bake at 248F/ 120C/ 100C fan for 30 minutes.
Note: This low temperature is to render the fat out so that the chicken can get extra crispy. The baking tray will catch the fat drippings, keeping your oven clean!
5. After the 30 minutes have passed, increase the temperature to 428F/ 220C/ 200C fan. Bake for another 30 minutes (or till cooked as the exact cooking size may differ depending on the size of your wings.)
6. Whilst the wings are baking, add the sauce ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil.
Boil for 5-10 minutes on medium-high heat till it forms a sticky glaze. (Stir every now and then so it doesn't burn in the pot.)
Once the wings are out of the oven, toss in the sticky glaze then serve. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Tip #1: These fish sauce wings are great for Super Bowl Game Day! They go well with fresh Asian cucumber salad on the side.
Tip #2: If using baking powder, never substitute with baking soda! Make sure there's only a light coating on the wings. (Dust off any excess.) Also, if you find the flavor a little bitter, buy aluminum sulfate free baking powder.
Tip #3: Can you get crispy baked wings without baking powder? YES. The wings still get crispy enough to crunch without baking powder (as long as you pat the skinvery dry.) The chicken on the left (in the photo above) was coated in baking powder and the one on the right wasn't. The coated chicken gets a skin that is more matt, but other than that, there wasn't much difference in the taste!
Tip #4: Remember to oil the wire grill before putting the wings on it. If not, the chicken will stick to it and you'll lose parts of the nice crispy skin!
Tip #5: Take the raw chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes or so before you want to bake, so that it can come up to room temperature. This will keep the meat tender and juicy. Place the wings in a single layer and spread out on the baking tray so that they do not steam!
Tip #6: If you want a caramelised sauce, broil the fish sauce wings after tossing in the sauce, till nice and charred.
Tip #7: If you have leftovers (unlikely!), you can use them in these leftover chicken recipes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes but it won't get as crispy (see the above photo which is baked chicken that was marinaded in the Vietnamese-inspired sauce.) It's still super delicious though as the flavor really sinks through to the bone. Some of the details will differ so I'll be posting a new recipe for the marinaded version soon.)
Yes, you can use the same marinade but be sure to bake the meat for the appropriate amount of time. When the chicken is properly cooked, the juices should run clear and the thickest part of the wing should measure 165F/ 74C.
If you want to fry these Spicy Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings, for crispy flavorful wings:
1. marinade the wings (in the ingredients for the sauce)
2. toss in some potato starch/ rice flour/ corn starch and a bit of baking powder
3. double fry if you want the wings to retain their crisp for a long time.
Yes. As with regular deep-frying:
1. marinade the wings (In the ingredients for the sauce)
2. toss in the potato starch, rice flour or corn starch (mixed with a pinch of baking powder.)
3. Pop the chicken wings into the air fryer. It will take about 22-25 minutes at 400F/ 184C (make sure to check the meat is cooked before taking them out.)
Other Asian Super Bowl recipes
Enjoyed this Baked Crispy Fish Sauce Chicken Wings Recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY liked this Super Bowl finger food, a comment would make my week! Thank you and have a great day!
Crispy Fish Sauce Wings Recipe (Baked)
Equipment
- baking tray
- baking wire grill lightly coated with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking
Ingredients
- 4.4 lb chicken wings (2 kg, or 18-20 average sized chicken wings- the number will change depending on the size of the wings.) You can use chicken thighs or chicken legs, but the cooking time will increase depending on the size of the meat. The juices should run clear and the thickest part of the chicken should measure 165F/ 74C when fully cooked.
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder Don't worry if you don't have this. The baked chicken wings still get plenty crispy. Do not substitute with baking soda!
Ingredients for the Vietnamese sauce
- ½ Cup fish sauce
- ½ Cup light soya sauce Use low-sodium if you're concerned about saltiness. Do not use dark soy sauce, sweet soy sauce or thick soy sauce- they are not the same thing.
- ½ Cup Sugar My preference is palm sugar/ gula melaka. If not, use brown sugar, jaggery or white sugar.
- 2 thumbs ginger peeled and minced
- 7 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 citrus fruits, juice and zest preferably lime or, if not, use ¾ lemon or 1½ Tablespoons of rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon sambal belacan chilli Substitute: sambal oelek, sriracha or chilli padi (deseeded and finely sliced- quantity depends on your heat tolerance. I used 6!)
- Coriander or spring onions Optional garnish
Instructions
Baking the chicken wings
- About 20 minutes before you want to bake the wings, pre-heat your oven and take the wings out of the fridge. (This is so that they don't enter the hot oven cold. You want them to go in when they're at room temperature, to keep the meat juicy and tender.)
- Use kitchen towels to dry the skin of the chicken. You want it as dry as possible.
- Lightly coat the wings in baking powder- shake off any excess!
- Place the wings on a wire grill then set over a baking tray, ensuring that the wings do not touch and have gaps in between them. (If not they will steam and get soggy.)
- Bake at 248F/ 120C/ 100C fan for 30 minutes. This low temperature is to render the fat out so that the chicken can get extra crispy. The baking tray will catch the fat drippings, keeping your oven clean!
- After the 30 minutes have passed, increase the temperature to 428F/ 220C/ 200C fan. Bake for another 30 minutes (or till cooked as the exact cooking size may differ depending on the size of your wings. When the chicken is fully cooked, the juices should run clear and the thickest part of the wing should measure 165F/ 74C.)
The sauce
- Whilst the wings are baking, add the sauce ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 5-10 minutes on medium-high heat till it forms a sticky glaze. (Stir every now and then so it doesn't burn in the pot.)
- Once the wings are out of the oven, toss in the sticky glaze then serve and enjoy!
- Garnish with fresh herbs such as coriander or green onions
Notes
- If you find the flavor a little bitter, buy aluminum sulfate free baking powder. (Some people are sensitive to the aluminium flavor.)
- If you want a caramelised sauce, broil the fish sauce wings after tossing in the sauce, till nice and charred. You can also use a blowtorch if you have 1.
- The wings can be deep-fried and air- fried (see the FAQs above for directions.)
Nutrition
If you try these Spicy Crispy Fish Sauce Wings, please do let me know what you think in the comments or post a photo on social media, tagging @greedygirlgourmet 🙂
T says
My fave chicken wings recipe! Thanks for sharing