Crispy Fish Sauce Wings Recipe (Baked)
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!
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 502kcal
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
Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 1843mg | Potassium: 399mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 302IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 3mg