Spicy Asian Chicken Wings

Spicy Asian Chicken Wings are crispy and tossed with a buttery chili sauce.

spicy chicken wings with sauce and sesame seeds on a plate


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Chicken wings may not be the first thing that pops into your head when you think about food from Asia, but there are plenty of fabulous Asian chicken sauce recipes out there.

Most of these sauces are easily adaptable to make Asian-inspired chicken wings. The Asian wings recipe below may be a bit more complicated than the typical buffalo sauce you usually make, but change is good, and these wings are so worth it.

This chicken wings recipe brings the heat but expertly tempers it with the sweetness of brown sugar and the oyster sauce’s unique flavor profile. Whether you serve these wings like usual or as part of an Asian-style meal, you are going to love them.

Know Your Ingredients

A lot goes into this Asian wing recipe, but only two ingredients, oyster sauce and chili sauce, may be unfamiliar to you if you don’t do much Asian cooking.

First off, the oyster sauce does contain oyster juice, but it doesn’t have a very fishy taste at all. In fact, it is more sweet and salty than anything else. It adds a burst of umami flavor to the chicken sauce that is hard to beat.

A good substitute is a half and half mixture of soy and hoisin sauces if you don’t happen to have oyster sauce on hand. Fish sauce is not a good substitute because it is way too fishy for this dish.

The other ingredient that may need a bit of an explanation is the chili sauce. Choose the type of chili sauce you use to reflect how spicy you like your wings.

For mild wings, use a chili sauce that has ketchup and sugar added like Heinz’s. But if you want something a little wilder, there are lots of choices out there.

A good medium-heat Asian-style chili sauce widely available in the US is Huy Fong brand Chili Garlic Sauce.

For something a little hotter, try the Sambal Oelek Chili Paste from the same company.

Cut Your Wings to Save Money

When you buy your chicken wings, you can buy them precut or buy them whole. You can usually save a little money by cutting up the chicken wings yourself. It is not too difficult to do, and as a bonus, you can save the wingtips to make chicken stock.

A chicken wing has three parts: The wingtip, which you can keep for making stock or throw away; the middle section is the winglet or the flapper; and the lower part that looks like a mini drumstick and is called a drumette.

Feel where each of these parts of the wing connects and use a sharp knife to separate them.

Tips For Making and Serving Asian Chicken Wings

  • Coat the cooked wings in the pan over high heat. Mixing the cooked wings with the sauce in the pan intensifies the sauce’s taste and eliminates any gummy texture from the cornstarch.
  • Make rice discs. Do you want to eat chicken wings like they do in Asia? Use slightly damp hands to form the rice into hockey puck-sized rice discs. Wrap each rice disc in wax paper and serve. Guests can have a few wings and then take a bite of the rice to cook their mouths.

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Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need for the spicy wings and sauce:

  • Chicken wings 
  • Cornstarch 
  • Chili powder 
  • Spanish paprika 
  • Salt 
  • Vegetable oil 
  • Butter 
  • Chili sauce 
  • Brown sugar 
  • Oyster sauce 
  • Garlic powder 
  • Sesame seeds
raw chicken wings in a bowl and spices in another bowl

How to Make Spicy Chicken Wings

  1. Separate the drum and flat by cutting through the chicken wing joint.
    raw chicken wing drumette and flat next to a knife on a cutting board 
  2. In a large bowl, mix together cornstarch, chili powder, Spanish paprika, and salt.
    spices for spicy chicken wings in a bowl
  3. Toss the chicken wings into the flour mixture.
    raw chicken wings and spicy seasoning in a bowl
  4. Heat vegetable oil in a large deep pan.
    vegetable oil in a pan on a cooktop
  5. Fry the chicken wings at 340 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden.
    spicy chicken wings deep frying in a pan 
  6. Place the fried chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel.
    fried spicy chicken wings on paper towels
  7. Melt the butter in a large frying pan.
    butter melting in a skillet
  8. Add chili sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, salt, garlic powder, and stir to combine.
    spicy chicken wing sauce ingredients in a skillet
  9. Add fried wings and toss to coat the wings with the sauce.
    fried chicken wings and spicy sauce in a skillet
  10. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the wings.
    spicy chicken wings, sauce, and sesame seeds in a skillet
  11. Serve and enjoy!
potato chips, dipping sauce, and spicy chicken wings on a plate

Love chicken wings? Try these recipes!

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Be sure to check out more of my easy chicken wing recipes and the best game day food here on CopyKat.com!

overhead view of air fryer sweet and spicy chicken wings in a dish and bowls of sauce and dressing

Spicy Asian Wings

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings are a tasty appetizer. Get the easy recipe and learn how to make the best sweet & spicy wings in an air fryer.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Asian Chicken Wings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 927kcal

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces chicken wings
  • 1/4 cup corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon Spanish paprika
  • 2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 3 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup chili sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Separate the drumette and wingette by cutting through the joint section between the two parts.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the cornstarch, chili powder, Spanish paprika, and salt.
  • Toss the chicken wings into the flour mixture and set aside.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large deep pan.
  • Fry the chicken wings at 340 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until golden.
  • Place the fried chicken on a wire rack that is resting on a baking sheet.
  • In a large frying pan, melt the butter.
  • Then add chili sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, salt, garlic powder, and stir to fully combine.
  • Toss in fried chicken, making sure that all it is fully covered with the sauce.
  • Sprinkle sesame seeds and serve.

Notes

If you don’t want the chicken wings to be spicy, omit the chili sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 927kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 89g | Saturated Fat: 56g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 2227mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2004IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Comments

  1. Shery Sullivan

    5 stars
    I love your recipes. I wonder how clam juice would work in this recipe? I already have that. Not sure why.

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