Chinese chicken wings are a favorite appetizer or party snack, loved for their crispy, sticky coating and tender, juicy meat Making them at home is easier than you think With just a few simple ingredients and steps, you can recreate the flavorful wings from your favorite Chinese restaurant takeout.
Overview of the Process
The basic process for making Chinese chicken wings includes
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Marinating the raw wings in a flavorful mixture. Soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, and ginger are common marinade ingredients.
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Coating the marinated wings in a crispy batter or starch like cornstarch or potato starch.
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Frying the wings in oil at a high temperature until golden brown and cooked through. The wings may be fried twice for extra crunch.
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Tossing the fried wings in a sticky sauce. The sauce often contains sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic.
With the right ingredients and frying method, you can make restaurant-quality Chinese chicken wings at home.
How to Marinate the Wings
Marinating is key for infusing the wings with lots of flavor. Here are two simple marinade options:
Soy Sauce Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 Tbsp rice wine or sherry
- 2 lbs chicken wings
Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and rice wine. Add the chicken wings and toss to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
Sweet and Spicy Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp chili-garlic sauce or sriracha
- 2 lbs chicken wings
Whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and chili-garlic sauce. Add the wings and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
How to Coat and Fry the Wings
After marinating, the wings need to be coated in a crispy layer before frying. Here are two options:
Cornstarch Coating
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Marinated wings
- Vegetable oil for frying
In a bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Dredge the marinated wings in the cornstarch mixture until evenly coated. Fry the wings in 375°F oil for 5-7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Batter Coating
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup cold water
- Marinated wings
- Oil for frying
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, egg, and cold water until smooth. Dip the marinated wings in the batter to coat completely. Fry in 375°F oil for 6-8 minutes until golden brown.
Frying the wings in batches will help maintain the oil temperature for even cooking.
How to Toss the Wings in Sauce
Once fried, toss the wings in a sweet, savory sauce to finish them off.
Basic Chinese Wing Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey or brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add the fried wings and toss to coat evenly in the sauce. Serve immediately.
Spicy Szechuan Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp chili-garlic sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- Fried wings
Whisk together all ingredients except the fried wings. Add the wings and toss to coat. Serve hot.
Tips for the Best Wings
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Use a thermometer to maintain the oil temperature when frying for evenly cooked wings.
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Fry the wings in small batches to prevent crowding the pan and lowering the oil temperature.
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Allow the oil to fully reheat between batches for best results.
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Double frying makes the wings extra crispy. After the first fry, let the wings cool briefly before frying again.
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Toss the wings in the sauce while still hot so it sticks and caramelizes.
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Serve with extra sauce on the side for dipping.
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Garnish with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, or red pepper flakes.
Common Questions
How long do the wings need to marinate?
For best results, marinate the raw wings for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Shorter marinating times will also work.
Can the wings be baked instead of fried?
Baking won’t get the wings as crispy, but you can bake them at 400°F for 40-45 minutes, flipping halfway.
What dipping sauces go well with Chinese wings?
Popular dipping sauces include ranch, blue cheese, plum sauce, sweet chili sauce, and duck sauce.
Can the wings be made gluten-free?
Yes, use potato starch or cornstarch instead of regular flour when dredging. Check that sauces are gluten-free.
Can I freeze leftover wings?
Cooked wings can be frozen for 2-3 months. Reheat frozen wings in a 375°F oven or air fryer until hot and crispy.
Chinese Takeout-Style Fried Chicken Wings
This recipe for crispy fried Chinese chicken wings uses a flavorful marinade and batter coating to recreate the popular takeout appetizer.
Marinade
- 1⁄2 cup soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 lbs chicken wings
Batter
- 1⁄2 cup flour
- 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
- 1⁄4 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1⁄2 cup cold water
Frying and Sauce
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1⁄4 cup honey
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Chopped scallions
Instructions
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Whisk marinade ingredients and add wings. Marinate 2-12 hours.
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Make batter. Dip marinated wings in batter to coat.
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Fry wings at 375°F until golden brown, 5-7 minutes.
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Toss fried wings in sauce. Garnish with scallions.
Crispy, sticky, and full of flavor – these Chinese takeout-style wings are sure to be a hit! The aroma of the frying wings and sweet, savory sauce will have everyone eager for a taste. Enjoy this classic appetizer with family and friends.
The Takeaway
Making restaurant-worthy Chinese chicken wings is easy with the right techniques. A flavorful marinade, crispy coating, and sticky sauce are all it takes to recreate this favorite appetizer at home. In less than an hour, you can be enjoying these crave-worthy wings – no takeout required! Use this guide to get just the right crunch and flavor in each bite.
Restaurant Style Chinese Takeout Wings
While we were developing this homemade Chinese fried chicken wings recipe we took some things into consideration: infusing these wings with those classic takeout flavors, getting that authentic crispy texture, and making the recipe simple enough for anyone to make at home.
And honestly, I think we really did it! Yall know my husband is a newbie cook, but he is hella confident in cooking this recipe any time Im craving wings. That says a LOT.
The chicken wings get marinated in a savory mix of Chinese seasonings and flavors, then deep fried to peak crispiness. It really cant be easier than that!
Ingredients Needed for Chinese Fried Wings
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken Wings – Use party wings (flats and drums separated) or if youre not a flats-fiend like me, go classic with whole wings.
- Cornstarch + egg and a yolk – these are our velveting ingredients! You can swap the cornstarch for rice flour or potato starch, which will give that thin and crispy crust.
- Rice Vinegar – this acid is a classic flavor in Asian cuisine, youll find it often in things like sushi rice!
- Sesame Oil – toasted sesame oil has a nutty flavor that is a must have in this.
- Chinese Five Spice – this is a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, and peppercorns. It gives a classic warm flavor with a bit of licorice, and this hint of five spice will make you say thats that flavor I was looking for!. I know I did, haha!
- Soy Sauce – Not only does the salt help season and give juiciness while marinating, but soy sauce also has umami savoriness.
- Spices – Sugar, Salt, Black Pepper, Ground Ginger, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder!
- Shaoxing Wine – this is a Chinese cooking wine with a deep complex flavor.
- Vegetable Oil – if you want the real secret to the fried foods in restaurants, itll be peanut oil. But because that allergy is so common (even I have it!) I use another high heat oil like canola oil or vegetable oil.