Discover an irresistible recipe for caramelized chicken wings or drumsticks that will delight your taste buds. Easy to make, this recipe combines sweet and savory flavors for an absolutely delicious result. Perfect for a family dinner or an evening out with friends!
Inspired by Chinese cuisine, I really tried for this recipe to bring together everything I love: chicken wings, a semblance of crispness, a disconcerting ease of recipe, and above all: a delicious sweet-savory sauce. Let me know how it turns out!
Tips for successful caramel chicken wings
Marinating is essential to impregnate the wings with flavor and tenderize them. Be sure to marinate for at least an hour for optimal flavor.
The cornstarch coating is crucial for a crisp texture. Mix the wings well with the cornflour to absorb moisture and allow the sauce to adhere better during cooking.
To cook, use a heavy-bottomed frying pan (or wok) and make sure the oil is hot before adding the wings. The right balance between covered and uncovered cooking will ensure that the wings stay crispy while being well coated with sauce.
Main ingredients for caramelized chicken wings
MaïzenaCornstarch: Used to coat chicken wings, cornstarch absorbs moisture and helps achieve a crisp texture during cooking. It also helps the sauce adhere better to the chicken.
Shaoxing wineThis Chinese cooking wine adds depth of flavor and a unique aroma to sauces and marinades. It is often used in Asian cuisine to enhance flavors.
Light Soy Sauce and Dark Soy SauceLight Soy Sauce adds saltiness to the recipe, while Dark Soy Sauce adds darker color and richer flavor. Together, they create the perfect balance between taste and aesthetics.
Basil: Fresh basil leaves add a fragrant, herbaceous touch to the recipe, contrasting nicely with the sweet and savory flavors.
Red pepper: This pepper adds a spicy touch to the recipe. If you can’t stand spicy dishes, you can omit it altogether.
Sesame oilUsed to infuse garlic and ginger, this oil adds a nutty flavor and extra richness to the recipe.
Asian caramelized wings
Equipment
- 1 Wok
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken wings
- 6 ginger slices
- 8 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 handles fresh basil
- 6 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 red pepper, sliced
Sauce
- 80 g light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 90 g shaoxing wine
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the sesame oil with the garlic and ginger to infuse. In another bowl, stir the sauce until the sugar has dissolved.
- After the hour, pour the cornflour over the chicken and mix well. This is done to remove the moisture so that the chicken browns well.
- Pour oil into a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken wings and brown for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on both sides.
- Then pour in the sesame oil, add the garlic, chilli and ginger, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Pour in the sauce components, and cover for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the basil and sauté over high heat for 1 minute.
- The sauce will quickly caramelize
Made these wings last night and swapped the Shaoxing wine for dry sherry since that’s what I had on hand. Let them marinate closer to 2 hours and the flavor really soaked in. The sauce still caramelized beautifully and tasted even better 😋
Made these last night and was surprised how balanced and lighter than expected they tasted, thanks to the basil, ginger, and that sweet-savory sauce. Still super crispy and delicious, but not overly heavy 🙂
Made these last night and swapped the Shaoxing wine for dry sherry since that’s what I had on hand. Also let the sauce reduce uncovered for an extra minute at the end, and the wings came out super glossy and crispy, even better than expected 😊
Made these wings last night and the caramelized sweet-savory sauce plus that crisp coating tasted as good as, honestly better than, what I usually get at a restaurant; the basil at the end was such a smart touch 🙂