It’s hard not to love wings. But some wings are better than others. Unfortunately, so many are fried, which is not always the healthiest option. There are ways around that, though. That’s why my Chinese Baked Hot Wings should be on your table. When you bake wings the right way, they come out with a crunchy and crispy exterior while retaining perfect juiciness within. Just like fried, but better, because they don’t skimp on flavor but they save you tons in calories. I created my Chinese Baked Hot Wings by adapting Nagi’s Truly Crispy Wings recipe. I loved the texture and method, but I wanted to make something hot, sweet, and spicy. Consider it the best of East meets West!
Secret ingredient
My secret is to use doubanjiang for the marinade and the dipping sauce. It’s a Chinese fermented spicy bean paste which helps keep the meat juicy while adding a spicy and savory umami to the wings. Using Nagi’s technique, my baked hot wings have that crunchy and crispy texture surrounding succulent chicken wing meat with a nice heat. I then finish them up by brushing on the sweet and savory honey hot sauce. They are addictively good and you will have no guilt even if you overeat.
Cooking process
Make the crispy baked wings
It’s super easy to make these crispy baked wings, but you do need to get organized and marinate the wings beforehand. The longer you marinate the wings, the more flavorful they will become.
Make the spicy honey dipping sauce
These wings are super tasty and can be enjoyed by themselves. But this honey hot sauce will make them even more irresistible. To make the sauce, simply:
Saute the doubanjiang and ginger until fragrant.Lightly cook the rest ingredients, then blend the sauce.
NOTE: The dipping sauce is on the salty side, due to the doubanjiang. I highly recommend brushing a thin layer of the sauce onto the wings instead of dipping the wings in the sauce. Also, don’t forget to save the leftover sauce for later. It goes well with other leftover meat, such as rotisserie chicken. It is also a perfect veggie dipping sauce.
Afterthought
While these would certainly be a party pleaser, my Chinese baked hot wings are a perfect, welcome treat any night of the week. They’ve got the same appeal as deep fried hot wings but they’re much easier to cook at home, and not to mention, much healthier, too. Turn on your favorite Netflix shows and snack on these wings with some cold beer, and you’ll have a great party going in no time.
More delicious Chinese appetizer recipes
Salt and Pepper ShrimpCrispy Marinated TofuChinese Bang Bang ChickenBarter-Worthy Spam MusubiSichuan Spicy Wonton in Red Oil
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
