This recipe takes the classic fried chicken wing dish and gives it an Asian twist! It’s a really simple recipe using staple Asian ingredients.
The chicken wings are first marinated with the perfect blend of wet ingredients:
- soy sauce (salty, umami flavor)
- dark soy sauce (less salty, more sweet)
- oyster sauce (salty & sweet, with hints of caramel – Lee Kum Kee Panda brand is my favorite!)
Then, the wings are coated with a 50/50 ratio of tapioca flour and cornstarch. You can easily substitute the tapioca flour for what you have on hand, but I highly recommend using half cornstarch to ensure a crispy skin!
COOKING TIPS for Crispy Chicken Wings:
- Invest in a quality meat thermometer!! This cannot be stressed enough – I can’t even begin to explain how much this has elevated my cooking. Oil should be around 350 degrees before frying and the chicken wing is done when it reaches 165 degrees.
- Thoroughly pat dry chicken wings with a paper towel – This will ensure the wings soak up the flavors from the wet marinade
- Don’t be afraid to use your hands to ensure the wet marinade completely covers the wing!
- Do not overcrowd the pot – Adding too many wings at once will bring the temperature of the oil down too much and result in a soggy wing. I cook about 3-4 wings at a time, depending on the size of the pot.
- Let the chicken wings rest on a cooling rack with plenty of space between each piece – A big mistake I used to make after frying was stacking the chicken on top of each other on a paper towel. The purpose of this (or so I thought) was to soak up excess oil, but that amount is negligible and not necessary! All of the work you did to get a crispy fried skin will be ruined and turn soggy from being steamed when stacked on top of each other on a paper towel.
- Take the entire pot off the heat if bubbling too vigorously – Sometimes, the oil becomes too hot and it’s easier to take the pot off the heat for about 20 seconds or so until it cools down. Bubbles are good when frying, but you don’t want it to bubble too vigorously. It’s all about a perfect balance that comes with experience (or a handy food thermometer).
- Cater this recipe to your liking! – It’s a good idea to continuously taste test when cooking and add only a little bit of ingredients at a time. Do you want the marinade to be sweeter? Simply add a pinch of sugar. Also, feel free to omit or substitute ingredients freely. The wings are delicious without the flour coating. Or skip the wet marinade and only coat with flour, then eat as is or top with your favorite sauce after cooking.
Recipe
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Asian Fried Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs chicken wings, about 10 whole pieces
- 1 tbsp Canola oil for frying (or any neutral tasting, high smoke point oil)
Wet Marinade
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
Dry Coating
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 3 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
Instructions
- Heat about 2 inches of canola oil in a frying pot.
- Pat dry chicken wing pieces and add in wet marinade ingredients. Use your hands to thoroughly mix and ensure entire wing is coated with sauce.
- Add dry coating ingredients into a large ziplock bag or bowl with lid. Taking a few pieces of chicken at a time from the wet marinade, coat with dry seasoning and thoroughly shake bag or bowl to ensure an even coating. Shake off excess flour.
- When oil is ready, fry in small batches of 3 to 4 chicken wings at a time (depending on the amount of oil) for about 7 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip each piece over every 2 minutes.
- Remove from oil and place on a wire rack to cool with plenty of space in between chicken.
- Plate with your favorite sides and enjoy!
