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Home Asian Recipes

Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

By:Nagi
Published:11 Sep '19Updated:26 Nov '22
381 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

Our family recipe for sticky Chinese Chicken Wings! Tossed in a savoury, sweet, garlicky Asian marinade, then baked in the oven and basted until deeply golden and very, very sticky…..

As with ribs, there’s no way to look elegant when you annihilate a plate of wings. And we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings on a plate, ready to be eaten

Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

These Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings are so moorish, once you start you won’t be able to stop!

This is my family recipe for Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings which has been tweaked and perfected over years, with input from everyone (mother, brother, sister and me) and many heated debates! We finally agreed this is The Recipe and have been loyal to it for years and I don’t see it changing soon. After all, why tinker with perfection?

The marinade for this recipe is a perfect balance of slightly spicy (very mild), salty, sweet with a touch of tang, and the subtle fragrance of Chinese Five Spice from hoisin sauce as well as five spice powder.

Close up of sticky baked Chinese chicken wings with Chinese marinade

Chicken Wing Marinade

Here’s what you need for the Chinese chicken wing marinade.

We have a rule that it is acceptable to omit one ingredient from the marinade, but if you are missing more than one, then don’t bother making it……. 😂 However, it IS acceptable to substitute with similar ingredients, and I’ve provided a fairly lengthy list of “acceptable” substitutions in the recipe!

(PS If you’re querying the inclusion of ketchup in this marinade – yes, it really is used in Chinese cooking and you’ll find it used in other Chinese recipes you know and love like Sweet and Sour Chicken!)

What goes in Chinese marinade for wings

Chinese Cooking Wine

* Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing / shaoshing wine) is, as with many Chinese recipes, the “secret ingredient” that takes this marinade from “tasty” to “NAILED IT!!” It’s an essential ingredient in all your favourite Chinese restaurant recipes, from Fried Rice to Beef and Broccoli, Chow Mein to Cashew Chicken. It adds complexity to the flavour as well as seasoning (it’s salty).

I use it so often, I even wrote an entire post about it! If you’ve ever followed a recipe for a Chinese takeout copycat recipe but found it just wasn’t quite as good as the real deal, the missing ingredient was probably Chinese cooking wine.

You can get a bottle for $2 (sometimes less!) from Asian stores, though it’s sold in grocery stores in Australia nowadays. It lasts “forever” in the pantry, and I use it in virtually every Chinese recipe.

I try to include substitutions in every recipe and in this case, the best substitutes for Chinese Cooking Wine are (in order of preference):

  • Mirin

  • Dry sherry

  • Drinking sake or other drinking rice wine

  • Chicken broth/stock

Shaoxing wine - Chinese Cooking Wine

The chicken wings

I typically make my wings recipes using wings that have been cut into drumettes (the mini chicken leg / drumstick looking part) and wingettes (the other part). Most grocery stores sell them pre cut, otherwise, follow the steps here for how to cut up whole wings OR cook them whole.

Bowl of raw chicken wings

How to make it

The making part is very simple:

  • mix the Chinese chicken wing marinade and pour over wings;

  • marinade for a mere 10 to 15 minutes – don’t marinade for longer otherwise it will make the wings too salty and also makes the marinade watery (from drawing moisture out of the wings) which makes it harder to baste;

  • Spread wings out on tray lined with foil and paper. Yes, use both. You’ll thank me later – when you’re sleeping tonight instead of scraping super-glued marinade off the tray; and

  • bake for 50 minutes until golden and sticky, basting 2 – 3 times with reserved marinade and tray juices.

How to make Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

Close up of sticky baked wings (Chinese flavour), ready to be eaten

How to serve these Chinese wings

I must admit, the times I have enjoyed this the most have involved a few glasses of wine….this is the ultimate midnight snack. Forget kebab stands, we need chicken wing carts outside pubs and clubs, and definitely at every taxi queue! 😂

So they really do make fabulous finger food for sharing, whether passing around as a starter or a casual grazing-platter style gathering.

Or serve these chicken wings as a meal with a side of Fried Rice and a fresh, crunchy Asian Slaw.

However you serve it, be sure to have plenty of napkins handy – or to suck each an every finger clean!! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings on a plate, ready to be eaten

Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 1 hr
Appetizer, Finger Food, Main, Party Food, Snacks
Asian, Chinese
4.97 from 119 votes
Servings6 - 8
Tap or hover to scale
Print
  • 350
Recipe video above. My family recipe for the ultimate Sticky Chinese Wings, perfected over years with many heated debates! Many of the ingredients can be substituted and you'll still get a similar flavour - refer to the notes. Spiciness: A hint of spicy from the chilli sauce, can be omitted.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg /3 lb chicken wings , cut into drumettes and wingettes (Note 1)

Chicken Wing Marinade (Note 2 for substitutions)

  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil , toasted
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine, sub Mirin, dry sherry)
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce , light or all purpose
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
  • 1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1/4 cup ketchup or Aussie tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp chilli garlic sauce or sambal oelek (adjust spiciness to taste)
  • 4 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger , finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp five spice powder

Garnishes (optional)

  • Finely sliced shallots/scallions
  • Sesame seeds
  • Coriander/cilantro leaves
  • Finely sliced fresh chili

Instructions

  • Mix Marinade ingredients.
  • Place wings in large bowl, pour over Marinade and toss well. Set aside for 10 minutes - do not marinate for longer than 1 hour. (Note 3)
  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
  • Line baking tray with foil then greaseproof paper (you'll thank me later).
  • Shake excess marinade off wings (but reserve the marinade) and spread on baking tray - can be fairly snug but not super squished (use 2 trays if needed).
  • Bake 45 - 50 minutes, basting with a brush at 25 minutes and 35 minutes, using the reserved marinade and juieces on the tray.
  • The meat should be able to be pulled off the bones quite easily, they should be just starting to char on the edges and a sticky, dark red/golden colour all over.
  • Sprinkle with garnishes - coriander/cilantro leaves, sesame seeds, chilli, sliced shallots/scallions - then serve!

Recipe Notes:

1. Chicken wings - I like to make these with wings that have been cut into wingettes and drumettes. You can either buy them pre cut like that, or cut whole wings yourself (discard wing tips / treat your pooch!). See this post for how to cut whole wings yourself. Whole wings - you'll need 1.75kg/3.4lb, you'll lose weight with the discarded tips.
2. Marinade substitutions & notes:
  • Sesame oil - use toasted (dark brown, not yellow oil). In Australia, toasted is the norm, untoasted is hard to find.
  • Lemon juice can be substituted with rice vinegar - or any white / clear plain vinegar (not balsamic)
  • Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaoxing Wine) best subs are Mirin (reduce sugar by half) or dry sherry. Next best - cooking sake, drinking sake or other rice wine. No alcoholic sub - chicken broth/stock.
  • Soy sauce - use light or all purpose. Do not use dark soy sauce - it's far too intense!
  • Hoisin Sauce can be substituted with oyster sauce but then you should add an extra 1/4 tsp of Chinese Five Spice Powder
  • Oyster Sauce can be substituted with Hoisin Sauce but if you do so then do not add the 1/2 tsp of five spice powder.
  • Chilli Garlic Sauce or Sambal Oelak - sub with any other Asian chilli sauce or paste, such as Chilli Bean Sauce or Sriracha.
  • Garlic and ginger - fresh is best! But in an emergency, can sub with 1/2 tsp dried powder 
  • Five Spice Powder - a Chinese mix of five spices sold in everyday grocery stores!
3. Marinade time - it is best not to marinade for too long, 1 hour at most, because the salt in the marinade will draw too much moisture out of the wings (making them drier) and also the marinade will become watery making it harder to stick to the wings.
4. Leftovers keep well for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in microwave!
5. Nutrition assumes 8 servings made with 1.5kg/3lb of wings.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 207gCalories: 362cal (18%)Carbohydrates: 8g (3%)Protein: 50.2g (100%)Fat: 13.1g (20%)Saturated Fat: 3.6g (23%)Cholesterol: 152mg (51%)Sodium: 798mg (35%)Potassium: 491mg (14%)Sugar: 5.3g (6%)Vitamin A: 200IU (4%)Vitamin C: 6.6mg (8%)Calcium: 40mg (4%)Iron: 2.5mg (14%)
Keywords: baked wings, chicken wing marinade, chinese chicken wings, sticky chicken wings
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Originally published June 2014, updated September 2019 with new photos, brand new video and most importantly, new Life of Dozer section added!

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381 Comments

  1. caitlin says

    September 8, 2022 at 11:19 am

    would these go ok on the BBQ?

    Reply
  2. Jon says

    July 1, 2022 at 3:19 am

    Made these last night using the “truly crispy oven baked wings” method and basted with this marinade the last 30min. Crispy, super flavorful, phenomenal!

    Reply
  3. carol says

    June 16, 2022 at 1:49 am

    can you marinate these and then freeze them

    Reply
  4. Erica says

    June 13, 2022 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    I LOVE your recipes.. I have not made this one yet.. but when I look for a new recipe I look at a few.. then type in your name because yours are the best !! Thank you.. looking forward to another delicious meal !!

    Reply
  5. Phoebe says

    June 9, 2022 at 4:52 pm

    Ooo these are addictive!

    Reply
  6. Catherine O'Shea says

    June 7, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    5 stars
    I got all the ingredients and making these tonight. Can’t wait! Do you know if I can air fry them?

    Reply
  7. Demosthenes says

    May 29, 2022 at 6:22 am

    5 stars
    Made the wings today and they were delicious! I’ve tried many Asian wing recipes and this one is the best. Thank you for perfecting this recipe.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 30, 2022 at 2:24 pm

      That’s awesome Demosthenes – enjoy!! N x

      Reply
  8. Debbie says

    April 18, 2022 at 6:27 am

    4 stars
    These wings were finger-lickin good! They didn’t turn out as sticky as I would have liked but I think that may be because I turned the wings so I could baste the other side. I may make more of the sauce next time to thoroughly baste both sides as I had ran out of sauce this time. Flavours were still amazing!

    Reply
    • Holly says

      May 10, 2022 at 2:19 am

      4 stars
      Tasty and enjoyed by my family.

      Thanks Nagi!

      Reply
  9. Teresa says

    February 11, 2022 at 5:13 pm

    My son who is fussy and hardly gives a compliment when it comes to food said these were REALLY good. .

    Reply
  10. Hayley says

    February 10, 2022 at 4:55 pm

    I’d like to make these for a party. Can I make them ahead of time? If so, how would you go about reheating them?

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 11, 2022 at 9:14 am

      See Note 4 under the recipe for reheating! N x

      Reply
  11. Bernadette Leonhardt says

    February 5, 2022 at 7:52 pm

    5 stars
    It got the thumbs up so yum. Made your fried rice and added chicken. Wanted to send u a pic!

    Reply
  12. Dan says

    February 2, 2022 at 8:10 pm

    Hey! I just finished following every step for the sticky wings to a tee…

    Then I read not to overdo the marinade time!!! Ah well, we will see how they turn out tomorrow – maybe add that bit of info earlier than note 3! Keep up the good work.

    Reply
    • Dan says

      February 3, 2022 at 7:32 pm

      4 stars
      Yeah, no so sticky after extended marination but not dry and still very delicious! Would recommend. Cheers

      Reply
  13. Eva says

    January 17, 2022 at 5:52 pm

    I made these delicious chicken wings and the vermicelli salad with it and my guests (2 children and parents) ate it all, in fact I could have made more and they would have eaten it as well.
    Dear Nagi, not only is every recipe you provide always fantastic but also your website, the way recipes are organised is so easy to navigate. I tried another site today and it was a bit frustrating to peruse through it to finally find what I needed for one recipe. It reminded me to tell you how great your site was. Thank you also for your funny and entertaining ways and not to forget about sweet Dozier!

    Reply
  14. Lidia says

    January 14, 2022 at 10:52 am

    Amazing! Loved these. Cooked in the Weber Q in a foil tray on a very warm day. So we’ll received.

    Reply
  15. Jennifer J says

    January 13, 2022 at 12:59 pm

    5 stars
    This is insanely delicious and so easy. My friends wanted the recipe the minute they ate it!

    Reply
  16. Chalena H says

    January 7, 2022 at 2:01 am

    I just love Your style of cooking with ease. Your background music which helps. I have to admit, before I go to the recipe I hit the Dozer button first. to get My daily dose of Dozer! lol

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      January 7, 2022 at 3:26 pm

      You aren’t the only one! N x

      Reply
  17. Rita Rudolph says

    December 15, 2021 at 9:09 am

    At 350 these wings get crispy?

    Reply
    • Neelie says

      January 8, 2022 at 6:48 pm

      I don’t think 350F is sufficient. I tried these at 425F for about 40 minutes, basted around 20 and 30 minutes. Start watching it around 35 min because it will start to burn just a bit.

      Reply
    • Eva says

      January 17, 2022 at 5:58 pm

      They’re not meant to be crispy, they’re strongly marinated.

      Reply
      • John Campbell says

        January 29, 2022 at 5:08 pm

        If you want them crispy, cook them til crispy without marinade, then coat and cook further. Falls apart, delish

        Reply
  18. Sandy says

    December 5, 2021 at 10:34 pm

    5 stars
    Another fantastic recipe!
    We cooked them slowly on the BBQ, Turned out sooo yummy
    I’ve never had one of your recipes fail.

    Reply
  19. Janine says

    December 4, 2021 at 12:32 pm

    5 stars
    Love the ease of this recipe and has all my favourite Asian ingredients. I’m taking 3 dozen nibbles to a street Christmas get together for sharing and I know they will all love it.

    Reply
  20. Lyn Mitchell says

    November 27, 2021 at 9:34 pm

    5 stars
    Worked perfectly exactly the right timing. Tasted great.

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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