Whenever I visit San Francisco, I always make a trip to San Tung for their famous “dry fried chicken wings.” The first time I had these chicken wings, I was HOOKED. The chicken wings are crispy, even though they are smothered in a glorious, sticky sauce that is perfect with a side of jasmine rice. (You definitely want extra rice with this sauce!) I have tried to recreate these San Tung-style chicken wings for years since I live in a different state. I’ve gotten my recipe pretty close to their version, with some tweaks of my own. One of the main changes I make to my recipe is I bake the chicken wings in the oven instead of deep frying them. I have found that I can get the chicken wings just as crispy as fried chicken wings and the process is so much easier and healthier.
INGREDIENTS
- chicken wings – drumettes and flats separated
- baking powder – this will help the chicken wings get crispy in the oven
- soy sauce – I used light soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- honey and brown sugar – to sweeten the sauce and balance out the saltiness
- minced garlic
- ginger – freshly grated or minced
- cornstarch and water – thickening agent for the sauce
- optional: dried red peppers, chili sauce
- for garnish: green onion, sesame seeds
HOW TO MAKE SWEET SOY GARLIC CHICKEN WINGS
STEP 1: DRY AND TOSS
Rinse the chicken wings in cold water. Dry with paper towels really well. (Drier leads to crispier!) Toss the chicken wings in baking powder and coat evenly. You can do this step in a large mixing bowl or in a ziploc bag.
Line a tray with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the tray. Lay the chicken wings on the rack (skin side up). You don’t want to overlap the chicken wings, but it’s okay for them to touch because the chicken wings will shrink as they cook down in the oven.
STEP 2: BAKE CHICKEN WINGS
Bake for 30 minutes at 250℉. Then increase the temperature to 425℉ and bake for another 40-50 minutes until dark golden brown and crispy. Let rest for a few minutes while you prepare the sauce.
STEP 3: MIX SAUCE
In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with cold water to make your slurry. Set aside for now.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, green onion, and chili sauce.
STEP 4: MAKE SAUCE
Heat the soy sauce mixture in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add the slurry and stir well. Add the dried red peppers. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
STEP 5: COMBINE CHICKEN WINGS AND SAUCE
Toss the chicken wings in the sauce.
STEP 6: GARNISH
Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds. Serve with a side of rice and lots of napkins.
Sweet Soy Garlic Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds chicken wings drumettes and flats separated
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ cup light soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + ½ cup cold water
- 8-10 dried red peppers optional
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce optional
- sliced green onion and sesame seeds for garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250℉.
- Rinse the chicken wings in cold water. Dry well with paper towels. Toss the chicken wings in baking powder and coat evenly. You can do this step in a large mixing bowl or in a ziploc bag.
- Line a tray with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack on top of the tray. Lay the chicken wings on the rack (skin side up). You don’t want to overlap the chicken wings, but it’s okay for them to touch because the chicken wings will shrink as they cook down in the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 250℉. Then increase the temperature to 425℉ and bake for another 40-50 minutes until dark golden brown and crispy. Let rest for a few minutes while you prepare the sauce.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with cold water to make the slurry. Set aside for now.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, green onion, and chili sauce.
- Pour the soy sauce mixture into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add the slurry and stir well. Add the dried red peppers. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Toss the chicken wings in the sauce.
- Garnish with sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
