Make the juiciest finger licking chicken wings made with simple pantry staples! These Sticky Honey Soy Sauce Chicken Wings are beautifully charred on the outside, tender on the inside, & packed with a punch of flavor in every bite. Make it in the air fryer or oven, either way – it’s easy cleanup too!
These are the easiest honey soy sauce chicken wings you’ll ever make because the marinade does the heavy lifting!
It’s filled with garlicky, salty, umami goodness for finger-licking good wings!
If you love easy chicken wings and bites, make sure to try my easy Sweet Chili Wings, crispy Vietnamese chicken wings, and ultra crunchy Korean fried chicken recipes. For bite-size chicken, DEFINITELY serve Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken or Chicken Karaage. They’re always finger licking good at our place as Easy Entertaining for game nights, super bowl, or (let’s be real) whenever you gotta satisfy that craving!
All of them are created to be incredibly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside! If you have some vegetarians in the group, don’t sleep on my crispy Air Fryer Tofu with Sweet Chili too.
🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken Wings: Drumettes and wings thawed and pat dry.
- Dark Soy Sauce & Light Soy Sauce: Dark soy sauce is used for the deep rich color it gives food and can be easily found at local Asian markets. Light or regular soy sauce adds salty umami flavors and is accessible at most grocery stores.
- Oyster Sauce: Oyster sauce is a thicker consistency than soy sauce that adds salty, slightly sweet, & umami-filled seasoning. It adds significant flavor in this one ingredient & adds more body to that wang sauceeee. Don’t skip it!
- Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way here for a robust toasted nutty flavor.
- Rice Vinegar & Honey: Both add balance to the sauce so you have a slight tanginess and sweetness to go along with the saltiness of the soy sauce.
📖 Customizing Marinade
This marinade proves that you don’t need complex ingredients or spend hours in the kitchen to get an incredibly delicious meal. It’s great as is and incredibly versatile too!
- Sweetener: Instead of using honey, you could swap it out with regular white sugar or brown sugar.
- Spicy Lovers: Want it a little spicy? Toss in chilies or Sriracha to satisfy your spice craving!
🔪 How to Make Honey Soy Sauce Chicken Wings
Step 1: In a Ziplock or airtight container, make the soy sauce marinade by combining light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, & white pepper. Add chicken wings & marinate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight for even more flavor!
Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F., shake off & save excess marinade. Cook wings for 15-18 minutes flipping halfway through.
Step 2: In the meantime, simmer the remaining marinade in a small sauce pot for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should have a syrupy consistency, but if it thickened too much, you can add a splash of water.
Turn off heat, cover, & keep warm.
Step 3: Once the chicken wings are done, the juices will run clear & have an internal temperature of at least 165 F. If you want your chicken wings darker, you can increase the heat to 400 F for about 5 minutes or until your preferred char.
Step 4: Toss together the wings with the sticky honey soy sauce until chicken wings are well coated. Sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds & green onions if you’re feeling fancy – enjoy!
For a full spread, enjoy with Bulgogi Nachos, Corn Cheese, or Crab Rangoon Dip for epic bites!
♨️ Air Fryer vs Oven
My method of choice is cooking these bad boys in the air fryer. You get to shave off a few minutes of cooking time and the soy garlic chicken wings turn beautifully golden, juicy, and addicting!
If you don’t have an air fryer, don’t sweat it!
Follow the recipe and cook the wings at 350° F (166° C) for 40-50 minutes, or until juices run clear or has an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), flipping halfway through. Toss in that sweet sticky soy sauce & you’ll get amazing results too!
👩🏽🍳 Pro Tips for Bomb Garlic Soy Wings
- Don’t Overcrowd: Keep the wings in a single layer without overcrowding the air fryer to help them cook evenly.
- Marinating Time: Allow the chicken to soak up all the marinade’s goodness for at least 1 hour. If you have the extra time though, marinate it overnight for a much more robust flavor!
- Oil for Easier Clean-Up: Make sure to lightly brush the air fryer tray with oil before adding the chicken to prevent sticking.
💭 Recipe FAQs
🍗 What to Serve with Your Juicy Chicken Wings
Let’s get cooking!
Get into my secret stash of Goody-Packed Newsletters with meals planned for you & time-saving tips! Want step-by-step videos of how to make my recipes too? I gotchu over at my youtube channel. Aight, enough chatting, more eating!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings in Soy Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 5 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 pounds chicken wings pat dry
- Toasted white sesame seeds optional for garnish
Instructions
- In an airtight container or Ziplock bag, combine garlic, light soy sauce, honey, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, & white pepper. Mix until honey is dissolved.
- Add in chicken wings & make sure the wings are well coated then marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F.
- Shake excess marinade off wings & save the marinade. Add chicken to the air fryer, working in batches if needed so the air fryer basket isn’t overcrowded. Cook wings for 15 – 18 minutes, or until browned & cooked through (juices run clear or internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F). Flip halfway through.. At this point, the chicken wings will be light in color, but will continue to caramelize as they continue to cook.
- In the meantime, heat a small pot or pan on medium heat with the marinade. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until it’s thickened into a sticky glaze. Keep in mind, the thicker the sauce, the more concentrated the flavor. If the sauce turns too thick for your liking, you can add a splash of water to loosen the sauce a bit. Once the sauce is done, turn off heat & cover to keep warm.
- Once the chicken is done, immediately toss them in the sauce until well coated. Garnish with a sprinkle of toasted white sesame seeds if you’re feeling fancy. Serve with a side of steamy hot rice and / or veggies and enjoy!
Notes
- Dark Soy Sauce: Dark soy sauce is used for the beautiful rich color it gives food and can be easily found at local Asian markets or Amazon. If you have trouble finding it, you can omit it but keep in mind that your wings will not be as dark.
- Oyster Sauce: This has a thicker consistency than soy sauce with a slight sweetness – it’s so much umami in one ingredients so don’t skip!
- Adjusting Sweetness: This soy sauce wings recipe creates a sticky sauce that’s not overly sweet but if you have a sweet tooth, you can add more to your liking.
- Rice Vinegar: This is more mellow than white vinegar & blends well to create balance with the salty & sweet flavors of the marinade.
- Oven Version: Follow the recipe to marinade wings, then shake off excess marinade, & bake the wings at 350° F (166° C) for 40-50 minutes, or until juices run clear or has an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Flip halfway through. Toss in that sweet sticky soy sauce & you’ll get amazing results too!
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
