Chicken wings are basically self-care in edible form. Who needs a spa day when you’ve got Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Wings as comfort food?? These crispy sticky chicken wings are as juicy as your auntie’s latest gossip at your family party (talk about messy & spicyyyy)! Easily make these boss-level wings in the air fryer or stovetop… and don’t forget the extra napkins!
🥘 Ingredients for Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Wings
The Marinade
In a Ziplock bag, combine regular soy sauce (not light/low-sodium!), dark brown sugar, rice vinegar, and oil (my fave is grapeseed oil but any neutral oil will work!). Add and massage the chicken wings in the marinade, then push out all the air and seal in bag so every wing is fully submerged in the marinade. Marinade for at least 20 minutes in the fridge, or up to overnight.
The Dry Mix
Cornstarch or potato starch combined with baking powder creates the crispiest shattering batter for these Thai sweet chili wings! Season it with garlic powder & onion powder so every layer of these wings is deliciously seasoned.
The Sauce
Once the chicken wings are done marinating, repurpose all those delicious flavors from marinade as part of the sauce! Simmer it with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, garlic, and sesame oil until all the bacteria from the raw chicken is cooked off and the sauce is thick, glossy, and sticky.
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Thai Sweet Chili Wings
This sweet Thai chili wing recipe is very flexible! Cook it up in the air fryer for a healthier version with less oily cleanup OR fry them up the classic way for extraaa crunchy wangz! Below is a comparison between the two methods and you can decide which you prefer!
The stovetop method (top row of wings) creates crunchier wings but it’s more hands-on than the air fryer method. You can also strain and repurpose all the frying oil again btw so it’s not wasted from one recipe!
The air fryer method (bottom row of wings) gives you more flexibility to step away while it does its thing & you can feel less guilty about not using so much oil. BUT the trade off is, the wings are a little less crunchy.
Both are delicious TBH so it’s all preference! Or try both & let me know which you prefer!
Okay, enough chatting, let’s fry up some wangz!
Step 1: Make the Dry Dredge
In a ziplock bag, combine the cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, and onion powder. Shake off excess marinade from the chicken wings and save the marinade. Drop the wings in the dry dredge, seal the bag, and shake until the wings are well coated (the ziplock ends up see-through since the dredge is fully coated on the wings). I like this method because it’s fast with less cleanup!
If you don’t have any ziplock bags though, you can also combine the dredge on a large plate & scrunch the dredge onto the wings by hand. Use one hand to touch the wet wings & the other hand for the dry dredge so you don’t end up with monster dredge fingers!
Let the wings sit for 5-10 minutes
Air Fryer Method:
Step 2: Pre-heat to 360° F. Lightly brush the tray with oil and spray the wings with oil. Spread the wings in an even layer, working in batches if needed to prevent overcrowding. If the tray is overcrowded, your Thai chicken wings will take longer to cook & won’t turn out as crispy!
Cook for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through and spraying wings with more oil if they’re looking dry.
Step 3: While the wings cook, prep the sauce. Heat a small sauce pot on medium heat with a little oil. Saute garlic for a few seconds until soft and fragrant, then pour in the leftover marinade, sweet chili sauce, and water. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened into a thick sticky glaze.
Stir occasionally to prevent burning. If the sauce turns too thick or salty you can add a splash more water. Once it’s done, cover with a lid, turn off heat, and set aside.
Step 4: Remove the Thai chili chicken wings from the air fryer & allow them to rest on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, pre-heat air fryer to 390° F. Place wings back (working in batches if needed), spay with a bit more oil if the wings have any dry spots. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until they’re golden and cooked through (their juices should run clear with an internal temp of at least 165 F).
Oil Frying Stovetop Method:
Step 2: Heat a medium-sized pot medium-high with a high-smoke point oil. Once hot, carefully add chicken wings in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 5-7 minutes, remove and drain on a wire rack, then repeat for remaining wings.
Allow wings to rest for 10-15 minutes and allow the oil to come back up to temperature.
Step 3: Meanwhile, prep the sauce. Heat a small sauce pot on medium heat with a little oil. Saute garlic for a few seconds until soft and fragrant, then pour in the leftover marinade, sweet chili sauce, and water. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened into a thick sticky glaze,
Stir occasionally to prevent burning. If the sauce turns too thick or salty you can add a splash more water. Once it’s done, cover with a lid, turn off heat, and set aside.
Step 4: Add chicken wings back in batches and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden, crispy, and an internal temperature of at least 165 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, cut a small slit in the thickest part of the chicken to the bone & the juices should run clear.
Combine Wings & Sauce:
Step 5: In a large bowl, mix the wings and sauce until well coated. It might look like there’s enough sauce at first, but keep tossing and it should be enough for a glaze!
If you’re feeling fancy, garnish this Thai chicken wings recipe with toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
👩🏽🍳 Key Tips
- Let Wings Rest After Dredging for about 10 minutes. This helps the dredge better stick onto the chicken wings while cooking, instead of falling off. Less waste and mess!
- Rest Before Double Frying for Max Crispiness: First fry is to cook chicken through. Let the chicken wings rest 10-15 minutes to allow their juices to redistribute. If you fry them again right away, they’ll dry out. Then fry again to cook off the additional moisture for maximum crispiness!
- Cook Oil Fried Wings in a Pot: I typically use my medium-sized pot when frying food. You use less oil and have a deeper cooking area to work with so the wings are fully submerged.
- Don’t Overcrowd: Whichever cooking method you use, work in batches to avoid overcrowding so your chicken turns out crispy! In the air fryer, the wings should be a single layer with space in between each wing, otherwise, they’ll steam instead of fry. When cooking in oil, your wings also need space because if you add too many, the oil temperature will drop. Your chicken will take longer to cook and won’t turn out crispy.
- Drain Fried Chicken On Wire Rack: This is ideal over paper towels since the oil can properly drip off and steam won’t be created from the hot wings lying on a solid surface.
💭 Recipe FAQs
These wings are best enjoyed fresh! If you happen to have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.
They won’t be as crispy when you reheat them, but you can either heat them in the air fryer until warm and caramelized. The microwave also works.
Thai chili sauce is a popular Thai condiment that’s much sweeter than Sriracha. Sriracha, on the other hand, is a hot sauce that’s drizzled onto food usually for its spice and flavor!
For frying, a high smoke-point oil is crucial! Using a low smoke-point like olive oil breaks down quickly and you’ll end up with a smoky kitchen with a higher chance of burnt bitter food because it can’t handle cooking at a high heat. High smoke-point oils like grapeseed, avocado, canola, vegetable, or peanut oils are great for frying.
Baking powder helps dry out excess moisture on the chicken wing skin and helps them crisp up! Also, double frying them gets rid of excess moisture that would turn them soggy over time. Just make sure to let the wings rest for 10-15 minutes before frying again so they don’t dry out.
🥗 What to Serve with These Thai Chili Wings
If you’re craving more juicy chicken goodness, my Vietnamese Chicken Wings are sweet, salty, and tangy - ALWAYS a hit at home! My Sticky Soy Sauce Wings are oven baked for super easy hands-off cooking and if you’re looking to satisfy the vegetarian homies, don’t sleep on my crispy Air Fryer Tofu that are gold nuggets of happiness!
My husband is CONSTANTLY requesting Korean Fried Chicken but one of my faves are Popcorn Chicken. I mean, who can resist those golden morsels of deliciousness??
Let's Get Cooking!
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Thai Sweet Chili Chicken Wings
Ingredients
MARINADE:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 2 pounds chicken wings pat dry
DRY MIXTURE:
- ½ cup potato starch or cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
SAUCE:
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- Remaining marinade
- ½ cup sweet chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Marinate then Dredge Chicken:
- In a Ziplock or airtight container, mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, & oil until sugar has dissolved. Add chicken wings, massage marinade into wings, & marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
- In a Ziplock bag, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, and baking powder until well combined. Add chicken wings, shaking off excess marinade & reserving marinade. Shake bag until wings are well coated, then allow wings to sit for about 5 minutes to allow cornstarch to better stick to the wings. Then, choose one of the cooking methods below.
Air Fryer Method:
- In the meantime, preheat air fryer to 360° F then lightly brush air fryer rack with oil to prevent sticking. Lay chicken wings in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Spray or brush wings with neutral oil, then cook for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re golden brown & crispy on both sides.
- While the chicken cooks, heat a small saucepan on medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil, then toss in garlic & cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Pour in marinade, sweet chili sauce, and water. Bring to a simmer & cook for about 10 minutes or it’s turned into a thick sticky glaze. Keep in mind the thicker the sauce, the more concentrated the flavor. If the sauce becomes too thick or salty, you can add a splash of water, then simmer to your desired consistency. Turn off heat & cover to keep warm.
- Increase air fryer heat to 390° F & spay a little more oil if you notice any dry spots. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until golden & cooked through (juices run clear or internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F).
Stovetop Frying Method:
- Heat a medium-sized pot medium-high with a high-smoke point oil. Once hot, carefully add chicken wings in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 5-7 minutes, remove and drain on a wire rack, then repeat for remaining wings. Allow wings to rest for 10-15 minutes and allow the oil to come back up to temperature.
- While the chicken cooks, heat a small saucepan on medium heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil, then toss in garlic & cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Pour in marinade, sweet chili sauce, and water. Bring to a simmer & cook for about 10 minutes or it’s turned into a thick sticky glaze. Keep in mind the thicker the sauce, the more concentrated the flavor. If the sauce becomes too thick or salty, you can add a splash of water, then simmer to your desired consistency. Turn off heat & cover to keep warm.
- Add chicken wings back in batches and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden, crispy, and an internal temperature of at least 165 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, cut a small slit in the thickest part of the chicken to the bone & the juices should run clear.
Combine Wings & Sauce:
- In a large bowl, toss together chicken wings & sauce until well coated. It may not look like enough sauce at first, but continue to mix & there should be enough for a thin glaze on the wings. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with sesame seeds & chopped cilantro, then serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Potato Starch: It creates an incredible crunch compared to other types of flour. You can typically find it at local Asian markets (I get mine at Ranch 99) or Amazon. The closest alternative is cornstarch.
- Fish Sauce: This is the secret ingredient that creates a layer of umami flavor in your sauce! Don't worry, it doesn't have a fishy taste - it melts beautifully with the rest of the sweet chili sauce. Don't miss out on this!
- Glazed vs Saucy: This recipe creates enough sauce to coat chicken wings as a thick glistening glaze. If you like saucy wings, you can double or triple the sauce recipe.
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.
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