Sticky soy garlic chicken wings, you won’t be able to stop eating them once you start. Easy recipe using just a few ingredients; these are the perfect party appetizer.
Do you love wings just as much as we do? Try these addictive soy garlic chicken wings! Or how about these Quick Pan-Fried Chicken Wings or the Korean Chicken Wings with Gochujang?
Table of contents
Why should you make these wings?
- Loaded with flavor: The combination of soy sauce, garlic, honey, and fresh ginger makes these savory wings irresistible.
- Healthier: Baked; there is no need to deep fry them.
- Make ahead: You can coat them with the spicy sauce ahead of time and marinate them until ready to bake. Or you can bake them after 30 minutes of marinating time.
Recipe ingredients
Chicken wings:
- 2 lbs (900 g) – about 8-9 whole wings or 16-18 split wings or party wings.
- If all you have are whole pieces, you can easily cut them in two.
Marinade ingredients:
- Fresh garlic and ginger: I always grate them on a small grater; it works better than crushing them with a garlic press; it’s faster and finer, and you will have less waste.
- Soy sauce and honey: regular soy sauce and clear/runny honey.
Other ingredients: vegetable oil or olive oil, fine sea salt or Kosher salt, and ground black pepper. If you want some heat, add some cayenne pepper to the marinade (to taste).
Garnish: Toasted sesame seeds and finely chopped green onions. They are nice to have and help with the presentation, but they are not vital. You can also squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice on top of the sticky party wings when serving.
Step-by-step instructions
- Wings: Divide them at the joint if they are not already cut (See Expert Tips). Dry them well with a paper towel. Place them in a large bowl.
- Marinade: In a small bowl, stir the grated garlic and ginger, oil, soy sauce, honey, and pepper.
- Marinate: Pour the soy honey garlic sauce over them, and cover with plastic foil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking (1).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the pieces on the tray in a single layer (2).
- Bake the soy garlic chicken wings for 20 minutes. Flip with tongs and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until they are cooked through, and the soy garlic glaze is shiny and sticky with a few darker spots.
- Check after 10-13 minutes already; cover the tray loosely with aluminum foil if the glaze turns too dark.
- Rest for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and finely chopped spring onions or fresh chilies if desired.
Expert tips
How to split whole chicken wings?
- Place one whole piece on a cutting board. Hold the drumette in your hand and stretch the joint open. The wingette/flat part should still be on the work surface. Cut through the joint; you should not encounter resistance.
- If there is any, move the knife a few millimeters more on the right or left until you find the right place to go through the skin and between the bones quickly.
- If they still have the tips on, remove those too. The wing tips are usually removed but cut them if they’re still attached. Use them to make chicken stock.
Don’t wash the chicken before cooking. The bacteria will only be destroyed during the cooking process. Cleaning the chicken will only spread the bacteria all over your sink without removing it from the meat entirely.
The USDA – Food Safety and Inspection Service says: “Washing raw poultry before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other food, utensils, and surfaces. This is called cross-contamination. Rinsing or soaking does not destroy bacteria. Only cooking will destroy any bacteria that might be present on fresh chicken.”
Use a wire rack if you have one. Parchment paper works fine, but using a wire rack is even better, as it allows the air to circulate all around the wings.
Marinate the wings for at least 30 minutes. You can bake the chicken immediately, and it will still be delicious, but the longer you marinate it, the more time for the flavors to better penetrate the meat.
Check the soy garlic chicken wings from time to time. If you notice that they start turning too dark before the end of the cooking time, cover the baking sheet very loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
Recipe FAQ
Use a meat thermometer or pull the meat off the bone of one larger piece, the meat should be white, and there is no pink allowed.
75°C/ 165°F.
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for about 3 days.
Freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Defrost in the fridge.
Reheat in the preheated oven at 180°C/ 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until hot.
Air fryer: Reheat for about 3 minutes or until hot.
How to serve?
- As an appetizer: The soy garlic ginger chicken wings will serve 5-6 people. I don’t make a dip to serve with these tasty wings; they have enough flavor already. I usually serve them with fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes, celery sticks, bell peppers, carrot and kohlrabi sticks, etc.
- As the main course, you will have enough for two adults and two kids or 2-3 adults. You can serve them with potato wedges or fries, pan-fried sweet potatoes, and a green salad with yogurt dressing or coleslaw. A simple meal that will make your family happy.
- Party: Perfect for any game day during the Super Bowl or the football season, great for parties, barbecues, etc.
More crispy chicken wings recipes
- Baked Whole Chicken Wings
- How to Cook Frozen Chicken Wings
- Spicy Baked Chicken Wings
- Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Wings
- How to Boil Chicken Wings
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Soy Garlic Chicken Wings
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings split, 900 g, Note 1
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 1 piece of ginger grated 1 inch/ 2 ½ cm
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey Note 2
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- sesame seeds and spring onions for garnish optional
Instructions
- Prepare wings: If the chicken wings are whole, cut them into drumettes and wingettes (Note 4). Dry the wings with paper towels, and place them in a large bowl.
- Marinade: In a small bowl, stir the grated garlic and ginger, oil, soy sauce, honey, and pepper. Pour over the wings, cover with plastic foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (Note 3).
- Bake the chicken wings for 20 minutes. Flip with tongs and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. Check after 10-13 minutes already; cover the tray loosely with aluminum foil if the glaze turns too dark.
- Rest for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and finely chopped spring onions if desired.
Notes
- 2 lbs are about 8-9 whole chicken wings or 16-18 split ones.
- Add some cayenne pepper to taste, if you would like the wings to be hot.
- Use a wire rack if you have one. Place it on top of the baking sheet and arrange the wings on it.
- Split whole chicken wings
If they still have the tips on, remove those too. The wing tips are usually removed but cut them if they’re still attached. Use them to make chicken stock.