Wow. Just, WOW. These Sticky Ginger Chicken Wings are just the right amount of salty, sweet, and spicy with a fresh little zing thanks to the ginger. The sticky gooey sauce is so good that you won’t even care when it gets all over your face and fingers. …but maybe keep some wet naps close by. ;)
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Baked Instead of Fried
Restaurant chicken wings are usually fried, but I have an irrational fear (or maybe it’s a rational fear) of deep-frying, so I make my wings in the oven. Sometimes I’ll bake the wings coated in cornstarch to get a nice crispy skin (see my Honey Mustard Wings), but this time I baked my wings right in the soy ginger sauce so the sauce would reduce and turn into a sticky glaze as the wings baked—no need for a second pot. It’s super easy and there’s no danger of fryer grease splashing or causing third-degree burns (or at least that’s what plays out in my head every time I think about deep-frying).
What Kind of Baking Dish is Best?
I used an 8″x11″ glass casserole dish to bake my wings. I suggest glass or ceramic because they conduct heat a little more evenly than metal, which may cause the sauce to burn a bit more on the edges. If you want to double the batch, just use a larger dish, like a 9″x13″, or one that allows you to spread the chicken wings in a single layer.
What to Serve with Sticky Ginger Chicken Wings
Since these wings are so sticky sweet, I would suggest adding a vegetable-heavy side, like this Crunchy Cabbage Salad, or Sesame Cucumber Salad. And then if you want to also add a starch, try something simple like Sesame Rice or Garlic Noodles.
Sticky Ginger Chicken Wings
Servings 2 about 6 pieces eachIngredients
- 2 lbs. chicken wings or drummettes (6.58)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1/4 cup honey ($0.66)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.12)
- 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce ($0.13)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.24)
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar ($0.13)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ($0.30)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the chicken wings in a glass or ceramic baking dish so that they're in a single layer. Drizzle the cooking oil over top, then toss the wings to coat in the oil. Transfer the wings to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- While the wings are baking, prepare the sticky ginger sauce. Combine the honey, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a bowl.
- After the wings have baked for 15 minutes, pour the sauce over the wings, then toss to coat. Return the wings to the oven and bake for an additional 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced into a sticky glaze and deepened in color. Baking time may vary slightly, so keep an eye on the sauce toward the end of the baking time.
- Top with sliced green onions and serve!
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Sticky Ginger Chicken Wings – Step By Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place 2 lbs. chicken wings and/or drummettes in a casserole dish so they’re in a single layer. Drizzle 1 Tbsp cooking oil over top and then toss to coat in the oil. Place the wings in the preheated oven and cook for 15 minutes.
While the wings are beginning to cook, prepare the sticky ginger sauce. In a bowl, stir together ¼ cup honey, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger.
After the wings have cooked for 15 minutes, pour the prepared sauce over top and stir to coat. Return the wings to the oven.
Continue to cook the chicken wings for about 45 minutes more, stirring every 15 minutes or so, or until the sauce has reduced into a sticky glaze and turned deep brown in color. Baking time may vary slightly, so keep an eye on the sauce toward the end of the baking time.
Top with sliced green onions, then serve! Enjoy that sticky-sweet-salty-spicy goodness!
Looks delicious! Is it possible to make drumsticks this way and just cook them longer?
This recipe was incredible. The only thing I switched was I used Sweet Chili Sauce instead of Chili Garlic Sauce and I put about 3 tbsp in the mix for extra heat.
I haven’t had such a tasty sticky sauce hit my mouth in a LONG time. Moving to Italy, I really miss sauce like this. I will be using this recipe probably numerous times a week because its THAT good. Would also tastes good on chopped up chicken breasts and served like an Asian dish with white rice.
If you go strictly by the recipe you will NOT be Disappointed .you talking about something that is so FREAKING GOOD .
They were a little spicy. So we added more honey and a bit of brown sugar to thicken up the sauce. Also, we skipped the oven method and just dropped them in the deep fryer minus the flour and tossed in sauce like Wingstop. Nice recipe.
Alyce thanks for the tips! I did just what you did and my kids loved it. I’ve made them about 3 times already. Nice recipe but these little tweaks make them great!
My boyfriend & I hosted a “couples cookoff” party at his house for the Patriots-Chiefs game this last Sunday. We went with this recipe for our wings & it was a HUGE hit amongst all of his hockey friends. We didn’t follow the cooking instructions & decided to fry our wings first & then toss them in the sauce. Even used it on our fried cauliflower for our vegetarian friends & they loved it! Even our non veggie eating friend said the cauliflower was great! Saving this forever.
Followed directions to a tee. Sauce would not thicken. Feel like I wasted wings. I should have read older comments.
This sauce is GREAT!! Classic Asian flavors with just the right amount of heat.
Absolutely delicious.! However, my sauce did not thicken. I made this recipe three times, and each time the sauce did not thicken. Could you, or somebody tell me why? I followed all directions exactly. Thanks!
Awesome-sauce!!
FOund these in a google search! So glad I did . My kids ask for them weekly! They no longer want to go the wings restaurant in town because they say these are MUCH better.
can you make ahead and reheat?
These are probably best when freshly made.
can you make these ahead of time and reheat? thank you
Yes you certainly can!
I made this last night and holy huevos was is good!!! I used regular drumsticks since that was all my store had available for cheap (I should know to go shopping before an LSU game day…otherwise the chicken wings are GONE). I have this, among many other recipes from this site, filed away in my “to make again soon” section of my recipe book. My only tip if your using regular drumsticks…stir stir stir!. Since most of the meat will sit over the sauce…they will dry out more easily if you don’t stir them frequently to keep them coated in the sauce.
Yet another who found this to be amazing. Seriously a fantastic recipe. Sooo much flavor! I ended up making a triple batch and reducing it down since I did wings the more traditional method. It’s too watery to be used in that manner.
TOTALLY AWESOME! I make them and they’re gone in minutes. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Glass pans should never be put under the broiler. Trust me, I learned the hard way.
How would you do this dish in the air fryer?