Sweet and Spicy Korean Style Chicken Wings
You get crispy skin from the oven, then a sticky, glossy gochujang ginger sauce that does all the heavy lifting on flavor. Slightly sweet, a little funky, a little heat. The kind of wing people reach for twice before they even realize it.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Wings
- 5 pounds chicken wings
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
Gochujang Ginger Sauce
- ½ cup gochujang use ¼ cup for less spice
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
For Serving
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Prep the oven and the wings. Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels, this step matters more than it seems. Dry wings are what get you that crispy skin.
- Season. In a large bowl, toss the wings with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and cornstarch until every piece is evenly coated.
- Arrange. Lay the wings on the sheet pan in a single layer, leaving an inch or two of space between each one. Crowding the pan steams the wings instead of crisping them, so give them room to breathe.
- Bake. Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake another 15–20 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the internal temperature reads 175–180ºF.
- Make the sauce. While the wings cook, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, and ginger in a medium bowl. Right before you're ready to toss the wings, whisk in the melted butter until the sauce comes together and looks glossy and emulsified.
- Toss and serve. Pull the wings from the oven and toss them in a large bowl with the gochujang ginger sauce (or your favorite store-bought Korean BBQ sauce, if you're short on time, no judgment here). Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve with lime wedges and a stack of napkins on the side.
Notes
- Spice level is yours to control. Start with ¼ cup gochujang if you're serving a crowd with mixed spice tolerance, and let people add more sauce at the table.
- Sauce now, toss later. The sauce can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. Just re-whisk before tossing with the hot wings.
- Leftover sauce is not a problem. It's excellent on roasted vegetables, grilled salmon, or stirred into rice.