Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

By Lee Jackson ↣ Published on: March 9, 2020

Last Updated: January 14th, 20240 Comments on Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

I’ve been finger-licking my way through these addictive sticky baked Chinese chicken wings for years. They’re a simple dish, baked to perfection on a sheet pan. My recipe is quick, easy and no-fuss. Can’t do anything about the mess though…

A baking sheet with Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are one of my favourite chicken cuts to eat. They're the perfect snack, appetiser or main course. As much as I love regular fried chicken, it's Asian style wings that really do it for me. Especially when they're gooey-gooey and finger-sticking pops of umami.

Have you tried my Indonesian Chicken Wings? If not, why not? They're similar to this recipe for Chinese Baked Chicken Wings in that they're messy to eat, but completely addictive. This recipe calls upon all the umami flavours we love about Chinese food and creates a rich, thick coating to the meltingly soft wings. They're as close to perfect as you can get!

They're also incredibly easy to make - just make a marinade for the chicken, pop it in a bag and wait (as long as you can) then tip everything onto a sheet pan and bake. The marinade reduces into the most amazing sticky coating - a harmonious blend of sweet, salty ad savoury.

A baking sheet with Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

Why my sticky Chinese chicken wings work.

They're seriously addictive - anything you can eat with your hands along with anything that requires a roll of paper towels to eat have a big thumbs up in my book. If left unsupervised, I would eat this entire recipe in one go, on my own.

I tend to make this for parties and game days. I love to see people getting into a big old mess but wanting to lick off every last morsel from their hands. I also love to hear people announce "I'll only have a couple" only to start a fight over who gets the last chicken wing on the plate.

There's something about the mysterious umami savouriness of these wings that makes you unable to eat or carry yourself in a dignified manner.

The ingredients for Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

Stuff You'll Need

Making the wings is simple, with a few easy to get hold of Chinese store-cupboard staples. Here's where the key flavour comes from.

  • Chicken wings - I but the whole wing then cut them into two portions - the wing and the mini drumstick. It makes them easier to deal with as they'll lay flat on the sheet pan.
  • Fresh - Ginger and garlic give the fresh notes for the wings.
  • Sauces - Shoaxing cooking wine, soy sauce, black vinegar, honey, oyster sauce and sesame oil bring all the complex sweet umami to the glaze.
  • Spices - Chinese 5-spice and white pepper add to the authentic Chinese flavours.
  • Garnishes - Chillies, sesame seeds and cilantro are all you'll need to finish the wings to perfection.
A plastic bag holding chicken wings in a Chinese marinade

Step by Step

There are only two simple stages to this dish. Let's see how difficult they are (hint: they're not).

  1. Step 1 - Combine all the marinade ingredients together with the chicken wings in a large zip-lock plastic bag. Pop in the fridge for a while; between 4-24 hours - the longer the better.
  2. Step 2 - Tip the chicken wings and marinade out onto a large sheet pan. Arrange in one layer and bake in a preheated oven at 180ºC/350ºF for 50-60 minutes. Turn the chicken wings 2-3 times and mix around the marinade, which will become thick and sticky, to ensure they're all covered nicely.

That's essentially it. All you need to do now is to garnish and serve.

Raw chicken wings on a baking sheet surrounded by a Chinese marinade, just before baking.

Pro Tips

  • Make in advance - You can make these in advance and reheat in the oven for about 5-10 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF
  • Garnishes - are up to you, but I've perfected my recipe over the years to include a generous sprinkling of sliced Birdseye chillies, sesame seeds and cilantro. You could also use chopped peanuts, thinly sliced spring onion or julienned carrot or cucumber.

Serving & Storage Suggestions

I like to serve mine as a snack or party food but I'll also serve as a main course from time to time over fluffy boiled rice. If I'm serving as a main course I'll add a side of crunchy Chinese Cucumber Salad to counterbalance the sweet richness.

  • Fridge Storage - leftovers will be good for 4-5 days in the fridge in airtight containers or bags. Reheat in the microwave until just hot or eat cold.
  • Freezer storage - You can freeze the wings in their marinade BEFORE cooking for 3+ months. Defrost throughly before cooking as per the recipe. Alternatively, cooked wings can also be frozen for 3+ months in an airtight container. For best results, defrost before reheating in a microwave until hot.
A baking sheet with Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

Ready to get cooking?

Are you ready to devour these little sticky chicken wings? They don't last long in my house, I'm not allowed to cook them for myself, they're strictly for crowds to ensure I don't shamefully eat them all. This recipe has been perfected over the years to its current version, a fail-safe way to get the most succulent, stickiest chicken wings with all the Chinese flavours you could ask for. I hope you enjoy!

A baking sheet with Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings
A baking sheet with Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings
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A baking sheet with Sticky Baked Chinese Chicken Wings

Chinese Sheet Pan Chicken Wings

Rate this recipe

5 from 2 votes
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Recipe by Lee
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Marination time (do it!)1 day
Total Time55 minutes
Servings (adjustable) 4
Calories (per serving) | 377

Ingredients

For garnish (optional)

  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)
  • 2 spring onion (finely sliced)
  • fresh coriander (chopped)

Instructions

  • Add all the ingredients (except the garnishes) together in a bowl or plastic bag and combine well. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and refigerate for as long as you can. 24 hours is KING, but 2-3 hours will do the trick if you're desperate.
  • Preheat oven to 400ºF/200ºC
    Tip the chicken onto a sheet pan then bake/roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes until the chicken is nice and browned.
  • Sprinkle over with the sesame seeds, spring onion and fresh coriander. I serve mine in the centre of the table on the sheet pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 377kcal (19%) | Carbohydrates: 6g (2%) | Protein: 26g (52%) | Fat: 26g (40%) | Saturated Fat: 7g (44%) | Cholesterol: 104mg (35%) | Sodium: 603mg (26%) | Potassium: 270mg (8%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 3g (3%) | Vitamin A: 258IU (5%) | Vitamin C: 2mg (2%) | Calcium: 46mg (5%) | Iron: 2mg (11%)
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