Vietnamese Chicken Wings
These crispy Vietnamese chicken wings are double-fried for maximum crunch, then tossed through a sticky, garlicky caramel sauce built on fish sauce, brown sugar, and fresh lime. It’s the kind of wing you genuinely can’t stop eating.
The wings marinate for at least an hour, but most of that time is hands-off. Once they come out of the fridge, you’re looking at about 30 minutes of actual cooking to get them crispy, sauced, and on the table.
Finished with fresh coriander, mint, chilli, and a squeeze of lime, these hit sweet, salty, and sour in every bite. Great as a starter, a game day snack, or piled up next to steamed rice as a main.
Vietnamese Crispy Chicken Wings
CHICKEN · DINNER · EASY
Genuinely Crispy, Not Just Crispy-Ish
The double fry is what makes these different from a normal wing recipe. The first fry cooks them through, and the second, hotter fry is what gives the coating a real, lasting crunch — one that can actually stand up to being tossed in a sticky sauce without going soft.
The sauce is where the flavour really comes from — caramelised shallots and garlic, fish sauce, brown sugar, and a hit of fresh lime right at the end to cut through the richness. It's sweet, salty and savoury all at once, without leaning too far in any one direction.
They work just as well as a snack in front of the game as they do as a proper starter or main with rice — pile on the fresh herbs and chilli and adjust to taste.
Vietnamese Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade
- 1 kg Chicken Wings Drumettes & Wingettes
- 8 g Onion Powder
- 8 g Garlic Powder
- 15 ml Fish Sauce
- 5 g Salt
- 2 g Ground Black Pepper
Sauce
- 30 ml Peanut or Neutral Oil
- 5 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 2 Shallots Finely Diced
- 50 g Brown Sugar
- 60 ml Fish Sauce
- 1 Long Red Chilli Minced
- ½ Lime Juiced
- 3 Spring Onions Sliced
Batter
- 1 Cup Cornflour Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- Neutral Oil For Frying
Garnish
- Long Red Chilli Minced
- Spring Onion Sliced
- Lime Wedge
- Coriander Torn
- Mint Torn
Method
- Pat the chicken wings dry, then add them to a large bowl with the onion powder, garlic powder, fish sauce, sea salt flakes, and black pepper. Toss well, cover, and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Add the cornflour and baking powder to a separate bowl and mix well. Add the marinated wings a few at a time, leaving behind any excess marinade, and toss until well coated. Place onto a tray or plate.
- Add the peanut oil and shallots to a saucepan over medium-high heat, starting with the oil cold. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until the shallots are just starting to brown. Add the brown sugar, fish sauce, and garlic. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened and turned glossy. Stir through the lime juice and spring onion, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
- Add enough vegetable oil to a large, high-rimmed pan to fry the wings. Heat the oil to 160°C (320°F).
- Fry the wings in batches for 6 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove and drain on a wire rack. Increase the oil temperature to 180°C (350°F), then fry the wings again in batches for 1-2 minutes, until deeply golden, crispy, and cooked through to an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Remove and drain again.
- Add the crispy wings to a large bowl with the warm sauce and toss until completely coated.
- Serve straight away with fresh chilli, spring onion, coriander, mint, and lime. Dig in.
Can I cook these in the air fryer instead of deep frying?⌄
Yes. After coating the marinated wings in the cornflour and baking powder mix, lightly spray or toss them in a little oil so the coating crisps rather than staying dry and powdery. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (400°F) and cook the wings in a single layer, in batches if needed, for 20-22 minutes, flipping halfway through, until deeply golden and crispy. Toss in the warm sauce exactly as you would with the fried version.
Can I bake these instead of frying?⌄
You can, though the coating won't get quite as crispy as frying or air frying. Bake on a wire rack over a tray at 220°C (430°F) for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway, until deeply golden. A wire rack is key here — it lets air circulate underneath so the wings don't steam and go soggy on the bottom.
What internal temperature should the wings be cooked to?⌄
Chicken is safe to eat once it reaches 74°C (165°F), but wings actually benefit from being cooked a little further than that. They have more connective tissue than a lean cut like chicken breast, so pushing the internal temperature to around 80-90°C (175-195°F) helps break that tissue down, giving you more tender meat rather than tough or rubbery.
How spicy are these wings?⌄
Mild to medium — the long red chilli in the sauce adds warmth rather than serious heat. Leave the seeds in for more kick, or skip the chilli in the sauce entirely and just use it as a fresh garnish if you'd prefer it milder.
Can I marinate the wings overnight?⌄
Yes, and it's worth it if you have the time. An hour is the minimum for the marinade to do its job, but leaving the wings in the fridge for up to 24 hours will give you even more flavour throughout the meat, not just on the surface.
What should I serve these with?⌄
They're great on their own as a snack or starter, or served over steamed jasmine rice with extra fresh herbs and lime for a full meal. A crunchy slaw or cucumber salad on the side also works well to balance the richness of the sauce.
