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Vietnamese Chicken Wings

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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 45 minutes
Calories: 839kcal
Servings: 4 People
Metric - Imperial

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.
Chef's Tips
Double-fry the wings — the first fry cooks them through, and the second at a higher temperature is what makes the skin genuinely crispy enough to hold up once tossed in the sauce.
Don't skip patting the wings dry before marinating — excess moisture stops the cornflour batter from sticking properly to the surface.
Toss the wings in the sauce right before serving, not ahead of time — the sauce softens the crispy coating the longer it sits.
Storage & Reheating
Best eaten fresh, as the crispy coating softens once tossed in the sauce. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. Not recommended for freezing, as the fried coating won't hold up once thawed. To reheat, use the oven or air fryer at around 180°C (350°F) for 8-10 minutes, until hot and crispy again — avoid the microwave, as it'll make the coating soggy.
Serving 350gCalories 839kcalCarbohydrates 35.5gProtein 47.7gFat 56gSaturated Fat 12.5gPolyunsaturated Fat 17.42gMonounsaturated Fat 21.18gTrans Fat 0.3gCholesterol 277.5mgSodium 2100mgPotassium 609.7mgFiber 0.7gSugar 13.7gVitamin A 75.13IUVitamin C 1.46mgCalcium 129mgIron 2.1mg