These Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken Wings are sweet and full of flavour. Crispy oven-baked wings are coated in a sweet Korean BBQ sauce made with Gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, fresh ginger and garlic paste, rice vinegar, sesame oil and honey. These wings can be baked in the oven, air fryer or grilled over charcoal.Â
Whenever I have friends over, wings are definitely on the menu. They are easy to make and are the perfect appetiser.
Let's get into these Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken Wings
Chicken wings: I get whole chicken wings and separate the wing portions into a drum and flat. Remove the tips and use them to prepare chicken stock so nothing is wasted.
Salt- Â It enhances the taste of the wings.Â
Gochugaru: Has a smoky sweet flavour and works well when mixed with other spices to marinate the wings. Â
Seasoning Mix:Â A blend of onion powder, garlic powder, ginger powder, and black pepper adds a depth of flavour to the chicken wings.Â
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Gochujang:  This fermented Korean hot red chilli pepper paste is savoury, spicy, and sweet with a smoky taste. It adds flavour to the marinade.Â
Light soy sauce:Â Â Adds salty umami taste.Â
Rice wine vinegar:Â This vinegar has a delicate mild and sweet flavour which makes it great for sauces.Â
Sesame oil: Adds toasty nutty flavour to the sauce.Â
Garlic & Ginger: Freshly minced ginger and garlic add so much flavour to the sauce. Â
Light Brown Sugar: Balances out the saltiness of the soy sauceÂ
Honey: Balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce.
How to make Korean Chicken Wings
- Clean your chicken and then pat dry to remove as much moisture as you can.
- Add wings to a large mixing bowl and season with salt. Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the wings, and mix until all the wings are evenly coated.Â
- Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. I prefer to marinate mine overnight. Let the chicken sit for up to 30 minutes before cooking. This allows the chicken to come to an even temperature, which will help ensure even cooking.
Oven Baked Option
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Just before baking, drizzle oil, add in your corn starch and toss to coat the chicken wings.Â
- Arrange the wings in a single layer on a large baking rack. The rack ensures that there is airflow through the wings, which results in perfectly crispy wings.
- Bake for wings for 40 minutes or until internal temperature reads them until 165 ° F.Â
Air Fryer Wing Option
- Preheat the air-fryer to 200°C or 400°F.Â
- Place the wings in the air-fryer making sure to evenly space them. Air-fry for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the wings halfway for even cooking.Â
Charcoal Grilled Option
- Remove the cornstarch and oil from this recipe.Â
- Light the coal and wait until there is a film of ash covering the coal, this should take about 20 -25 minutes. Once lit, using a tong or metal spatula, spread the coals to half of the grill.
- When the grill has reached 200°C or 400°F, put cooking oil on a folded paper towel and using a tong, oil the grill thoroughly.Â
- Place the chicken wings on the grill, directly above the coals. Sear the wings for a couple of minutes on each side, until they’re nicely browned, and the skin is crispy.
- Move the wings away from the direct heat and to the cooler side of the grill to cook them indirectly. Close the lid and allow them to cook for 25 – 30 minutes turning once or twice. Continue to cook the wings until they have reached an internal temperature of 79°C or 175°F
Make the Korean BBQ Sauce
Add all of the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and whisk to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and then let it simmer over medium heat until it thickens.
Remove from heat and set aside.Â
Toss cooked wings in the sauce to coat.Â
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Sprinkle them with some sesame seeds and serve immediately,Â
How to store Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken Wings
The wings can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Â
How to reheat wings
Pre-heat oven to 160 °C and heat for 15-20 minutes until warmed through.Â
Tips for the best results
Marinate the wings overnight. This allows the chicken to absorb the flavour and makes it tastier.
For extra crispy skins, toss the wings in some baking powder. Â
Adjust the ratio of the honey and sugar to your liking.Â
The sauce can be made a couple of days in advance. Make sure it is hot before tossing the wings in it.
Coat the wings while hot in the Korean BBQ Sauce
What to serve with Spicy Korean BBQ Chicken Wings
I love these wings with jollof rice or with potato wedges. I also enjoy like to pair these wings with a lovely cocktail like this refreshing Strawberry Vodka Mojito  or a fruity White Wine Sangria
For more chicken recipes, check these out
Ingredients
- 1 (2.2 lbs) chicken wings, patted dry
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean Chilli Powder)
Korean BBQ Sauce
- 120 ml light soy sauce
- 100 grams light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon white rice vinegar
Instructions
- Cut each wing at the joint, so you have a wing and a drum. Clean the wings in a water bath made with lemon juice and vinegar. Pat the wings dry with paper towels to remove as much moisture as you can.
- Season the wings with salt. In a small bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, ginger powder, black pepper, and chilli powder. Whisk well to combine. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the wings. Toss wings through the seasoning until coated.Â
- Cover the wings and place them in the fridge and leave them to marinate for at least 1 hour. Remove the wings from the fridge and add 1 tablespoon of corn starch and drizzle with oil. Toss them together to make sure the corn starch coats all of them.
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 200°C or 390°F
- Line a rimmed baking tray with an oven liner or aluminium foil and set a wire rack inside.
- Arrange the wings on the rack in a single layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes, flip, and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. The cooking time may vary depending on the size of the wings. The internal temperature of the wings should read 73° C or 165 °F.
Korean BBQ Sauce
- Add light soy sauce, light brown sugar, ginger paste, garlic paste, sesame oil, gochujang, rice vinegar and honey to a saucepan and whisk until combined.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat and then let it simmer over medium heat until it thickens.
- Toss the wings in the sauce until well coated.
- Sprinkle over sesame seeds if desired and serve.
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