Sweet Chili Wings
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These sweet chili wings are one of my favorite chicken wing recipes, and that is a pretty aggressive statement considering how many wings I’ve made over the years. The recipe was inspired by a dish I had at Belcampo Meat Co. in Santa Monica, where I became determined to recreate the combination of sweet, spicy, savory, and delicately crispy wings at home. After several attempts, I landed on this version, which starts with chicken wings marinated in fish sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and Madras curry powder before getting coated in a light cornstarch and finely crushed panko breading and fried until deeply golden.
The wings are then tossed in a sticky sauce made with sautéed garlic, gochujang, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes for a balance of heat and sweetness, then finished with fresh jalapeño, green onion, cilantro, and radish. The overnight marinade makes them especially flavorful and also means you can do some of the work ahead of time, making these a great option for game day, parties, or anytime you want a chicken wing that is a little more interesting than the usual buffalo. If you’re making a spread of wings, try my garlic soy chicken wings with herbs and peanuts or these Thai chicken wings next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Inspired by a restaurant favorite — These wings were developed after trying a similar dish at Belcampo Meat Co. in Santa Monica, then recreating the flavors at home.
- Crispy without a heavy coating — A combination of cornstarch and finely crushed panko creates a light, delicate crust that gets wonderfully crisp when fried.
- Sweet, spicy, and savory — Fish sauce and curry powder flavor the chicken from the inside, while gochujang, garlic, honey, brown sugar, and soy sauce create a sticky, flavorful coating.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Chicken wings – You can serve a lot of people cheaply with chicken wings. They are such an inexpensive cut of meat. While there isn’t much meat on chicken wings, the flavor of the skin more than makes up for the small amount of meat! I recommend planning about 4 wings per person as an appetizer.
- Madras curry powder – This versatile earthy spice blend is made from coriander, cumin, fenugreek, cassia, peppercorns, curry leaves and turmeric. Not all curry powder is created the same since they often have regional variations.
- Fish sauce – The funky, pungent flavor of fish sauce comes from a process of fermenting fish over a long period of time. Fish sauce can be found in the international section of most grocery stores or at an Asian market.
- Panko – Rather than using Italian breadcrumbs I use panko, Japanese breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs make a great crust on fried foods and, because they are lighter, they absorb less oil than other breadcrumbs, keeping the wings crispier. For this recipe I like to grind them finer by pulsing a few times in a food processor.
- Gochujang – Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste that adds some sweet and savory heat to any dish. It can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores these days. In this recipe it’s mixed with sautéed and garlic to create the flavorful sauce on these sweet chili wings.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
Marinate the wings overnight whenever you can. The recipe only requires one hour of marinating, but giving the fish sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and curry powder more time to season the chicken makes a noticeable difference. It also breaks up the work, so the wings are ready to dredge and fry when you are ready to cook.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Chicken wings: Buy whole wings and separate them into flats and drumettes yourself, using the wing tips for stock or discarding them.
- Madras curry powder: Use another curry powder if needed, though the flavor will vary depending on the spice blend.
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce provides important salty, savory depth in the marinade, so it is best not to omit it entirely. If necessary, use a small amount of soy sauce as a less funky alternative.
- Panko: Use regular breadcrumbs in a pinch, but finely crushed panko gives the wings a lighter, crispier coating.
- Gochujang: Reduce the amount for a milder sauce, but keep in mind that gochujang contributes both heat and fermented savory flavor.
- Jalapeño: Leave it off the finished wings if you want less heat, or keep the seeds for a spicier garnish.
How to Make Sweet Chili Wings (Step-by-Step)
- Toss the wings in seasoning. In a shallow baking dish, toss the chicken in the curry powder, one teaspoon kosher salt and garlic.
- Marinate the wings. Sprinkle the fish sauce and rice vinegar over the wings. Arrange the chicken in a single layer, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or overnight.
- Prep the dredge. Mix the cornstarch and panko in a large shallow bowl and set aside. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Dredge wings. Dredge the wings in the cornstarch and panko mixture and shake off the excess. Transfer the wings to the baking sheet.
- Fry wings. In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 350ºF. Working in batches, add a few of the wings to the oil, and fry over moderate heat, turning once, until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels. Transfer the wings to paper towels to drain while frying the remaining wings.
- Sauté garlic. Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter and then stir in the garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned.
- Simmer the sauce. Add red pepper flakes, gochujang, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce for about 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Set aside.
- Toss the wings in sauce. Toss the crispy wings in the sauce so they are completely coated.
- Garnish and serve. Serve on a platter garnished with green onions, cilantro, jalapeños and radish.
How to Make These Wings in an Air Fryer
Toss the wings in the cornstarch breading as directed in the recipe. Working in batches, add a few of the wings to the basket of the air fryer. Set the airfryer temperature to 380ºF (194ºC) and cook the wings for 12 minutes. Flip the wings then increase the heat to 400ºF (200ºC) and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.
How to Serve This Recipe
- Game day: Serve these as part of a larger appetizer spread alongside other wings, dips, and crunchy snacks.
- Garnishes: Add the sliced jalapeño, green onion, cilantro, and radish just before serving for fresh flavor and crunch against the sticky wings.
- Dipping sauce: These wings are flavorful enough to serve without a dip, but a cool creamy dip can help balance the heat if desired.
- Crowd: Plan for about four wing pieces per person when serving them as an appetizer.
How to Store This Recipe
- Refrigerate: Store leftover cooked wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the wings in an air fryer or oven until warmed through and crisp again rather than microwaving them.
- Keep crisp: If you know you will have leftovers, reserve some of the sauce and toss the wings just before serving so the breading stays crisp longer.
- Make ahead: The wings can be marinated overnight, which makes them easier to prepare for a party or game-day gathering.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
These wings can marinate for as little as 1 hour, but overnight is recommended for the best flavor. The fish sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and curry powder have more time to season the chicken when it marinates overnight.
The wings are coated in a combination of cornstarch and finely crushed panko before being fried. The cornstarch helps create a crisp exterior, while the panko adds additional crunch without making the breading too heavy.
They have a noticeable but balanced kick from the gochujang and red pepper flakes, with additional heat from the fresh jalapeño garnish. For milder wings, reduce the red pepper flakes and skip the jalapeño garnish.
Madras curry powder adds warm, savory spice to the chicken itself rather than relying on the sauce alone for flavor. It also complements the sweet, spicy, and fermented flavors in the gochujang sauce.
Gochujang provides both chile heat and fermented savory flavor, so there is not a perfect one-to-one substitute. For a similar sweet-spicy profile, you can use another Korean chile paste or combine a smaller amount of another chile sauce with a little additional brown sugar.
Other Recipes to Try
Looking for more out-of-this-world wing ideas? Check out at some of my other favorite recipes:
- Baked Lemon Black Pepper Wings
- Baked Fiery Sichuan Peppercorn Chicken Wings with Avocado Ranch
- Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Wings
- Maple Chipotle Chicken Wings
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Sweet Chili Wings
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Ingredients:
To marinate the wings:
- 2 pounds chicken wings, separated into flats and drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons madras curry powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
To dredge and fry the wings:
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup panko, (Japanese breadcrumbs) finely crushed
- Vegetable oil, as needed, for frying
For the sweet chili sauce:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup Gochujang paste
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
For serving:
- 1 jalapeño seeds removed and thinly sliced, for serving
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced into strips
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, for serving
- 1 radish, thinly sliced, for serving
Instructions:
For the wings:
- In a shallow baking dish, toss the chicken in the curry powder, one teaspoon kosher salt and garlic.
- Sprinkle the fish sauce and rice vinegar over the wings. Arrange the chicken in a single layer, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or overnight.
To dredge and fry the wings:
- Mix the cornstarch and panko in a large shallow bowl and set aside. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Working in batches, dredge the wings in the cornstarch and panko mixture and shake off the excess. Transfer the wings to the baking sheet.
- In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 350ºF (180ºC). Working in batches, add a few of the wings to the oil, and fry over moderate heat, turning once, until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer the wings to paper towels to drain while frying the remaining wings.
For the sweet chili sauce:
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Melt the butter and then stir in the garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the garlic is lightly browned.
- Add red pepper flakes, gochujang, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Reduce heat to low and simmer the sauce for about 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Set aside.
To serve:
- Toss the wings in the sauce so they are completely coated. Serve on a platter garnished with green onions, cilantro, jalapeños and radish.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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I’m obsessed with these wings!! They’re the perfect combination of spicy, tangy and sweet. This recipe is easy to follow and a fun change from your standard buffalo sauce recipe while still using ingredients easily found at your local grocery store. I love a crispy wing and using cornstarch and panko bread crumbs gave these the best crunch!
So happy to hear you enjoyed! Thank you so much for sharing!