Sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter, these baked Chinese chicken wings hit on all the right notes from Chinese cuisine. The recipe keeps things simple by using ingredients common in most grocery stores and doesn’t require a trip to a specialty store.
I love a good chicken wing, but I don’t like to make the exact same ones at home each time. I also love to take inspiration from around the world with various flavors and combinations of ingredients. As people can tell from my Spicy Baked Chicken Wing recipe, I also don’t like to keep it simple with just salt and pepper. I love layers of flavor, and these wings definitely have layers. Tossing in seasoned baking powder before cooking also keeps the skin nice and crispy before they get their coating and garnish.

Ingredients for Baked Chinese Chicken Wings
One of the only ingredients I don’t list here, but would recommend, is Shaoxing wine. It’s a Chinese cooking wine that’s adds a nice, authentic taste, but can be difficult to find for some reason. If you have a local Asian market, they’ll most likely carry it, but I left it out to keep the recipe simple for most people. You can substitute a dry sherry, but for this recipe I just left it out altogether. If you do have some, add about 2 teaspoons to the sauce.
Chicken Wings – This recipe is for a single serving of 8-12 wings, separated drumettes and flats. A lot of recipes use a full 3–5-pound measurement, but I prefer to make a single serving that’s easy to scale up for people. It’s also cheaper to buy a family pack and cut the wings yourself, using this guide on How to Cut Chicken Wings.
Salt & Pepper – Added to the baking powder for wings that aren’t bland under the sauce.
Baking Powder – Instead of using flour or cornstarch, tossing with a little baking powder leads to super crispy chicken wings. Why? The baking powder is alkaline and helps breakdown some of the peptide bonds in the skin. Basically, it’s slightly dehydrating the skin. Be sure to use baking POWDER and not baking SODA. Also, use aluminum-free baking powder.
Chinese 5-Spice – This is a great seasoning for any Chinese cooking. I split this between the chicken wing’s coating as well as the sauce. I made my own for this recipe, which I’ll also make a separate recipe post for, but feel free to buy one you like.
Garlic & Ginger – A staple in Chinese cooking, use both fresh garlic and fresh ginger here, not powder.
Sesame Oil – Toasted sesame oil adds a slightly nutty flavor and a bit of heat.
Soy Sauce – Another staple in almost all Asian cuisine, soy sauce adds a salty-umami flavor. I almost always recommend a low-sodium version, but you can also substitute Tamari for a gluten-free version. Do not use dark soy sauce here.
Hoisin Sauce – I use Hoisin for the salt and sweet flavor it gives, as well as the thickness it adds to the sauce without a cornstarch slurry, as I do in my Mongolian Beef recipe. You’ll have to search for a gluten-free option or omit it.
Oyster Sauce – A little bit goes a long way with this rich and savory sauce. Usually made with some wheat flour, so you’ll need to find a gluten-free version if you need that.
Brown Sugar – Just a little bit for some added sweetness, can also omit if you prefer.
Rice Vinegar – Adds a nice, mellow acidity.
Sambal Oelek – Despite the name, it’s just an Asian chili sauce available in almost every grocery store in the same area you find the soy, hoisin, and oyster sauces. You can also use a chili garlic sauce but cut back 1 clove of fresh garlic.
How to Bake Chinese Chicken Wings
Cut the chicken wings into separate flats, drumettes, and tips if you haven’t already, reserving or tossing out the wing tips. Preheat your oven to 475°F / 250°C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add the baking powder, salt, pepper, and half the Chinese 5-spice in a bowl or a zipper-locked gallon bag and mix to combine. Add the chicken and toss/shake to coat in the seasoned baking powder mixture. Set the chicken aside for 10-15 minutes and let the baking powder do its work.
Place the chicken wings onto the baking sheet and add a few pieces of butter scattered around the chicken. Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 45 minutes, flipping once, about half-way through.
While the chicken wings are cooking, begin making the sauce. In a saucepan set over medium heat, add the sesame oil, minced garlic, and minced/grated ginger. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the soy, brown sugar, hoisin, oyster sauce, sambal oelek, and 5-spice powder. Stir to combine and continue cooking on medium about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice vinegar and cook about 1 minute longer then remove from the heat and set aside.
Remove the wings from the oven when done and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the sauce and stir/toss to coat the chicken wings. Remove from the bowl, garnish, and enjoy!
Serving and Storing Baked Chinese Chicken Wings
Leftover wings can be cooled and placed in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4-5 days. To reheat, place in a cold oven on a baking sheet and preheat to 370°F / 190°C. Once the oven is heated, leave in for an additional 5 minutes and serve.
The wings make a great appetizer on their own, but I also enjoy them served as a meal with roasted potatoes, a salad, or as pictured with this garlic rice.
📋 Recipe
Baked Chinese Chicken Wings
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Sauce:
- 1 pound chicken wings, cut
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, aluminum-free
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Chinese 5-spice,, divided
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2-3 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger,, grated
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar,, packed
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, unseasoned
For the Garnish:
- Red chili, (red jalapeño, Fresno, etc.)
- Green onions/scallions
- Sesame seeds,, toasted
Directions
- Cut the chicken wings into separate flats, drumettes, and tips if you haven’t already, reserving or tossing out the wing tips. Preheat your oven to 475°F / 250°C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the baking powder, salt, pepper, and half the Chinese 5-spice in a bowl or a zipper-locked gallon bag and mix to combine. Add the chicken and toss/shake to coat in the seasoned baking powder mixture. Set the chicken aside for 10-15 minutes and let the baking powder do its work.
- Place the chicken wings onto the baking sheet and add a few pieces of butter scattered around the chicken. Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 45 minutes, flipping once, about half-way through.
- While the chicken wings are cooking, begin making the sauce. In a saucepan set over medium heat, add the sesame oil, minced garlic, and minced/grated ginger. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the soy, brown sugar, hoisin, oyster sauce, sambal oelek, and 5-spice powder. Stir to combine and continue cooking on medium about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice vinegar and cook about 1 minute longer then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Remove the wings from the oven when done and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the sauce and stir/toss to coat the chicken wings. Remove from the bowl, garnish, and enjoy!
Equipment Used
Notes
- Rice Vinegar – you can use white vinegar instead, or even just lemon or lime juice for some acidity.
- Oyster Sauce – can be replaced with more hoisin but cut back on the 5-spice if your hoisin includes similar seasoning.
- Sambal Oelek – can be replaced with chili-garlic sauce, but cut back one garlic clove, or with sriracha, but cut back one garlic clove and omit the brown sugar. Alternatively, use 2 teaspoons instead of one for spicier wings.
- Brown Sugar – feel free to omit altogether if you’re cutting back on sugar.
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