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You may have noticed the appearance of some recipes lately that use a certain type of Korean red pepper flake called gochugaru. I love the warm spice of these little peppers and have enjoyed experimenting with them. I promised some Korean recipes this year, so these Korean chicken wings with gochujang sauce are the latest.
What Are Korean Chicken Wings?
Korean chicken wings are similar to Buffalo chicken wings in that they’re not a breaded wing. They’re a baked chicken wing coated in a delicious sauce. Although you certainly could fry them if you wanted to.
Unlike Buffalo wings though, the sauce isn’t overly spicy. It’s sweet, tangy, and just a little spicy. I make it by simmering gochujang paste, with coconut aminos (or soy sauce), maple syrup and honey, and a little sesame oil and garlic powder. As long as I have gochujang paste all ready to go, it only takes me a couple of minutes to throw the sauce together.
Even if I don’t have the paste on hand, it’s a really quick recipe to throw together as well. It’s a simple recipe of white miso, spices, honey, and gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes). I use the gochujang paste to make a flavored mayo and this chicken wing sauce.
Korean chicken wings are usually served with pickled vegetables. I love radishes, so I’ve got a recipe for pickled radishes with gochugaru pepper coming soon.
Cooking Options for Wings
I’ve cooked these tasty wings a couple of different ways. First, I tried baking them in the oven until they were cooked and crispy. I tossed them with the sauce and returned them to the oven until the sauce was caramelized.
More recently, I decided to try using an air fryer. I’d read a lot about them and decided I wanted to give one a try. I wasn’t so much drawn by the health claims as by the speed and ease of use. My family likes fried foods like parsnip fries, homemade fish sticks, and cheese sticks. I have no problem making them occasionally since I use healthy fats to fry in, but it is a little time-consuming and messy.
I decided to try air frying to get the same crispy texture as fried foods. Since we don’t use a microwave and I don’t always love turning on the oven in hot summer months, I figured it might be interesting to try something new and solve a few issues at once.
This is the air fryer I ended up choosing. I like that it’s a larger size for my larger-sized family and I really appreciate that it’s all stainless steel. It’s fairly quiet, light enough to move easily, and has a nice window in the front so I can see the food cooking.
And unexpected bonus perk: it’s easy enough for my older kids to use, so they’re always experimenting and heating up leftovers for me!
Korean Chicken Wings With Gochujang Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Wings
- 3 lbs chicken wings (wingettes or drumettes)
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp salt
For the Sauce
- 2 TBSP gochujang paste
- 2 TBSP coconut aminos
- 2 TBSP maple syrup
- 2 TBSP honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
For Garnish, (optional)
- sesame seeds
- green onions (thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Place the chicken wings on a baking sheet (line with parchment paper if desired for easy cleanup).
- Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and salt
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until the wings are crispy and starting to brown slightly.
- While the wings are cooking, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- When the wings are cooked, toss them in a bowl with the sauce or brush the sauce on the wings.
- Return the wings to the baking sheet and broil on high for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.
- Top with sesame seeds and green onions if desired and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you make chicken wings? Have you tried air frying them?
I have all of these ingredients EXCEPT the wings. Could I use boneless skinless chicken thighs or would that totally wreck the integrity of this creation? Not sure how to adjust for cook time!
You can absolutely use boneless thighs instead. They obviously won’t be wings, but they’ll still be delicious. Since bone-in chicken takes longer to cook than boneless you can probably leave the cooking time the same. Just cut one open to make sure they’re cooked all the way through. Or do a temp check. Cook chicken to 165°F.
We made these and they are amazing! Thanks for sharing that recipe!