These air fryer Korean chicken wings are ultra-crispy, a little spicy, and packed with flavor. With crunchy skin and a juicy, tender inside, they boast a finger-licking experience that’ll have your palate begging for more. You may not want to use napkins, because you know you will go for more.
PREPRATION TIME:
- PREP TIME: 10 minutes
- COOK TIME:22 minutes
- TOTAL TIME:32 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound of chicken wings (pre-cut into wingettes and drumettes)
- 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. rice wine
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp. red chili pepper paste, Gochujang
- ½ Tbsp. minced ginger
- A pinch of ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 stalks of green onion (thinly cut)
- 1 Tbsp. of sesame seeds (optional)
- Cornstarch slurry (1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 2 Tbsp. water)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the air fryer to 390F (198C)
- Pat the wings dry with a paper towel. Season the chicken wings with some salt and pepper to taste and lay them flat on your air fryer basket, providing enough spacing. Spray the chicken wings with cooking oil.
- Air fry the wings in the preheated air fryer at 390°F (198°C) for 22 minutes, flipping halfway (11 minutes on each side).
- While the wings are cooking, prepare the Korean wings sauce. Pour the ingredients into the saucepan and stir over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Make a cornstarch slurry – mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water, whisk really well and add to the Korean sauce. Let it simmer on low heat for another 5 minutes.
- Once the sauce thickens, it’s ready.
- Coat the chicken wings with the sauce and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
NOTES:
CAN I COOK THE WINGS WITH THE SAUCE ON?
Yes! However, if you use sweet sauces, like this Korean sauce, in your air frying adventures, the key is to keep a closer eye on the sauced wings because they are usually more prone to burning due to their higher sugar content. My tested timing: Cook the wings in the air fryer without the sauce for 7 minutes per side. Then coat the wings with the sauce, send them back to the air fryer, and cook for 4 minutes per side.
TIPS & VARIATIONS.
- If you want your Korean chicken wings to turn out with a crispy finish, it’s essential to air-fry them in a single layer. This might mean that you’ll have to do several batches depending on the capacity of your air fryer, but I promise you it’s worth it.
- You want to cook the wings before adding the sauce. Otherwise, see my tip above on how to cook the wings with the sauce on.
- If you don’t have an air fryer but use your oven instead, broil the wings once you add the sauce to get that crisping.
- No air fryer, no problem! You can make smoked Asian chicken wings with the same sauce but use your smoker instead. Cook at 165°F (73°C) and use a meat thermometer to ensure optimal temperature. I promise you they’ll look like a fast food meal, only way healthier and delicious!
