This is the kind of recipe that feels special yet is doable on a weeknight. The wings get hot, crispy edges from dry heat and a glossy sauce finish that clings to every nook and cranny. It’s approachable, flavorful, and deeply satisfying without complicated techniques.
Whether you’re hosting friends or simply craving bold flavors at home, this is Korean chicken wings made easy – and delicious! Best part? No deep-frying is involved.
⭐️ Korean Chicken Wings: recipe at a glance
- Crispy without frying: Baking powder raises surface pH and accelerates browning, giving you that crispy texture without having to deep fry in oil.
- Why you’ll love this recipe: Making crispy wings at home have so many advantages. You control the quality of ingredients and most important, by using the oven baked method, you cut down on calories. Lastly, cooking at home is always more affordable than eating out.
- High heat matters: A hot oven renders fat and crisps the skin without drying the meat.
- Flavor: These crispy, baked Korean chicken wings are smothered in an umami-rich, sticky, savory, sweet and spicy sauce. A combinations that makes Korean food flavors irresistible.
- Dietary: Contains poultry. Gluten-free adaptable, grain-free, nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free.
Holy yumminess! There wasn’t one single wing left when I made this! Not one single wing! Loved them.
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✔️ Ingredients, Substitutions and Swaps
For the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities, check the printable recipe card below.
✔️ For the Crispy Wings:
- Chicken Wings: You can buy “party wings” which include both drummettes and wingnettes or flat. You can also buy whole wings and cut them yourself into 3 sections (drummettes, wingnettes and wing tips. Reserve the tips to make soup.
- Baking Powder: To crisp up the wings. Make sure you use baking powder NOT baking soda.
✔️ For the Korean-Style Sauce:
- Gochujan: This Korean red chili paste is the heart of the sauce. This mildly sweet, savory and spicy ingredient can be found in the Asian aisle of any supermarket.
- Soy sauce: You can use regular soy sauce or low sodium. For a gluten-free option, use tamari.
- Rice wine vinegar: Gives the sauce brightness and acidity. White wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used.
- Honey: Adds sweetness to the sauce. Maple syrup or brown sugar can be used.
- Roasted sesame oil: adds a deep, nutty taste to the sauce.
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic cloves and fresh ginger. The next best option is to use garlic paste and ginger paste
- Optional: Sesame seeds and sliced scallions serve as a garnish.
🔎 How to Make Korean Chicken Wings, Step by Step?
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for exact instructions and cooking times.
- Dry the wings: Pat the chicken wings thoroughly dry. Removing surface moisture is key to getting crisp edges without frying. For extra crispy skin refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes before baking.
- Coat for crispiness: In a large bowl, toss wings with baking powder and salt until evenly coated.
- Optional chill: For even crispier skin, place the wings on a rack uncovered in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Bake: Arrange wings in a single layer on a wire-rack-lined baking sheet. Bake at high heat until crisp all over (about 45-50 minutes), flipping halfway.
- Make the sauce: While wings bake, whisk gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in a bowl.
- Toss with sauce: When done baking, toss the hot wings in the sauce to coat evenly.
- Finish (optional): Arrange sauced wings back on the sheet and briefly broil to caramelize and deepen color.
- Garnish & serve: Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions, and serve hot.
🔪 Korean Chicken Wings Tips For Success
- For crispy wings: Pat the wings dry very well before tossing them with the baking powder.
- Want the wings extra crispy? After coating the wings with baking powder, place them in the fridge, uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Proper heat circulation = crispiness: Use a baking rack over the baking sheet for proper air circulation while baking.
- Ensure picture ready, golden brown, crispy wings: After tossing the wings with the sauce, broil them. This caramelizes the sauce while making the wings extra crisp.
- For Gluten-free: This gluten-free gochujan paste is available online, at Asian markets and some grocery stores. Substitute the soy sauce with tamari.
- Sauce consistency: Some gochugan brands are very thick. You can add a few tablespoons of water to thin out the sauce if needed.
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen wing?
Yes, just thaw them out fully and pat dry the wings throughly.
How spicy are these Korean wings?
They have a noticeable kick from the gochujang but this Korean product is sold mild, medium and spicy hot. Choose wisely!
What is gochugan?
Gochujan is a red chili paste traditionally used in Korean cuisine. This crimson red ingredient and condiment contains red chiles, glutinous rice (sticky rice) and fermented soybeans. Gochugan paste has bold flavors that are spicy, sweet, savory and full of umami.
How to know if the wings are done cooking?
The most accurate way to tell if the chicken is cooked through, is to test their internal temperature with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the wing. The chicken is ready when the internal temperature reaches 165º F. (74º celsius)
🔎 What to Serve with Crispy Korean Wings?
I love serving these hot wings as an appetizer with carrots and celery sticks. They are also wonderful served with my favorite Asian slaw or over white rice or with this quick and easy sesame noodles recipe
✔️ Making Ahead, Storage and Reheating
- Making Ahead: The sauce can be made 1-2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Remove the sauce from the fridge at least 30 minutes before tossing it with the hot wings. The wings are best served fresh, right after they are done baking.
- Storing: Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a preheated oven or in an air fryer to re-crisp the wings. A microwave for reheating can also be used.
💛 Intentional Cooking
Your priorities, your recipe. Learn about Intentional Cooking.
Culture and Tradition: Korean chicken wings are inspired by Yangnyeom sauces, where sweet, spicy, and savory flavors come together in balance. As always, our intention is to honor Korean cuisine (even if this recipe is not exactly how your grandma used to make it!)
Animal Welfare: Cooking meat at home invites us to be more thoughtful about where our food comes from. When possible, choose humanely raised chicken. These birds are raised with more space and care, allowing natural behaviors and a lower-stress life. A small but meaningful improvement over industrial systems which are known for their mistreatment of animals (crowded living conditions, mostly or always indoors, poor air quality, the use of antibiotics, etc.)
Social Justice: Choosing ingredients from companies and farms that treat workers fairly helps connect the food we cook with the people who grow and produce it. Small, mindful decisions in the kitchen can support more equitable food systems without adding pressure to every meal.
👀 Take a look at these other Asian inspired recipes:
🛒 Essentials you’ll adore for this recipe
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Gochujan
This savory, sweet and spicy Korean chili paste is loaded with umami flavor. This vegan ingredient is not too salty, and comes in mild, medium and spicy hot! This one is medium-heat which gives a nice kick without being too overpowering.
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Baking Sheet Pan with Rack
This durable, natural aluminum half-sheet pan comes with a nesting rack that lifts food for even air circulation, which helps achieve perfectly crisp results. The nonstick grid is perfect for roasting, broiling, or crisping, and doubles as a cooling rack for baked goods. This company makes some of my favorite bakeware products (and I’m not…
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Glass Mixing Bowls
Made of durable tempered glass, these French mixing bowls seem to be indestructible. How do I know? I still have the set given to me as a wedding gift almost 25 years ago (and we have move several times). This stackable set of nine glass bowls come in different sizes. They are microwave, oven, freezer…
Baked Korean Chicken Wings
Ingredients
Wings
- 3 pounds chicken wings, cut into drummettes and flats,
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or sea salt, (you can use 2 teaspoons of salt if preferred)
Wing Sauce
- 1/4 cup Gochujan Korean red chili paste
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 teaspoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons roasted sesame oil
- Sesame seeds as garnish, optional
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack inside. Lightly spray the rack with cooking spray.
- Pat the wings dry with paper towels. Place the wings in a large mixing bowl or a resealable plastic bag and add the baking powder and salt. Toss until evenly coated.
- Place the wings on the wire rack, leaving a small space between them for air circulation. Refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes to overnight (You can skip this step but the wings won’t be as crispy).
- Adjust the oven rack to the upper middle position and preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC)
- Bake for 25 minutes. Flip the wings and continue to cook until crispy and golden brown, about 25 minutes, flipping once again towards the end of the cooking time.
- Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl large enough to hold the wings. Remove a small amount of sauce to a small bowl for dipping.
- Remove the wings from the oven and add them to the larger mixing bowl with the sauce. Toss to coat.
- Move the oven rack approximately 8-inches from broiler and broil for about 2 minutes or until desired crispiness. Remove from the oven and garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with the additional sauce for dipping.
Notes
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Chicken Wings: You can buy “party wings” which include both drummettes and wingnettes or flat. You can also buy whole wings and cut them yourself into 3 sections (drummettes, wingnettes and wing tips. Reserve the tips to make soup.
-
For crispy wings: Pat the wings dry very well before tossing them with the baking powder.
-
Want the wings extra crispy? After coating the wings with baking powder, place them in the fridge, uncovered for 30 minutes.
-
Proper heat circulation = crispiness: Use a baking rack over the baking sheet for proper air circulation while baking.
-
Sauce consistency: Some gochugan brands are very thick. You can add a few tablespoons of water to thin out the sauce if needed.
-
Making Ahead: The sauce can be made 1-2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Remove the sauce from the fridge at least 30 minutes before tossing it with the hot wings. The wings are best served fresh, right after they are done baking.
-
Storing: Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 day
Nutrition
This post has bee updated to provide better photos and additional information to the reader.
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