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As soon as these Gochujang Chicken Wings come out of my oven, all blistered and crisp, I toss them in a thick sauce that smells of fermented chile, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds. The wings stay crisp even after saucing, so you still get that dry crackle under the sticky glaze.
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I love piling these wings onto a platter, scattering green onions over the top, and letting people have at them. They’re a great snack when you’ve got a crowd gathered to watch the big game, for movie night, or just hanging out. This version leans Korean-inspired thanks to gochujang, so you’re in luck if you love spicy Asian flavors.
I cook with gochujang a lot. It’s the perfect ingredient to add to a sauce when I want heat with lots of umami. It is salty, fermented, slightly sweet, and thick enough to build a sturdy glaze without much effort. When you simmer it with honey, soy sauce, and vinegar, it turns glossy and smooth in just a few minutes.
The method for making these is simple and reliable, and you get crispy skin without the hassle and mess of deep frying. I bake the wings on a rack so the hot air can move all around them. Once they come out of the oven, they go straight into the sauce while they are still hot. That timing gives you wings that stay crisp underneath but hold onto every bit of glaze.
Ingredients Notes
This recipe uses a short list of ingredients, but a few of them matter a lot. Gochujang is the backbone of the sauce. Different brands vary quite a bit in terms of heat level, so you may need to try a few until you find your favorite. If you’re not already familiar with it, gochujang is a fermented chili paste made from red pepper powder, rice, and soybeans, and it brings salt and umami along with heat. You can buy it in many supermarkets these days, or in large Asian supermarkets or Korean grocery stores.
I use gochujang in lots of other dishes, including Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken, Gochujang Tofu, and Gochujang Noodles, and in the sauce for Hoisin Beef.
You might wonder why I dredge the wings in baking powder. It’s not about flavor, but about making sure the skin turns out extra crisp. Baking powder raises the pH of the chicken skin, which helps it brown faster and dry out in the oven instead of steaming.
Sesame oil adds aroma at the end, so keep it measured and do not substitute another oil. Sesame oil is a common flavoring ingredient in Korean cooking, so it gives the sauce here an authentic edge.
How To Make Gochujang Chicken Wings
Despite the bold flavor, this dish is very straightforward. You bake the wings until crisp, simmer a quick sauce, then toss everything together. Here is how it comes together.
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- Dry the chicken wings thoroughly and toss them with the baking powder and seasonings.
- Arrange the wings on a rack set over a baking sheet so air can circulate underneath as they cook.
- Bake the wings, turning once, until the skin blisters.
- While the wings cook, make the sauce by combining the gochujang and other sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and letting the mixture simmer over medium heat until it thickens.
- Once cooked, immediately transfer the wings to a large bowl, pour the sauce over them, and toss until each wing looks evenly glazed.
- Finish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions and serve right away.
A common mistake is crowding the wings too tightly on the rack, which traps steam and softens the skin. If they look pale halfway through baking, they need more space or more time, not more sauce.
Expert Tips for Success
These wings are forgiving, but a few details make a clear difference in texture and flavor. Pay attention to the surface of the wings and the timing of the sauce. Small adjustments keep them crisp and glossy instead of soft.
- Pat the wings very dry before seasoning so the baking powder can do its job.
- Use a wire rack rather than placing the wings directly on the pan to prevent soggy bottoms. This also saves you the need to flip the wings during cooking.
- Toss the wings in the sauce while they’re hot so the glaze spreads evenly and sticks.
- Taste the sauce before you add the chili flakes. Gochujang varies quite a bit in heat level from brand to brand, so your sauce may not need any additional heat.
What to Serve With It
I usually serve these wings as the main event with something cool and crisp on the side. A simple Cucumber Salad with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar cuts through the heat and stickiness. Pickled Daikon Radish also adds that balance. Cucumber Kimchi is good, too, if you’re all about spicy food. Steamed rice or Coconut Rice also works well, especially if you like spooning extra sauce over the top.
If you want to build a larger spread, pair the wings with dishes that stay clean and sharp. I like serving them with Sesame Noodles or an easy vegetable dish like Stir-Fried Lotus Root or Chinese Dry Fried Green Beans. Leftover wings reheat well in a hot oven and make a great next-day lunch with rice and greens.
Gochujang Chicken Wings
Robin Donovan
Ingredients
For the wings
- 2 pounds chicken wings drumettes and flats
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the gochujang sauce
- 2½ tablespoons gochujang
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes optional
To serve
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Thinly sliced green onions
Instructions
- Pat wings dry with paper towels (this helps crisp them up).
- In a bowl, toss them with baking powder, salt, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake for 40–45 minutes, flipping once, until crispy.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, mix gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until slightly thickened.
- Transfer hot wings to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over and toss until well-coated.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.
I want to try this recipe but as usual many things are left out of your recipe. What temperature should the oven be? Approximately how long do the wings need to cook? Does the sauce need to boil, simmer or just sit there hot while cooking?
I like the recipes I see but the lack of details can make or break a dish.
Hi Jill. I’m not sure what you mean. All the information is there in the recipe card. There is an abbreviated explanation of the method within the post that is just mean tot give you an overview of the process. The recipe card contains all the details including oven temp, cooking time, etc.
Robin I apologize for my email. I misread part of your recipe but going back now shows me what I missed. You do have some amazing sounding recipes you share. Thanks again for the reply
I might try this, but there is no indication of the oven temperature to use, or any approximation of how long to bake them in the recipe.
Step 3 of the recipe instructions says: “Preheat oven to 425°F. Place wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake for 40–45 minutes, flipping once, until crispy.” That should be all the info you need 😊
Fantastic recipe for crispy, perfectly rendered wings without frying. The baking powder trick is legit (America’s Test Kitchen uses it for crispy skin too).
I made the sauce following the recipe but halved it. I wanted to dress the wings in a variety of sauces. It came out kind of grainy, but I think I may have scorched it while cooking. Despite the texture, the flavor was fully on point! I will try it again, maybe on some thighs with a lower heat to see if that fixes the graininess.
A really great wing recipe!!