Who doesn’t love juicy, tender, sticky wings? This recipe is one of my favorites because it is super easy and made on the stovetop. There’s no prep and no oil either, which might surprise you. But believe me, these sticky wings will be a new favorite for you too.
All you need are a few very basic ingredients in your pantry, even if you don’t have a full stock of Chinese ingredients. This recipe will give you totally addictive Asian-style sticky wings with that wonderfully charred surface and a hot, sticky sauce you’ll keep licking off your fingers. The meat is tender and juicy inside too, making it an absolute win when you cozy up for movie night or to watch the big game.
New cookbook by Jacques Pépin
We all have the famous chef Jacques Pépin to thank for this amazing creation from his new book, Jacques Pépin Quick & Simple. It’s perfect for you if you love classic comfort food or are just learning to cook, because it really simplifies the process. Plus, it features photos, illustrations, and paintings from Jacques himself.
I love this book because it has all kinds of comforting recipes like cheese sticks, crabmeat croquettes with tomato relish, pork loin with port and prunes, Boston baked beans, and so much more. These recipes are really easy to follow too, and if you’ve ever been intimidated by cookbooks with gobs of ingredients, this one won’t scare you off.
As an experienced cook though, I absolutely adore it and have found it so helpful to learn new tips and make daily cooking easier. But to those less experienced, you will really find it helps you get more comfortable in the kitchen. It also makes a great gift, perfect for the upcoming holiday season.
The easiest sticky wings recipe
I have to admit though, that I almost doubted this recipe. It looks too easy and there are some uncommon ingredient combinations. I followed it almost exactly except for the cooking time, since my wings were smaller and the result was fabulous.
One thing I suspect is that Jacques used balsamic vinegar to replace Chinkiang vinegar (and sugar) since this Chinese vinegar isn’t all that common in most American kitchens. It worked out beautifully and now I’m going to explore balsamic vinegar as an ingredient in other Chinese recipes.
Cooking process
- Spread the wings in a large pan and sprinkle with salt (no preheating needed)
- Cook both sides, uncovered for the first side and covered for the second
- Mix the sauce while cooking and pour it in when the wings are browned
- Let the sauce thicken and that’s it!
The wings do need some time to cook in the pan. But because this recipe does not require marinating or any other prep, it’s so easy to put together. No matter whether you want a snack for movie night or a fun dinner for a busy weekday night, it’s surely a perfect one to make when you want sticky wings!
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Easy Sticky Wings with Hot Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 lbs (800 g) chicken wings (12 to 16 wings)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha (or other hot sauce)
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (or regular soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Arrange the chicken wings in one layer in a 12” nonstick skillet, skin side up. (Use two skillets if necessary.) Sprinkle the wings with half of the salt. Flip the wings over and sprinkle the other half of the salt onto them.
- Cook the wings skin side down over medium-high heat, uncovered, until the bottoms are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Shake the pan occasionally so the wings don’t stick. Check on the bottom of the wings every few minutes, to prevent them from overcooking.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Turn the chicken wings. They should be nicely browned on the first side. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook the wings for another 12 minutes, or until they are browned on the second side and tender.
- If the chicken wings have rendered a lot of fat, use a few layers of paper towel attached in front of a pair of tongs. Pat the pans between the wings to absorb any excess oil, and discard it.
- Pour the sauce over the wings and cook over medium-high heat, tossing the wings in the sauce, until the sauce has reduced enough that it coats the wings like a glaze, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Have a question or feedback? Add a Comment
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If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @omnivorescookbook on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.
Janice
This recipe was very easy and I’ve made it a few times already! I always use two pans at once to make sure all my wings have room. I like mine on the spicy side, so I usually add an extra tablespoon of Sriracha. My husband always ask when I’ll make these again. Thank you for the recipe, Maggie!
Jane
Lovely! Tastes great & easy to make with ingredients you probably have. Definitely going to be checking out other recipes from the site
[email protected]
I’m going to grill the wings first then toss in the sauce mixture. Sounds great .
Margaux
The recipe came out perfect, our whole family and guests loved!
Ulrike Dute
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post with us.
Janice
My fiancé always asks me to make this recipe for him! We’ve made it 3 times in the past two weeks and will be making them forever! Great staple recipe that’s easy with zero prep work.
Anne Wilson
This is so wrong. Theft of Mr Pepin’s work. You should be ashamed.
Maggie Zhu
Hi Anne, I received a copy of the cookbook from the publisher for reviewing. It’s actually a common practice among food blogger to cook a recipe from a cookbook and share it with proper credit, in order to promote the book. I’ll make sure to add a disclaimer in my future cookbook review related posts to avoid confusion.
Ruth Lane
From the word go, the author acknowledges that the recipe is Jacques Pepin’s. There is obviously no theft involved!
Ammara
Just making them now and surprised at why we don’t fry with skin side down when initially cooking on high heat. Anyway hope they turn out well…look delish in photo
Maggie
I did brown the skin side first. Just re-read the recipe and the description is misleading. I’m sorry about that!
Updating it now. I hope your wings will turn out OK.
Utamu
It was great! The fame loved it!
And, it was easy to make! Thank you for the recipe.
Jessica
Oh my, I almost licked my screen when I saw the photo of those wings! They look really simple to make, I’ll give them a try tonight.