Sichuan Chicken Wings: A Palate Pleaser for Any Occasion
Chicken wings are amazing. I love them for a snack or a meal and they are certainly perfect for entertaining. That’s why I’ve created these Sichuan chicken wings. They’re baked for a healthier way to enjoy everyone’s favorite party food and have a brightly seasoned color.
This super easy Sichuan chicken wing recipe takes no time to put together either. The cumin and Sichuan peppercorns give it a warm, heavenly fragrance and a dazzling flavor that you won’t want to stop eating. It’s just like the classic street style Chinese BBQ chicken wings. So delicious!
Cooking Process Overview
These wings are really simple to make, and the whole thing will only take you 45 minutes! Here’s how to do it:
- Mix together a simple but bold spice blend – Sichuan peppercorn, cumin, chili flakes, brown sugar, and garlic powder
- Dry the chicken wings well (more on that in a minute), rub the mix onto them by hand, and let them marinate in the dry rub for at least 15 minutes so the spices can permeate the meat and make it juicy and flavorful
- Bake the wings using a wire rack so they can crisp up, flipping once halfway through
That’s it!
Tips for the Perfect Texture
The best results come when you make sure to dry the chicken wings completely before you cook them. I’ve shared a baking soda powder method in another chicken wing recipe for oven fried chicken wings with Korean BBQ sauce which gives you truly spectacular extra crispy results.
For these Sichuan chicken wings, you can use one teaspoon of baking powder just like the method in the other wing recipe if you like. It will give you even better results, but for everyday occasions, you can skip the baking powder step to save some time. And you’ll still get delicious wings that will prompt friends and family to beg you for the recipe.
Great on the Grill, Too
Summer is almost out of here but there’s still plenty of time to make use of your grill. You can also cook these Sichuan chicken wings out on the grill to entertain over the weekend. Pair them with ice cold beer or any type of cocktail (or mocktails for those not interested in alcohol) to enjoy with the slightly numbing heat from the Sichuan peppercorns.
Marinate Longer for Even Richer Flavor
Additionally, you can feel free to marinate your Sichuan chicken wings for longer. I’ve recommended 15 minutes in the recipe below but if you plan ahead and marinate them for longer, you’re going to get even more flavorful wings that everyone will ask you to make again and again!
More Chinese BBQ Recipes
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Baked Sichuan Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900 g) chicken wings
Spice Mix
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine the spice mix ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix well.
- Pat dry chicken wings with a few layers of kitchen paper towel to remove any moisture on the surface. Place the chicken wings into a big bowl and pour the spice mix over them. Rub the spice mix into the wings thoroughly using your hands. Marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to overnight, covered with plastic wrap in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a tray with foil and a wire rack. (*Footnote 1)
- Arrange the wings on the wire rack with at least a finger’s width in between, to properly let the steam off so the chicken will get crispy. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes. Cook until browned and crisp on the surface, and the juices run clear if using a paring knife to slice the thickest part of the drumstick.
- Let cool slightly and serve hot as an appetizer.
Notes
- If you do not have a wire rack, you can fold the foil into a double layer and fold it like an accordion. Then place the wings on top.
Nutrition
Have a question or feedback? Add a Comment
Did you make this? I want to see! Tag @OmnivoresCookbook on Instagram, and rate the recipe below.
More Asian-Inspired Chicken Wings
- Honey Soy Wings (蜂蜜鸡翅)
- Chinese Lemon Chicken Wings
- Coca-Cola Chicken Wings
- Fried Chicken Wings in Asian Hot Sauce
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
Tracey
I love this recipe!! Even more.. my man loves this season mixture even more and requests it often! It gives us both food euphoria!
Michael
Have to confess; didn’t follow the recipe, except for technique, which worked well. I simply went into my frig, found a spice mix that wasn’t labeled; probably Middle Eastern, tossed it, added baking powder, let it rest a few hours. What made it come together was brushing the Chinese barbecue sauce recipe that I found on this same site; added a little gochuchang, brushed on last 5 minutes; voila!
ayana
This was so yummy! I didn’t add as much peppercorns as the recipe called for but it turned out super yummy and left a nice tingle on my lips. I easily doubled this recipe and it turned out amazing. Will definitely try with baking powder next time~
J. Mancuso
Huge hit for Super Bowl
Yen
I’m making this for the 2nd time. My family loves it. I actually used leg drums and air fried it at 400 for 25 min.., 12 min each side … perfection!
alimak
Yum!! Only thing I’d add is to give the baking tray a light spray. Best. Wings. Ever!
Thanks Maggie & team
Indra Gill
I am planning on making this recipe this weekend, and really want to make them extra crisp using the baking powder method. My question: when do I add the baking powder? I am thinking it should be in mixed in with the dry spices? Is that correct? Thanks so much. Love your recipes!
NYC
These were excellent!!
Gene Spector
I did not care for the recipe. They did not turn out looking anything like yours. Mine were white and covered with pepper. I don’t know where the red sauce on yours comes from. They were crispy with a fair amount of spice.
Indra Gill
I am planning on making these for a neighborhood Labor Day party, and am doing a dry run today. I have them marinating today, and have the same problem as you did No color. I’m thinking I might grind the hot pepper flakes too.
Florida regional
Mine were also white with pepper flakes on them so I added turmeric, chili powder, and olive oil to the spice mixture and made a paste to coat the wings. They’re in the oven now and they have some color. Let’s hope they’re good! 🙏
Karen
Hello Maggie, previous comments all talk about mushrooms and dripping chicken none of which show up in this recipe. I will be trying the Sichuan chicken wings but am intrigued by the one on which they are commenting.
Thank you for this recipe
Maggie Zhu
I updated a very old recipe because the spice blend used in that one is discontinued and no longer available.
In that recipe, I place the chicken wings on a wire rack and placed a layer of mushrooms underneath it, so the mushrooms will roasted at the same time and are soaked with chicken juice. But I used that setup when I was living back in China using a toaster oven. Now I’m using a standard oven in the US, I found the mushrooms can’t fit under the wire rack that comes with most of the baking sheet. I decided not to include it since it will require a non-standard wire rack.
Laura Hinrichs
I love chicken wings but I am confused about how to incorporate the baking power treatment into the present recipe. Just put the baking power into the spice mix? Or something else. Could you clarify?
Maggie Zhu
If you’re talking about using the baking powder to make the wings crispier, yes, you can use it in the spice mix for the same purpose. I’ve never tried it in this recipe, but I think it will work since this is a dry rub.
Lyn
Did I miss the mushrooms? (see comments) Not in the picture nor in the recipe. What Kind and preparation please.
Maggie Zhu
No you didn’t. Sorry the link might look confusing. I updated the recipe from an old one and I decided not to include the mushrooms in the recipe.
Thomas
The wings and mushrooms look so awesome! I really like your cooking method here, too. I often feel like I’m wasting grease when roasting meat, since I basically just wash it out of the pan down the drain afterward. This is a very practical and delicious way to solve that problem. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Maggie
Glad you like this one! Not sure about how it goes with roasting pork or beef, but will definitely try them out! To replace mushroom, I think asparagus, brussel sprouts and cauliflowers will be great. 🙂
Laurel Bender
I’m reading about a recipe with wings and mushrooms. I’d love to try that, I LOVE mushrooms. Can you send me the link? TIA
Maggie Zhu
Sorry the mushroom element is not in the recipe anymore since I made the update.
If you have a wire rack that is on the taller side, you can place a layer of button mushrooms under the rack (with the chicken on top of the rack) and the mushrooms will be baked at the same time.
I ended up not including the method because I realized most standard oven wire racks are quite low and the mushrooms doesn’t fit under. When I created the old version, I was cooking in China using a toaster oven.
Nami | Just One Cookbook
I LOVE how you cooked the chicken wings and the mushrooms at the same time with the dripping chicken oil! The closeup shot of your chicken wings make my mouth water… 🙂 (p.s. I will email you back soon, sorry it’s taking forever. :/)
Maggie
Hi Nami, I’m glad you like this one! For me, I love those mushrooms more than the wings. They taste so good after soaked with chicken grease!
No worry about the email at all! Posting 2 times every week is already difficult for me to catch up…
Christine | No Gojis No Glory
What a beautiful chicken dish Maggie! And I love that it all came together through experimentation. And you’re right, it can either be hit or miss but it’s so thrilling when a new idea works so well.
Maggie
Thanks Christine! I have been trying all sorts of experiments with food and I do fail a lot. It only makes me much happier when I discover something nice! 🙂