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The first time I made these Korean Gochujang Honey Wings, my wife said they were the best wings I’ve ever made! The chicken wings are juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, and the gochujang sauce is a wonderful balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy!
Check out the Honey Gochujang Wings recipe video below!
Ingredients
Want wings without the sauce? Make my Baked Chicken Wings!
- chicken wings
- salt
- white pepper
- garlic, grated
- ginger, grated
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- flour
- cornstarch
- baking powder
- neutral oil – my favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. The flavor profile does not go.
- honey
- gochujang
- brown sugar
- rice vinegar
- water
Want the crispiest wings made in the air fryer? Try my Air Fryer Chicken Wings, which is the top recipe on my site!
Key Tip
Gochujang 101
It’s used in recipes like Spicy Pork Bulgogi, Kimchi Fried Rice, Spicy Honey Garlic Tofu, and Korean Fried Cauliflower.
This is a spicy and sweet Korean red pepper paste. It has a strong flavor profile, with a hint of umami. You only need a little to go a long way.
It is usually sold in tubs of varying sizes at Korean markets. I’ve also seen it at some of my local Ralph’s (in the “Asian” aisle) and on Amazon.
If you are new to using or eating gochujang, I would consider using 1/2 of what the recipe calls for.
Recipe Instructions
1. Marinate Chicken
Marinate chicken wings in salt, white pepper, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil for 1-2 hours or overnight for best results.
2. Make the Seasoning Mix
In a large bowl, add flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, and baking powder. Mix together until combined, then add any leftover marinade (or 1-2 tbsp of water) into the seasoning mix. With your hands, rub the mix together with the liquid to create craggily bits in the seasoning mix.
Key Tip
My Secret to the Crispiest Wings
My secret combination for the crispiest chicken wings is a combination of three ingredients – flour, cornstarch, and baking powder! Each starch plays a unique role in the dredge, so make sure to use all three – trust me, it makes a huge difference!
- When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color!
- Cornstarch also helps with prevention of gluten development, which makes the wings crispier.
- Lastly, the baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles – the tiny air bubbles makes the coating even lighter and crispier!
3. Dredge the Wings
Coat your wings into the seasoning mix, and pack in the dredge well making sure to leave no dry spots. Shake off any excess and let rest on a sheet pan for 5-10 minutes while you heat up your frying oil.
4. Fry the Chicken (2x)
Fry the wings in batches at 350F for 6-8 minutes. Remove and set on a rack or paper towel to drain while you fry the rest of your wings.
Fry the wings a 2nd time at 350F for 1-2 minutes. This will get the exterior super crispy.
Key Tip
Frying Tips
I highly recommend using two tools for the best frying experience:
- an infrared thermometer to easily check the temperature of your oil during heating and frying
- a heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven that retains heat well
Temperature tips:
- The ideal oil temperature of the first fry should be 325-350°F.
- If you see the oil drop below 325°F, remove the chicken wings and turn the heat up until it returns to 350°F.
- You may need to fry the wings in batches if you find that the temperature does not stay at 325-350°F.
- The second fry will be at the same temperature but for a shorter period of time.
My #1 tip is to avoid overcrowding – not only will that bring the temperature down (which will result in less crispy, more oily wings) but you also risk hot oil bubbling over.
If excess batter pieces are floating in the oil, strain them out with a strainer to prevent them from burning during the 2nd fry.
Make sure to check the internal temperature of the chicken – it should reach 165°F to be safe to consume.
5. Make the Gochujang Honey Sauce
In a large wide pan, heat 2 tbsp of neutral oil over medium heat. Add your garlic, ginger, and gochujang and fry for 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, and water. Stir until the sauce bubbles and the sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Coat the Wings and Enjoy!
Add the wings to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately & enjoy!
PRO TIPS
Expert Tips
Dredging tips
- For the best dredging, make sure to let any excess wet batter drip off before dredging the chicken in the seasoning flour.
- Pack in the dredge so the chicken is evenly coated (no bald spots!)
- I like to mix some of the leftover marinade (or 1-2 tbsp of water) to the seasoning mix to create ‘craggily bits’ – this will create more crispy texture on the chicken wings.
- Shake off any excess loose breading before placing on the lined tray.
- Once the wings are dredged in the seasoning mix, let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This helps the batter stick to the chicken when frying!
Frying tips
- I highly recommend using an infrared thermometer to easily check the temperature of your oil during heating and frying.
- If excess batter pieces are floating in the oil, strain them out with a strainer to prevent them from burning during the 2nd fry.
- Monitor the oil temperatures and if they drop below 325°F , remove the chicken wings and turn the heat up for the oil to reach back to 350°F.
- Consider frying the wings in batches if you find that the temperature cannot stay at 350°F.
- Do not overcrowd your pot and risk oil bubbling over!! Use a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, as they retain heat better.
Storage and Reheating
What to Serve with Korean Gochujang Honey Wings
If you tried this Korean Gochujang Honey Wings, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Korean Gochujang Honey Wings
Ingredients
Chicken Wings
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Seasoning Mix
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp white pepper
- 1/2 tbsp baking powder
Sauce
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup gochujang
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 tbsp ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Marinate chicken wings in salt, white pepper, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil for 1-2 hours or overnight for best results.
- In a large bowl, add flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, and baking powder. Mix together until combined, then add any leftover marinade (or 1-2 tbsp of water) into the seasoning mix. With your hands, rub the mix together with the liquid to create craggily bits in the seasoning mix.
- Coat your wings into the seasoning mix, and pack in the dredge well making sure to leave no dry spots. Shake off any excess and let rest on a sheet pan for 5-10 minutes while you heat up your frying oil.
- Fry the wings in batches at 350F for 6-8 minutes. Remove and set on a rack or paper towel to drain while you fry the rest of your wings.
- Fry the wings a 2nd time at 350F for 1-2 minutes. This will get the exterior super crispy.
- In a large wide pan, heat 2 tbsp of neutral oil over medium heat. Add your garlic, ginger, and gochujang and fry for 30-45 seconds until fragrant. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, and water. Stir until the sauce bubbles and the sugar is dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the wings to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately & enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made these bro and everyone said the same, best ever. Cheers for the recipe
I’ve tried this recipe 3 times because my mum loves it since the first time I did it! I just adjust que amount of gochujang as it is too spicy for me so adding just 1 tablespoon is more than enough for us and it’s delicious 😋
@nailylover
Love the Gochujang flavor! A must try!
🧄 will_that_one_guy
The sauce is unfortunately too sweet and the honey was overpowering.
If I ever were to make this again, I’d cut the amount of honey used in half or maybe opt not to use it and just go with sugar.
This recipe is so simple and so delicious!
This deserves a standing ovation!
I recently made these for a potluck with my friends, and it was a huge hit!! It’s very balanced between spicy and sweet. I ended up air frying my wings which also worked really well
Mmm I love the seasoning on these chicken wings. I usually make pretty western sauces for my wings, so I decided to try this korean style instead. I loved it! It tastes just like the ones I use to get back in Asia. If you’re looking to step up your wing game, try this out!
I have seriously high standards for my chicken wings, and these ticked ALL the boxes! The cooking tips helped a great deal, and the wings came out perfectly. Made them two days ago, and I am still dreaming about them. TOTAL yum!
Aww Carol – this is the BEST compliment ever! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and the tips!