Sweet and spicy wings

These sweet and spicy chicken wings are way better than Buffalo wings and so easy to make. The sauce is loaded with gochujang and garlic for tons of flavor.

So the Super Bowl is just around the corner. But I’m a Jets fan. So, yeah, um, I’ll probably watch old episodes of Top Chef instead. Ha! But there’s still plenty of opportunities to make amazing game day appetizers. Wings are a must, but why make Buffalo when you can make these amazing spicy sweet Korean ones that are fried up crisp and then smothered in a garlicky gochujang sauce??? I made these for friends in November and they disappeared and then I made another batch last week for dinner. The leftovers lasted about an hour and then my husband reheated them and promptly gobbled them up.

So let’s talk about the sauce. I’ve been a fan of gochujang for a long time. I slather it on Korean lettuce wraps and baste it on spicy ribs. I’ve proclaimed my love for it on this blog before, so much so that the nice folks over at Chung Jung One noticed and sent me a sample of their Gochujang sauce. Traditional gochujang is a thick paste and takes some effort to mix together with other ingredients. This sauce from Chung Jung One is smooth, but packs all the flavor of traditional gochujang. Verdict: love it! So much easier to use, not only for recipes, but to squeeze a little onto noodles, lettuce wraps, rice, anything really. Move over sriracha… You can find it in some markets and also on Amazon.

Looking for something milder? Try these Turkish chicken wings.

Thanks to Chung Jung One for the samples.

Sweet and spicy wings

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

These sweet and spicy chicken wings are way better than Buffalo wings and so easy to make. The sauce is loaded with gochujang and garlic for tons of flavor.

Author: Erin Berdan

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Korean

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• Canola oil for frying
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 2 pounds chicken wings
• ½ cup Chung Jung One Gochujang sauce or traditional gochujang
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• Greens from 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds, preferably a mix of black and plain

Instructions

1. Fill a deep, heavy pot with oil to a depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 375F.
2. Season the wings with salt. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Working in batches, shake the wings in the conrstarch to coat. Shake off excess and fry the wings for 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.
3. Meanwhile, combine the gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, honey, brown sugar and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Recipe can be prepared up to this point a few hours ahead.
5. To finish the wings, bring oil back to 375F. Fry wings a second time for about 6 minutes or until golden and cooked through. If your wings are big, you might need an extra minute or two.
6. Let them drain on a rack in a warm oven. (I put the oven at 200 just to keep them hot while I fry the remaining wings).
7. When all the wings are fried, place them all in a large bowl and toss with the sauce to coat. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with the scallions and sesame seeds.
8. Serve immediately.

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