Chinese Style Chicken Wings

Fried chicken is a universally loved food. If you’ve ever been to any Chinese restaurant (at least here in the US), then you’d be familiar with their iconic chicken wings. Crispy, well seasoned, and golden brown, it’s almost as if every Chinese restaurant is sent a secret recipe for their chicken (seriously, we need to give a round of applause for that type of consistency).

But sometimes, you don’t want to leave your home to get a piece of that lovely fried chicken. In our case today, many of us CAN’T leave our homes because of the current pandemic; many of our favorite Chinese restaurants are also closed down. This recipe is as close as I have been able to get to replicating that Chinese fried chicken. It is crispy and golden brown, just like in stores. My combination of spices give the chicken a very developed taste, that will make you long for just another wing. Plus, EVERYONE loves chicken wings. This is a great meal for the entire family. The double frying process also ensures that wings are piping hot and fresh when it hits your table. Don’t forget to grab the hot sauce for the true takeout experience!

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 2 hrs 10 mins

Total time: 2 hrs, 30 mins

Ingredients

12 whole chicken wings
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp sesame oil
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 egg
Vegetable or canola oil, for frying
½ tbsp chicken powdered bouillon
¼ tsp white pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp cayenne powder
2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp flour

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the chicken wings, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, egg, bouillon, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and sugar. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.
2. Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons flour to the chicken mixture. Coat all pieces of chicken well. Let marinate in the fridge covered for at least 2 hours (you can also marinate the wings overnight). 
3. Preheat oil in a fryer or heavy pan to 325 degrees.
4. Take wings out the fridge and let them approach room temperature.  
5. Mix wings with the remaining cornstarch and flour. The wings should be coated in a thin paste.
6. Fry wings in small batches (3-4 at a time) for 5-7 minutes. Remove and place on a cooling rack or paper towel lined tray.
7. After all wings are fried, return them to the hot oil (in small batches) and fry for an additional 3-5 minutes. 
8. Remove wings and place on a cooling rack or paper towel lined tray.
9. Serve immediately. 

Recipe Tips

• Cornstarch is essential in making the thin paste on the chicken, that ultimately allows the chicken to become crispy. You cannot sub out the cornstarch, nor is it recommended to adjust the cornstarch to flour ratio.
• After allowing the chicken to marinate in the fridge, there will be liquid in the mixing bowl. When adding the additional cornstarch and flour, be sure to incorporate that extra liquid as well, to help form the paste. 
• Shaoxing wine can be found in many Asian markets. If you cannot find Shaoxing wine, you can substitute the quantity for mirin, which tends to be more widely available. 
• When frying the chicken in a deep fryer, ditch the basket during your first fry. The thin paste has caused the chicken to be stuck to my fryer basket in previous cooking attempts. 
• Having your oil set to a temperature too high will cause the skin of the chicken to cook too fast, potentially burning it. 
• Some people like their chicken wings fried hard. If you prefer your wings done this way, cook them on the longer cook times.