These baked Korean chicken wings bring the heat! Marinated in a spicy gochujang wing sauce and baked until lightly charred, the wings are packed with flavor, so they’re finger-licking good.
You can always rely on a plate of chicken wings to be a hit on game day, at parties, and for dinner! Korean chicken wings, specifically, have big, bold flavors that are practically addictive. We love to enjoy them with even more Korean-inspired recipes, like beef bulgogi and spicy noodles.
Why this recipe works
- Seriously addictive. This Korean chicken wings recipe starts by marinating the wings in a spicy and subtly sweet gochujang sauce before they’re baked to crispy, charred perfection. Every bite has big yet balanced flavors and lots of spice!
- Fiery hot wing sauce! Thanks to gochujang and gochugaru in the wing sauce, these spicy Korean chicken wings have plenty of heat!
- Well-balanced. Don’t worry – the wing sauce has a kick but isn’t overwhelmingly spicy. It’s perfectly balanced with umami, savory, and subtly sweet flavors to make the gochujang chicken wings taste finger-licking good.
- A fun snack or dinner. Just like my chicken lollipops, boneless wings, and grilled chicken wings, you can serve this recipe on game day or at parties or enjoy the wings as the main protein for dinner.
Ingredients needed
Many of these ingredients can be found at most major grocery stores, while others may call for a trip to the Asian grocery store. Here’s what you need:
- Chicken wings. I like to make this recipe with a mixture of wings and drummettes.
- Garlic cloves. For a savory flavor in the wing sauce.
- Korean chili paste (gochujang). Gochujang is a red chili paste sold in small tubs. It’s spicy, but also sweet and pungent, which is great when you want to add a big punch of flavor to this wing sauce.
- Brown sugar and maple syrup. The warm sweetness of these two cuts through the stronger, punchier ingredients. The sauce would be unbalanced without them!
- Soy sauce. Or use tamari if you need the wing sauce to be gluten-free.
- Sesame oil. For a warm, nutty flavor.
- Korean chili flakes (gochugaru). Feel free to use red chili flakes if you can’t find gochugaru.
- Rice vinegar. Or you can use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Ground ginger. This also gives the sauce a rich and warm depth. Feel free to use 1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger if you have it at home.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
- Green onions and sesame seeds. For garnish.
How to make Korean wings
Coat the wings. Make the Korean bbq wings sauce by stirring all of the ingredients (except the chicken wings) together in a large bowl. Add the chicken wings to the bowl and toss to coat.
Marinate. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge so the chicken can marinate.
Bake. Lay the marinated chicken wings on a baking tray (reserve the leftover marinade) and bake.
Baste. After baking for 25 minutes, brush the reserved sauce over the baked wings.
Broil, then serve. Lastly, finish the wings under the broiler for a few minutes or until they’re slightly crisp and charred. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, then enjoy!
Recipe tips and tricks
- It’s best to let the wings marinate for at least 4 hours. While 10 minutes is the minimum amount needed, if you have more time, leave them for 4 hours ot up to 12 hours in the fridge.
- Room temperature wings. After marinating, let the wings rest on the kitchen counter so they can come down to room temperature. This will help them bake evenly.
- Don’t crowd the wings. Lay the marinated wings in a single layer on the baking sheet and leave some space in between each one. This way, the heat can reach every inch of the wings and help them crisp rather than steam.
- Bake on a wire rack. For extra crispy chicken wings, bake them on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet.
- For a mild heat level, reduce the gochujang in the wing sauce to 2 tablespoons. You can also omit the gochugaru for even less heat. Alternatively, substitute 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of gochujang with BBQ sauce to make Korean BBQ wings instead. You can also go the other way and amp up the heat, a-la hot wings.
What to serve with this dish
Pair the wings with even more Asian-inspired appetizers for parties, like potstickers, crab rangoon, or sesame cauliflower.
Otherwise, they pair well with all of these sides:
- Salad. Keep the meal simple with a green salad, green goddess salad, or shrimp salad on the side.
- Noodles. Any simple noodle base, stir fry, or soba noodles.
- Rice. Have a batch of cauliflower fried rice on the side or coconut milk rice to cool down the heat.
- Vegetables. Pair the wings with kimchi, cucumber salad, cabbage salad, summer rolls, coleslaw, or pickled vegetables.
Storage instructions
To store: The leftover wings can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.
To freeze: They also freeze well for up to 6 months. Just let the leftovers thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat: Lay the wings on a baking sheet and reheat in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven until warmed through.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to marinate the chicken wings?
Can you air fry the chicken wings instead?
To air fry, follow my air fryer chicken wings instructions but baste them before serving.
What other dishes can the Korean chicken wing sauce be used for?
Baked Korean Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings separated into two pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons Gochujang Korean chili paste
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru Korean chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients with the chicken in one big bowl and mix well with hands until every piece gets seasoned well.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to 12 hours, to marinate.
- Preheat the oven to 220C/450F.
- Spread the chicken wings on a baking sheet, reserving the rest of the marinade for later. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the chicken wings from the oven and baste them with the remaining marinade. Turn on the broil function of the oven, and place the baking sheet on the top position in the oven, and bake for another 5 minutes minutes, until the wings get charred.