These Garlic Soy Chicken Wings are the perfect appetizer. They are crispy with a sweet, salty sauce and have a touch of heat. Ready in just 30 minutes! Plus, they are cooked in the air fryer with no oil required and crisp up so well.
These Chicken Wings are over the top delicious. They combine garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey and Sweet Thai chili sauce for a burst of flavors.
If you love chicken wing recipes, don't forget to try my garlic parmesan chicken wings too!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- The chicken wings are crispy with a sweet and salty Asian glaze
- No oil required for the air fryer
- This recipe only takes 30 minutes with little prep
- A great appetizer for game day or parties
For more Asian recipes, check out my Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad, Asian Turkey Meatballs, Garlic Chili Oil Ramen, and Shrimp Tacos with Slaw.
Ingredients:
Chicken Wings-Make sure they are fully thawed and not at all frozen before placing them in the air fryer. Smart Chicken wings are great because they are always super clean. They crisp up perfectly and the quality is just overall better. Plus, they are pretty inexpensive for organic.
Soy Sauce-The main ingredient in the glaze and brings in umami flavors. Soy sauce is salty and needs to be balanced with other ingredients.
Honey- The perfect ingredient to add to balance out the salty flavors from the soy and brings in a thick texture and sweetness.
Sweet Thai Chili Sauce-This is really the "secret ingredient" in this wing sauce. I tested it several times without and couldn't get it quite right without the chili sauce. It adds a touch of spice, acidity and sweetness and it's a must have for this Asian chicken wing sauce.
Garlic and Ginger- Bring in a raw and fresh taste to the sauce.
Cornstarch- Thickens the sauce into a glaze that sticks perfectly to the chicken wings.
Sesame Seeds- For extra texture and for the appearance.
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
Feel free to use all drumsticks or flats.
Low sodium soy sauce can be used in this recipe. I haven't tested coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce, but that should be fine as well.
Want more spice? Add in a drizzle of Sriracha into the sauce, but be careful because it will really heat things up.
For a fresh finish, add on a few tablespoons of diced green onion or chives too!
If you love garlic recipes, try this Stuffed Cheese Garlic Bread, rosemary garlic butter, and garlic risotto.
Alternative Cooking Method:
If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake these in the oven on a wire rack over a cookie sheet at 400 degrees, for 45-55 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken wings reaches 165 degrees. Air fryer is my preferred method, because they always get crispier.
How to Make Garlic Soy Chicken Wings:
Step 1: Press the Chicken Wing button on air fryer to preheat or preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Once the air fryer is preheated, add the chicken wings in a single layer and cook for 25 minutes, flipping over halfway through frying.
Step 3: Whisk the cornstarch and water in a bowl until it becomes a slurry to avoid getting white chunks in the sauce.
Step 4: Into a pot or skillet, add the cornstarch and water mixture, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and sweet thai chili sauce. Stir to combine.
Step 5: Cook the sauce in the pot over medium heat on the stovetop and bring to a boil (it takes about 5 minutes). Allow it to boil rapidly for 2 minutes and stir frequently. Turn off heat and allow the glaze to cool.
Step 6: Next, transfer half of the sauce to a large bowl and the other half to a serving bowl for extra dipping sauce.
Step 7: Toss the chicken wings in the soy garlic sauce to coat each side.
Step 8: Place the chicken wings on a serving tray and top with sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Do NOT add the cornstarch directly into the sauce. It needs to be whisked with the water first to avoid any chunks of white powder in the glaze.
- Allow the sauce or glaze to boil for a few minutes to help thicken the sauce.
- Grate the ginger really fine to avoid large chunks in the sauce.
For more easy appetizer recipes, try my Walking Taco Casserole, Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas, and Panko Cauliflower Bites! Check out these top 10 Super Bowl Foods with recipes too!
Recipe FAQs:
To thicken wing sauce, simply whisk together 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and add into the sauce. You can add more if you need too, but this is a good start.
Besides deep frying, my favorite method is the air fryer. It's so easy and the wings get incredibly crispy every time.
I like to serve with additional glaze, but it's great to have my Wingstop Ranch recipe to serve with these Chicken Wings too!
These are best served fresh, but store the leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer, but just watch them in the air fryer to make sure the glaze doesn't burn.
For more Air fryer favorites, try my Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, Air Fryer Salmon Bites, and Air Fryer Butternut Squash.
More Appetizers You Will Love:
If you tried this Garlic Soy Chicken Wings Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Garlic Soy Chicken Wings
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 wings 1x
Description
These Garlic Soy Chicken Wings are the perfect appetizer. They are crispy, with a sweet, salty sauce with a touch of heat. Ready in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 10 chicken wings, fresh or completely thawed
- ½ teaspoon salt + ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons sweet thai chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Optional: 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Press the Chicken Wing button on air fryer to preheat or preheat air fryer to 400 degrees. Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Once the air fryer is preheated, add the chicken wings in a single layer and cook for 25 minutes, flipping over halfway through frying.
- Whisk the cornstarch and water in a bowl to avoid getting white chunks in the sauce.
- Into a pot or skillet, add the cornstarch and water mixture, soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and sweet thai chili sauce. Stir to combine.
- Cook the sauce in the pot over medium heat on the stovetop and bring to a boil (it takes about 5 minutes). Allow it to boil rapidly for 2 minutes and stir frequently. Turn off heat and allow the glaze to cool.
- Transfer half of the sauce to a large bowl and the other half to a serving bowl for extra dipping sauce.
- Toss the chicken wings in the soy garlic sauce to coat each side.
- Add the chicken wings to a serving tray and top with sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Do NOT add the cornstarch directly into the sauce. It needs to be whisked with the water first to avoid any chunks of white powder in the glaze.
- Allow the sauce or glaze to boil for a few minutes to help thicken the sauce.
- Grate the ginger really fine to avoid large chunks in the sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: appetizers
- Method: air fryer
- Cuisine: asian
Josie
I used the air fryer & you’re right..so crispy. Also, this sauce is amazing!
Tara Smithson
Right?! So crispy and I love the sauce too.