Thai Chicken Wings - CopyCat Recipe From Houlihan's (2024)

This is for anyone who loves making chicken wings but likes to switch things up.

Our Thai Chicken Wings are savory. spicy and sweet.

And if this flavor profile isn’t enough, they are also easy to make.

Thai Chicken Wings

We love making chicken wings at home.

For this wing recipe, the longer you allow the wings to marinate, the deeper the flavor will be; I recommend making the marinade and allowing the wings to marinate overnight.

But, if you don’t have the time for an overnight marinating session, one to two (1-2) hours will work, the flavor will not be as intense, but the wings will still be good.

Also, the glaze recipe is the cherry on top; it’s acidic, sweet, and savory and pairs well with these wings.

These wings are always a huge hit at every dinner party, picnic, BBQ, and game day party we ever brought them to, no cap.

And if you think they may be perfect for a Super Bowl party, you’re right.

I’ll say this, if your family is anything like my family, they will probably be a BIG hit!

This recipe has a lot of ingredients, but you may be surprised because, more than likely, you might have many of the ingredients in your pantry!

Other Chicken Wings Recipes To Try:

• the best recipe for Potato Chip Buffalo Wings
• Easy recipe for Air Fryer Indian Spiced Chicken Wings
• Grilled Chicken Full-Sized Wings

How much heat is too much?

Personally, I do not think our Thai chicken wings are too spicy.

But that’s coming from someone who enjoys spicy foods.

We are a family of five, and only my oldest son and I enjoy spicy foods.

So, when making these wings, I make two batches, one spicy and the other without any heat.

It’s all about compromise. This way, everyone gets chicken wings they can enjoy.

What You Will Need To Make Our Thai Chicken Wings:

Chicken Wings. You can use whole chicken wings for this recipe or discard the wing tip and separate the remaining section into two pieces; a drumette also called a drummie, is the upper part of the chicken wing.

The drummette looks like a mini drumstick, it has a significant amount of meat, but there are also bits of cartilage around the end of the joint.

Then there’s the wingette. The wingette, aka the flat, is the middle section of a chicken wing and has dark meat and two thin bones running from end to end.

When separated from the wing tip and drumette, you will notice how the wingette is completely encased in skin; and this skin is a great canvas for dry rubs and will absorb marinade like a sponge.

For the marinade:

Peanut Oil. Peanut oil is neutral and doesn’t flavor foods fried in peanut oil. Also, refined peanut oil is a high smoke point oil meaning it can tolerate temperatures well between 400° to 450°.

Fresh Cilantro. Cilantro is a staple in Thai cooking. In this recipe, the lemony, peppery, and pungent flavor pulls triple duty as an ingredient in the marinade and glaze and as a garnish when serving.

Garlic, Ground Ginger, & Red Pepper Flakes. Using these three components is how to create zesty, spicy, and savory flavor in our chicken wings. These three ingredients also make an appearance in our glaze,

Soy Sauce. I love the complexity of a good soy sauce; it has a salty flavor profile I love, has lots of umami, bitterness, and subtle sweetness. The soy sauce also gives these wings a light caramel color and, during the cooking process, helps the wings achieve a nice golden brown color.

For the glaze:

Light Brown Sugar & Granulated White Sugar. Adding these two sugars to the glaze adds a natural sweetness, and when air frying or baking, gives the wings a nice golden brown color.

Rice Vinegar. Adding rice vinegar to this glaze adds acidity, which gives the glaze some much-needed oomph!

Fish Sauce. Fish sauce is an easy way to amplify flavor and savoriness, and it also imparts character and complexity you never knew you needed.

Sesame Oil. I love toasted sesame oil; it adds a subtle nutty flavor and earthiness in taste and aroma. I recommend toasted sesame oil, but regular sesame oil is fine too.

Coconut Milk. Coconut milk brings richness and depth of flavor, and when using spicy ingredients, the coconut milk makes the spicy taste less intense. In short, adding coconut milk brings balance to almost any dish.

Chili­ Garlic Sauce. Chili oil incorporatesa toasted, spicy taste, while chili garlic sauce brings extra zestiness by addinggarlic anda tangy, acidic kick from the vinegar.

Soy Sauce Matters

About Soy Sauce. Soy sauce was invented over 2,500 years in China; it’s considered one of the oldest condiments. Originally used to preserve meat, soy sauce has evolved into a multi-use ingredient in kitchens worldwide. And the type of soy sauce can also influence the flavor of any Asian-inspired chicken wing recipe. Here are some of our favorites:

Kikkoman’s Soy Sauce. In 1917, along the Edo River, not too far from Tokyo, Japan, the Japanese Takanashi and Mogi families started the Noda Shoyu Co. Ltd. company, which makes one of the most iconic brands of soy sauce in the world, Kikkoman. I like Kikkoman soy sauce because it is naturally brewed and has zero artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. It also contains no MSG (monosodium glutamate). The flavor profile comprises five base flavors: salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami. The umami flavor gives soy sauce its rich, savory flavor.

Mushroom Soy Sauce. I love mushroom soy sauce for its dark and rich flavor; this style of soy sauce has an intense umami flavor and is perfect for marinating meats and vegetables. We recommend Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce.

Tamari Soy Sauce. Tamari soy sauce lacks the potency of traditional soy sauce; its thicker viscosity means it’s great for dipping because it clings to meat and vegetables. We love San-J Tamari Premium Soy Sauce because it is gluten-free.

Helpful Tip. All soy sauces should be stored in the refrigerator after opening; this will help prolong the life of the soy sauce. Also, there is a best-by date on each bottle; if the soy sauce is beyond that date, discard it and purchase a new bottle of soy sauce.

Several soy sauce-producing countries have different taste profiles, and each one can bring a different taste to your wings.

Here are several of our favorites:

• Thailand, Yu Ding Xing, this soy product is thickened with rice starch and allowed to mature for 450 days. Lots of rich flavors, and a little goes a long way. Made with five ingredients; water, single-origin non-GMO Taiwanese black beans, rice, sea salt, and sugar.
  Gluten-free.
• Korean, Sempio soy sauce is the number one soy sauce in Korea, and it is also made with non-GMO ingredients. It is also rated HACCP, Kosher, SQF, and ISO.
• Japan, Yamasa is the oldest producer of soy sauce in Japan; this soy sauce has a distinctive red tint, aroma, and umami flavor. It is also non-GMO and Kosher.
• China, The are eight regional cuisines throughout China, and each one has its cooking style. However, the Cantonese cooking style is popular in the West, and Haitian Soy Sauce is considered a go-to soy sauce among Cantonese chefs and cooks. This is a rich, almost black-in-color soy sauce with a very salty taste profile

Looking for a low-sodium, no-soy, or gluten-free option?

Low-Sodium Soy Sauce. If your dietary requirements call for less salt, we suggest using a low-sodium variety of soy sauce like Kikkoman Low-Sodium Soy Sauce, which has 38% less salt than its regular soy sauce. Of note, low sodium also means less umami flavor, but you can add seasoning like ground white pepper and Chinese five-spice to give your food a little extra razzle-dazzle.

Coconut Aminos. And for those whose dietary considerations are not tolerant of elevated amounts of sodium, liquid aminos are a great substitute for soy sauce; it contains around 90 mg (milligrams) of sodium per teaspoon compared to the 290 mg of sodium per teaspoon that traditional soy sauce has. Other characteristics regarding coconut aminos, they’re a bit sweeter than soy sauce and they are gluten-free.

Worchester Sauce. This English condiment has a taste profile similar to soy sauce; it also has an umami flavor comparable to soy sauce, but unlike soy sauce, it is soy and gluten-free.

Above, these Thai chicken wings were made using a mushroom soy sauce; see how dark the wings are.

They aren’t burnt; the mushroom soy sauce gives the wings a deep dark color and a vibrant umami flavor.

I also drizzled them with fresh lime juice, which was next-level good!

Garnishes like sesame seeds and green onions add visual interest when serving your wings, but they also add taste.

The same goes for fresh limes; the lime juice adds acidity and complements the glaze’s spicy sweetness.

Why no fry? When you bake or use an air fryer to make chicken wings, your food absorbs less oil, and using less oil can have substantial health benefits.

A combination of fresh herbs and savoring seasonings are the ingredients that make this wing recipe stand out from traditional wing recipes.

The best recipe for Thai Chicken Wings

Marinade Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger divided or two tablespoons of freshly grated ginger root
• 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper

Glaze Ingredients:

• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup of rice vinegar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoon of fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon chili­ garlic sauce

Directions:

1. Rinse, trim excess fat and skin, and pat dry the chicken wings.
2. Cut each chicken wing at the middle joint and cut and discard the tip of the chicken wing.
3. Mix oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cilantro, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of garlic, 1 tablespoon of ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flake into a large bowl and mix well. Add chicken wings, then toss until the chicken wings are evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 2 hours or a deeper flavor overnight.
4. Preheatovento400°F.
5. Arrange the chicken wings onto a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and brush with the marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.
6. Place the sheet pan on the center rack of a 400-degree preheated oven and bake until the chicken wings are cooked through and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
7. While the chicken wings are baking, combine vinegar, sesame oil, fish sauce, sugars, coconut milk, chili ­garlic sauce, and remaining garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes into a medium saucepan.
8. Bring to boil; then reduce heat and simmer until glaze mixture thickens to syrup consistency, about 15­-20 minutes.
9. When the chicken wings have finished baking, brush the chicken wings with Thai glaze.
10. Finish the wings with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds.
11. Serve.

What to serve with Asian-inspired chicken wings? Here are a few choices:

• Fried or plain white rice
• Lo Mein
• Coleslaw
• Fresh Vegetables
• Asian inspired Salad
• Fruits like pineapple, mango, fresh sliced plums

Chicken wings are great whenever you make them, but they are perfect for many occasions, like watching a game with friends and family, dinner, or a whenever snack.

Wings are also good for a girl’s or guy’s night-in paired with a grazing board and homemade co*cktails.

And you can make them in your oven, in the Instant Pot, or in your Air Fryer to save time.

If you’re looking to put together a big spread for game day, check out how we put together a game day chicken wing grazing board!

Storing Leftover Thai Chicken Wings

If you have leftover wings, store them in the refrigerator for up to three days.

You can then heat them in the microwave for a quick reheat, or if you have more time, reheat them in an oven preheated to 175 ° to 190° for fifteen to twenty minutes.

How many wings do I need per person?

If you are serving wings with other appetizers, you can expect 4-6 per person.

If you serve chicken wings as a meal, plan on 8-10 per adult.

If you are serving wings with many additional options, think buffet, brunch, or a potluck, then 2-3 wings per person are ideal.

Remember, wings don’t have a ton of meat on them, so it is very easy for people to eat quite a few.

You can find more Appetizers to try below:

• 15 Mouth-Watering CrockPot Appetizers Recipes
• 10 Easy Game Day Appetizers
• 17+ Game Day Appetizers
• Sweet Potato, Green Lentil, and Roasted Red Pepper Dip
• 20+ Incredible Chicken Wing Recipes For Game Day

Created 2014 | Updated 2/2023