Korean Chicken Wings have a flavor all their own, and this recipe is one of the best I have ever had. They are crispy, spicy, and ooey, gooey delicious! The heat is subtle but noticeable at first! The more you eat, the more the heat starts to build; it’s amazing. Once you start, you may finish them all off, just like we do!
You don’t have to go out to a restaurant to have these out of this world Korean style chicken wings. Stay home and cook some of the best wings you have tasted in your own kitchen. The sauce is sweet, but the gochujang paste adds a kick of spiciness to the wings!
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Cuisinart 3-Piece Grill Tool Set
The ingredients for Korean Chicken Wings can vary, but if you are looking for an authentic flavor, you are for sure going to need to use gochujang, which is the quintessential Korean wings ingredient! The red paste is used in many Korean cooking recipes and really encapsulates the Korean flavor!
Ingredients
- Chicken wings
- Butter
- Gochujang
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Brown sugar
- Sherry
- Rice vinegar
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
How do you Make Korean Chicken Wings?
I like to split my wings into drumettes and flats before I start to cook my wings. I find that they are easier to cook and serve if they are split. But this is totally up to you if you like them whole then, by all means, serve them that way.
To make the sauce combine the butter, gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, sherry, and rice vinegar in a saucepan. Simmer the sauce until it thickens.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and grill the wings turning occasionally. Make sure they have nice grill marks on both sides, and the skin is crispy. Make sure that the wings have reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F. I always use a Thermapen instant-read thermometer. It’s quick, easy, and is always bang on with the temperature reading.
Keep the sauce warm while the wings are cooking. You can also slice the green onions and set them aside until the wings are cooked through.
Once your wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. they are ready to be tossed with the sauce you have prepared. Just a note; make sure that you don’t overcook your wings. You definitely want to have them reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Because there is not a lot of meat on the wings, they will dry out very quickly if you overcook them, even by a little bit.
Place the cooked wings in a large bowl and pour the prepared sauce over them. You can either toss them or stir them with the sauce. You will want to make sure that you have them completely coated with sauce. After all, everyone loves to have sticky sauce fingers when they are eating wings, right?
Is it healthy to eat chicken wings?
Is it healthy to eat chicken wings? Well, everything in moderation, right! Actually, you can make the wings healthier in a few different ways. If you are looking to reduce the calories in your wings, a great way to do it is to grill or bake your wings rather than having them deep-fried.
Traditional Korean chicken wing recipes are normally deep-fried in oil. This is how they get the skins so crispy. If you are watching your calories, you can grill your wings like in my recipe, which will also give you some nice crisp on the wings. You can also bake them in the oven, and although you will save yourself some calories as opposed to frying, you may not get your wings as crispy as you like.
I guess it’s a bit of a trade-off, frying vs. grilling vs. baking. To be honest, I grill my wings almost all the time, and everyone loves them! It’s really a matter of what you would like to do with your wings.
Korean BBQ
The full experience of Korean BBQ is super tasty if you are a little adventurous with food. They serve “Banchan”, which translates to side dishes. These are small plates similar to Spanish tapas and are served before the main course is presented, from spicy Korean kimchi, which is fermented cabbage and spices, to the classic green onion pancake or kimchijeon. Everything is prepared to wake up your taste buds!!
I remember the first time that I had Korean BBQ, like real Korean BBQ, it was amazing. We went with friends to this little restaurant, and there was a grill right in the middle of the table! You ordered, and all the meats came out raw, and you cooked them there right at the table. It was like nothing I had ever seen before!
The food was fantastic, we have been back a number of times since that first visit. We have even brought other friends to enjoy the experience too. Hopefully, when the world gets back to normal, and we can all go out to dine, we will get a chance to visit there again! Since then, we have made Grilled Korean Short Ribs many times, and we love them.
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Korean Chicken Wings on the BBQ
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings split
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup gochujang
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp sherry
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 green onions chopped for garnish
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Grill the chicken wings over medium heat until cooked, using an instant-read
thermometer, the internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. - Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining ingredients, except for the green onions and sesame seeds.
- Heat over medium heat until it starts to boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- The sauce is done when it is about the consistency of ketchup.
- In a large bowl, toss the cooked chicken wings in the sauce until they are well coated.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately.
[…] you are brushing the sauce on the chicken while it is cooking, or you are dipping the chicken or chicken wings in the BBQ sauce as you are eating it. Chicken without BBQ sauce just isn’t done in our […]