Sweet and Salty Baked Chicken Wings

Soy sauce is all you need to bring the salty to these wings, and sugar and honey provide just the right balance—one in the marinade, one in the sauce. Garlic and ginger simply make anything (and everything) better.

Serves 4-5

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided
• 2 Thai chiles, finely chopped, divided
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped, divided
• 1/2 cup soy sauce, divided
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 20 large chicken wing halves (drums and flappers), 3 to 3-1/2 lbs
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• sesame seeds, for garnish

Preparation

1. Combine 1/2 the garlic, 1/2 the chiles, 1/2 the ginger, 1/4 cup soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar in a large bowl. Add the wings and turn several times to coat. Cover and chill 2 hours, turning wings again after 1 hour.

Garlic, Chiles, and Ginger 

Marinade Mixture 

Chicken in Marinade

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a large, shallow baking pan with parchment paper. (The wings may stick to uncoated foil.)
2. Remove the wings from the marinade and place on the baking pan. (Discard marinade.) Bake until nearly cooked through, about 40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes.

After 20 Minutes 

After 40 Minutes

1. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the remaining garlic, chiles, and ginger, remaining soy sauce, chicken broth, honey, and vinegar. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the honey. Reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Remove the wings from the oven (leave the oven on) and place them in the pan with the sauce. Use tongs to turn several times, coating completely.
3. Place the wings back on the baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake until the sauce begins to char in spots and the wings are cooked through, 8-10 minutes, turning once.

Sauce Mixture 

Baked Wings

Transfer the wings to a large platter and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Sweet and Salty Baked Chicken Wings