Vietnamese Chicken Wings are baked in the oven until crisp & coated in a sweet-spicy combination of soy sauce, brown sugar and sambal oelek chili paste.
Growing up near Buffalo, New York, I have definitely consumed a couple of boatloads of wings.
I’m a huge purist when it comes to Buffalo Wings. They have to be served with blue cheese (not ranch), super spicy, and, please no – do not order them boneless!!!
But, now that I’ve moved to the Pacific NW, I’ve had a really hard time finding authentic Buffalo wings.
However, I have a new obsession – Vietnamese Chicken Wings. And let me preface this post/recipe by saying that these are in no way authentic Vietnamese wings. It’s simply my take on some delicious, Vietnamese-inspired wings. And I think they’re simply delicious!
My first experience with Vietnamese Chicken Wings was at the restaurant Pok Pok – a Portland mainstay by chef and owner Andy Ricker. Served in a sweet, sticky sauce brimming with fish sauce, garlic, and fresh mint and cilantro. They’re simply delicious!
Another one of our favorite restaurants, The Schooner in Netarts, Oregon serves a variety called General Tso’s wings – and I’ve got to say, they’ve got the uber famous Pok Pok beat. If you’re ever in the area, definitely check out this place. Located right on the bay, with a fabulous view, farm fresh produce, great cocktails and a laid back beach atmosphere – The Schooner is one of our favorite restaurants, even topping any of the great eating spots in Portland.
But, I wanted to create a recipe for these Vietnamese Chicken Wings that I could create at home. And I had a couple criteria for my recipe – I wanted the ingredients to be simple and I wanted to bake my wings rather than frying them.
I’ve talked of my FOF (fear of frying) before. And, even though I’m making steps towards overcoming that fear, I’m baking these wings rather than frying. I was a bet skeptical as to whether they’d turn out crispy enough, but in fact, they turned out just as crispy as they would have if you’d fried them.
And the best part of this recipe? It only takes 5-ingredients!
How do you make Vietnamese Chicken Wings?
To make the sauce for these chicken wings, you only need four ingredients – soy sauce, brown sugar, sambal oelek chili paste and worcestershire sauce.
The combination of soy sauce and brown sugar is what gives these wings their incredible sweet & sticky glaze. The worcestershire sauce adds some extra flavor and salt, and the sambal oelek chili paste is what gives these wings their heat. I use 2 tablespoons of the chili paste for medium heat wings, but you could go down to 1/2 tablespoon for mild wings, or go up to even 3 tablespoons for extra spicy wings.
Note: For even more flavor, try swapping in some kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) for the regular soy sauce.
Since the glaze becomes so concentrated and sticky as it bakes, I’d recommend lining your pan with a Silpat, aluminum foil, or parchment paper to make the cleanup process a bit easier.
How long to bake chicken wings:
- Chicken wings take 30-40 minutes to cook and become crispy in the oven.
How to reheat chicken wings in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and crispy.
Psst. You can also make amazing wings in the air fryer! Try these air fryer Chinese Chicken Wings or air fryer Buffalo Wings.
If you loved these Vietnamese Chicken Wings I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me onInstagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
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Wine pairings for Vietnamese Chicken Wings:
- Dry Riesling, dry gewürztraminer, dry rosé, viognier and champagne are all good matches for Vietnamese dishes. These wines have a crisp brightness that goes well with the hot, chili flavors in this dish.
What to serve with them
More vietnamese inspired recipes:
Vietnamese Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken Wings
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce (Kecap Manis)
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Sambal Oelek chili paste
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
To Garnish
- Cilantro (chopped)
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place chicken on a sheet pan lined with foil. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single layer and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned (they will continue to cook after tossing with the sauce).
- While the wings roast, make the sauce. Combine the soy, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and sambal oelek.
- When the chicken is browned, transfer the wings to a large bowl. Add half the sauce and toss to coat.
- Return the wings to the lined sheet pan and arrange in a single layer. Roast for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the oven.
- Toss with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, and green onions. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2019. It was updated in 2021 to add new photographs and simplify the ingredients. Enjoy!
I love these types of wings even more than Korean Fried Chicken Wings, but only get wings when dining out because of a similar aversion to frying at home. I love that these are baked but still get crispy!
Pech – I was very pleasantly surprised at how crispy these got in the oven. Healthier too!
Your results look spectacular. Love Pok Pok’s wings. And it’s so great to be able to make them at home.
Thanks Susan! Isn’t Pok Pok great? Love it!
Yum! I love that this is under 5-ingredients. When it comes to Asian or Indian dishes I am always so intimidated by the volume of ingredients.
I agree Meredith – Definitely a plus for this recipe – Just a few ingredients that are fairly easy to find!
Well this looks delicious, pretty photos too. I have a feeling my husband would like this dish…
Thanks Jenni! I hope he enjoys it!
I love Pok Pok and really fear frying things so this is perfect, thanks!
Yay Kira – You’re telling me I’m not alone in my FOF!
Usually when I go in to a Non-Indian blog, I am so wary that half the ingredients will be stuff I can’t find here. But this is so beautifully doable. Thanks for the recipe. Pinned for later.
Of course! I hope you are able to give these a try – They’re delicious!
These look so tempting right now, and it’s midnight! Now I want Vietnamese chicken wings! Love the short list of ingredients, too. I just might have to make this soon!
Midnight snack? 😉
the problem with following your blog is that every time I do, I start drooling on my computer…
http://www.dawnehanks.com
Ha Ha – We may need a keyboard protector Dawne 😉
They look fantastic! Can I come over for dinner? I don’t feel like cooking at all today but so so so so wish I could take a bite of those right now!
Anything that involves Worcestershire sauce and cilantro must be good!
Those are two of my favorite ingredients Jessica!
I just made these, it was a huge hit with everyone! Extra bonus, baked not fried. So tender, and meat just fell off the bones!
Yay – I’m so glad everyone loved them Patti!
how did I not know you were from Buffalo, I am a Buffalo girl too – now living in Cali, but still a Buffalo girl at heart – and I am a total wing snob, but these sounds absolutely amazing
Buffalo gals 🙂 How cool Heather!
You had me at Vietnamese, Erin–plus at anything that’d go so beautifully with Gewurztraminer! Here’s to you! 🙂
Vietnamese food has some great flavors. It’s no wonder you found yourself moving onto this niche after finding no true placement for your authentic favorite back home.
What makes these wings Vietnamese?
Kecap Manis as well as Ssmbal
Oelek are both Malaysian ingredients.
These wings are sooooo good!!! The sauce recipe multiplies really well too. I made 4.5 lbs wings so I multiplied the ingredients by 3 and it was perfect!
I’m so happy to hear that – Thanks Ciru!
Have been making those for years. A staple in our family. So good and crispy without the aftertaste of fried food guilt. Thanks!
You are so welcome Madeline! I’m glad you like them!
Popping out to my local Vietnamese grocery that I love shopping @ today to get the needed ingredients.
Your recipe looks delish !!
I’m also considering using gochujang instead of the sambal oleok for another time of making these. Thank you for the delicious recipes.
You’re welcome Stephanie! Thanks for stopping by!