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Korean Chicken Wings with a Gochujang Glaze

Korean chicken wings with a sticky honey and gochujang glaze given a lift with some kimchi juice, a perfect and spicy finger-licking treat.

This recipe contains instructions to oven bake, air fry and even cook these sticky wings on a BBQ.

Korean influenced chicken wings served with French fries and kimchi.

Spicy Gochujang Chicken Wings

I love me some sticky spicy wings, my site is littered with them, I have everything from Thai inspired chicken wings, to pineapple wings with jalapeno and mango wings with habanero chillies and South African influenced peri peri chicken wings.

My latest offering leans on the flavours of Korean cuisine.

They are flavoured with garlic, ginger, and sweet gochugaru chilli flakes before being cooked.

Then they are given a sweet and sticky glaze rocking a glorious Korean chilli paste called gochujang.

I use it in all sorts of dishes that include Korean inspired pork belly, kimchi chicken leg, Korean-influenced fried chicken burger, Korean grilled salmon and steamed gochujang chicken breast recipes.

The glaze gets some sweetness from honey, sourness from Kimchi juice and saltiness from a good splash of fish sauce.

Like most of my wing recipes I offer 3 different cooking methods for these Korean chicken wings.

So whether you want to oven-bake them, air fry them or even cook them on the BBQ you are good to go!

Close up Korean chicken wings showing the meat inside a cooked wing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are gochugaru chilli flakes?

They are an archetypal Korean ingredient and one that is difficult to emulate with any other substitution.

They are vibrant in colour but actually quite sweet and mild in taste and add a unique flavour to dishes that they are used in.

Can I use soy sauce instead of fish sauce?

Yes, at a push, but be sure to use light soy sauce and not dark soy sauce.

What is kimchi juice?

It’s nothing more than the liquid used to ferment kimchi. It really is the important in this recipe and adds a great deal to the glaze.

Either make some or pick a jar up at the supermarket, it is delicious. If you do not want to serve the kimchi as a side, use it to make my Korean influenced gochujang tofu stew.

Which is the best cooking method?

In terms of pure flavour then the BBQ wins hands down, but you have the whole BBQ “thing” to deal with.

After that, I would choose the air fryer followed by the oven. However, I cook these in the oven more often than not because I can slide some fries or wedges in at the same time and save on cooking costs.

Overhead Korean influenced chicken wings served with fries and kimchi.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve these spicy Korean influenced chicken wings with some French fries and a bowl of kimchi.

I usually cook my French fries in an air fryer but throw them in the oven when I cook this recipe on the level below the wings.

Potato wedges or even cheesy fried polenta chips also make great side dishes for these wings.

If you want a salad to serve on the side, then my spicy cucumber salad would be the perfect addition, or you could stick with the Korean theme and give this carrot salad a whirl.

Finally how about some pickles, I have a pickled daikon recipe that would be perfect!

Close up Korean influenced chicken wings served with kimchi.

Equipment Used

I do not usually recommend specific brands of equipment unless I think that it will genuinely help. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Sharp kitchen knife.
  • Chopping board.
  • Measuring spoons.
  • Mixing bowl.
  • Baking tray with a baking rack.
  • Small (16cm or 6″) saucepan.
  • Stovetop.
  • Oven, Air fryer or BBQ.
Korean influenced chicken wings served with French fries, kimchi and spring onions.
Yield: 2 Servings

Korean Chicken Wings Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Sticky Korean influenced chicken wings flavoured with garlic, ginger and gochugaru chilli flakes in a spicy gochujang and honey glaze.

Ingredients

  • 10 Chicken Wings
  • 1 Tsp Gochugaru Korean Chilli Flakes
  • 1 Tsp Onion Granules
  • ½ Tsp Garlic Granules
  • ½ Tsp Ground Ginger
  • ½ Tsp Black Pepper
  • ½ Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Gochujang
  • 3 Tbsp Kimchi Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp (40g) Honey

Instructions

  1. Cut the chicken wings into drumettes and winglets and dry them well on some kitchen paper.
  2. Combine the Korean chilli flakes, onion granules, garlic granules, ground ginger, salt and pepper in a bowl with the toasted sesame oil.
  3. Place the chicken wings into a bowl, pour over the spice paste and then mix well to coat.
  4. Place the gochujang, liquid from the kimchi, fish sauce and honey in a saucepan and gently heat whilst the chicken wings cook.

How to Cook in an Air Fryer

  1. Place the chicken wings in the air fryer and cook at 130ºC or 250ºF for 20 minutes.
  2. Give the wings a shake and turn the temperature up to 200°C or 400°F and cook for a further 10 minutes.
  3. Remove the wings and place them in a bowl toss them to coat in the sauce, then return them, to the air fryer and cook for a final 2-5 minutes.

How to Oven Bake

  1. Place the chicken wings on a baking rack over a baking tray (lining the tray with foil helps with cleaning later), and bake at 130ºC or 250ºF for 30 minutes.
  2. Remove the wings and flip them over on the backing rack, turn the oven up to 200°C or 400°F and cook for a further 20 minutes.
  3. Remove the wings and place them in a bowl toss them to coat in the sauce, then return to the baking rack and drop them in the oven for a final 5-10 minutes.

How to Cook on a Grill or BBQ

  1. Set up your BBQ with direct and indirect heat sections. You want to preheat the BBQ to around 250ºC or 485ºF.
  2. Place the wings over the indirect heat section, close the lid and cook for 25-30 minutes. You want the internal temperature of the wings to reach 65-70°C or 150-160°F.
  3. Remove the wings and place them in a bowl toss them to coat in the sauce, then return to the direct heat section of the heat and cook to get a nice glaze. This will take 1-2 minutes on each side. Be sure to check that the chicken has reached 73°C or 165°F before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 632Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 2862mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 24g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

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