Spicy Thai chicken wings rocking the flavours of sweet chilli sauce, lemongrass, fish sauce, basil & dried mint then baked in the oven.

The sticky spicy Thai-inspired sauce is added to the crisp chicken wings right at the end, you will definitely not like sharing these. Also features air fryer instructions.

Sticky spicy Thai inspired chicken wings with green onion served in a white bowl.

Sweet Chilli Chicken Wings

I love wings, I don't care what is on them, I will not stop eating until there are none left. These sticky spicy Thai chicken wings are my latest obsession!

As social media drives us to proclaim everything as the "best ever" and wrap our lives in hyperbole, it seems hard to believe that many variants can be glorious.

Well, I'm a pluralist when it comes to food and deeply love all of my wing recipes, whether that be my date and harissa wings, Korean inspired chicken wings, South African influenced peri peri chicken wings, sticky honey and sriracha chicken wings or my lemon pepper chicken wings.

This recipe plays with common hot wing or buffalo wings ideas and introduces Thai influences. Flavours like sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce, mint, basil and lemongrass.

You will get similar flavour sensations in this dish as you do with my Thai Cashew chicken stir fry, Thai minced pork and Thai beef salad, but wrapped around the majesty of crispy chicken wings.

I am certainly not afraid of fried food, as my properly crispy fried chicken wings demonstrate, but these chicken wings are oven-baked.

It makes them a little less of an indulgence but no less of a star in the flavour department.

Overhead sticky spicy Thai inspired chicken wings with green onion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to cook these wings?

9 times out of 10, I cook these wings in the oven; it is nice and simple. Although my recent addition of an air fryer makes that a significantly quicker option that I have begun to use more often.

I love frying wings, but maintaining a fryer is a headache, and I only use mine as a treat! So I would say fried is best, but it is my least favourite way to cook them, go figure!

Why the combination of basil and mint?

Thai basil has a glorious flavour that is a little bit different to regular basil. That flavour almost has a minty kinda vibe, I personally think that it has a peppermint vibe.

Combining dried basil and dried mint invokes that rough flavour, and it works really well in this recipe.

Do I have to use fish sauce?

No, you can substitute light soy sauce if you wish, keep the amount the same. The flavour will not be the same, but it will season the sauce appropriately.

Can I use this on a different type of chicken?

Yes, it is probably best on chicken drummers. For timings, see my sticky chicken drumsticks recipe. But you could use it on any piece of chicken.

Sticky spicy Thai inspired chicken wings with green onion.

Serving Suggestions

My go-to accompaniment to chicken wings is potato wedges, and these Thai wings are no different.

However, the Thai flavours do lend themselves to a broader set of flavours.

They would work exceptionally well with pickles; something like pickled daikon or even my spicy cucumber salad would work wonderfully.

If you want to go for a salad, then this Thai watermelon salad would work a treat!

Sticky spicy Thai chicken wings with green onion served in a white bowl.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

Oven, deep fat fryer or air fryer.
Hob/stovetop.
15cm or 6" saucepan.
Chopping board.
Kitchen knife.
A combination of weighing scales and measuring spoons.
Large food-safe bag.
Kitchen paper.

Sticky Thai Chicken Wings Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Oven baked sticky Thai chicken wings feature fantastic Thai flavours fused with the ideas and techniques behind classic Buffalo hot wings!

Main Course

European

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 5

Servings Servings

Calories 947kcal

Author Brian Jones

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Ingredients

For the Chicken:

10-12 Whole Chicken Wings 900g
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 teaspoon Dried Chilli Flakes
1 teaspoon Dried Basil
½ teaspoon Dried Mint

For the Hot Sauce

50 g Sweet Chilli Sauce 3-4 tablespoon
30 g Honey 1½ tablespoon
1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Fish Sauce
2 tablespoon White Vinegar
1 teaspoon Lemongrass Paste

Instructions

Separate your chicken wings into winglets and drummettes and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Place them into a large bag and add the remaining ingredients for the chicken. Blow the bag up like a balloon and shake well to coat.
Arrange the chicken on a baking grid "skin side" down.
Roast in the oven at 130ºC or 250ºF for 30 minutes.
Flip the chicken and turn up the oven to 200ºC or 400ºF and cook for another 30 minutes.
Mix all of the ingredients for the hot sauce in a 15cm or 6" saucepan and reduce by half over a medium-high heat. This should take around 15 minutes.
Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour over the sauce, and stir with a spoon to coat.

Air Fryer Instructions:

Prepare the wings in the same manner as indicated above.
Spray the basket of the air fryer with oil.
Cook for 20 minutes at 180° or 200°F, shaking halfway through and when finished.
Turn the heat up to 200°C or 400°F and cook for a final 7 minutes.
Then coat with the sauce.

Deep Fryer Instructions:

Prepare the wings by cutting and patting them dry.
Season the wings with plain salt rather than with the dry ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients into the sauce to mix, with the exception of garlic salt, which should be replaced by dried garlic flakes or garlic granules.
Fry the wings in oil at 190°C or 375°F for 8-10 minutes.
Drain the wings, then coat them in the sticky sauce.