Spicy Chicken Wings with Chili Crisp

Succulent, crispy, and juicy, these chili crisp chicken wings make a perfect appetizer or snack when you're craving some heat! Chicken wings are marinated in a super flavorful combination of ginger, garlic, sesame, and soy sauce, enhanced with chili crisp and sriracha. They're baked until crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, then drizzled with extra chili crisp for a wing recipe that'll have everyone coming back for more.

Chicken wings with a spicy twist

If you peruse through the appetizer section on The Cozy Apron, you might just notice quite a few chicken wings recipes with a fun and tasty twist.

We've got a recipe for Korean BBQ-style Coca-Cola Chicken Wings, sweet-n-spicy Orange Chicken Wings, Crispy Baked Chicken Wings Tandoori Style with notes of curry, or even crispy Vietnamese Fried Chicken! Our family definitely has a soft spot for super flavorful wings.

Which is why it makes sense that I'm presenting you with yet another delectable recipe in these spicy chicken wings with chili crisp!

For those of you who appreciate a spicy kick when it comes to your chicken wings (my own hand raised high), this spicy chicken wings recipe is sure to tantalize your tastebuds, and in a really zippy way!

For this chicken wings recipe here, drumettes (or wingettes, or a combo of both) are marinated in a super flavorful combination of fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili crisp and a touch of sriracha for a couple of hours.

The result?

These wings emerge delectably juicy and tender, absolutely brimming with all of those Asian-inspired flavors, in each incredibly savory bite.

And because I'm a huge fan of homemade chili crisp, these chicken wings get an additional drizzle of it after baking for some added zip!

My recipe for spicy chicken wings with chili crisp

When it comes to preparing homemade chicken wings, I often like to use my trusty oven to do the baking and the crisping here...

I set it to a nice, high temp (think 450°), which allows the wings to bake and become super golden-brown and crispy on the outside, perhaps even with a some “char” (love that flavor), yet tender and succulent on the inside.

The secret to all that flavor lies in the aromatic marinade: fresh ginger, garlic, sesame, and soy sauce provide the base, while rice vinegar adds brightness and a combination of chili crisp and sriracha brings the heat.

Allowing the chicken wings to marinate for a couple of hours really allows the meat to soak those flavors in, and if you have extra time, or prepping these ahead, then marinating overnight is even better.

Here's a sneak peek at my spicy chicken wings with chili crisp recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I combine all my aromatic ingredients in a food processor to create a flavorful marinade.
2. Next, into a large bowl go the wings and marinade, where I toss them to coat well, then marinate at least 2 hours, though overnight gives you the most flavor.
3. Next, the wings go onto a wire rack and into a hot oven (450°) until they're beautifully crispy and caramelized.
4. I serve the spicy chicken wings nice and hot, with a drizzle of extra chili crisp and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

Recipe

Spicy Chicken Wings with Chili Crisp

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These spicy chicken wings are marinated in flavorful aromatics, then baked until extra crispy, and drizzled with chili crisp!

Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: Asian-American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 400 calories (per serving, about 4 wings)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 (2 inch) pieces of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons chili crisp, plus extra for drizzling/serving
• 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha
• 2 ½ to 3 pounds chicken wings (drumettes, wings or combo)
• Cilantro leaves or green onion, for garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above so they're ready and organized.
2. Add the chopped ginger, smashed garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, 1 ½ tablespoons chili crisp, and sriracha to a food processor. Process until smooth and well blended.
3. Place the chicken into a large bowl and pour the marinade over it, using your hands to massage the marinade into the wings to coat them well. Allow the chicken wings to marinate for at least 2 hours, even overnight if you have the time.
4. Once the chicken wings have marinated, preheat your oven to 450°. Line a sheet pan with foil and set a wire rack over top. Allow any excess marinade to drip off of the chicken wings, then place them onto the wire rack in a single layer.
5. Bake the chicken wings for 30 minutes on the lower middle rack of the oven until deeply browned, caramelized, and crispy. (You can even hit them with the broiler for a minute or so if you want them extra crispy and charred.)
6. Remove the spicy chicken wings from the wire rack and place onto a serving platter. Add a drizzle of chili crisp over the wings, then top with cilantro and/or green onion for garnish. Serve with extra chili crisp on the side.

Tips & Tidbits for my spicy chicken wings with chili crisp recipe:

• Chicken wings or drumettes, or combo of both: You can purchase chicken wings and cut them at the joint yourself to create drumettes and smaller wing pieces, or simply purchase all drumettes or all wing pieces, if you desire.
• Chili crisp in the marinade: I love to use a touch of chili crisp directly in the marinade (as well as a finishing oil) for some kick. So I use my homemade chili crisp recipe for that (though store bought is fine too), as well as some sriracha. If you like things less spicy, then add less, according to your taste. Conversely, if you like even more heat, add as much as your palate can take!
• Give some time for marination for best flavor: The aromatic ingredients that I'm using here are super flavorful and give lots of delicious umami notes to the chicken wings. So allow for at least 2 hours of marination for really good flavor, 4 hours for more, or even overnight for the best flavor.

Hungry for more succulent chicken wings recipes? Check out my recipe for Baked Chicken Wings, Tandoori Style, Spicy Orange Chicken Wings, or even my recipe Coca Cola Chicken Wings!