Once I Started Making Chicken Wings Like This, I've Never Made Them Another Way (2024)

Recipes

Jan Valdez

published Jun 8, 2024

summer

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Once I Started Making Chicken Wings Like This, I've Never Made Them Another Way (1)

Move over, Buffalo sauce: There’s a new wing sauce in town. It’s spicy and sweet with a fresh kick of ginger.

Serves4 to 6Prep10 minutes to 15 minutesCook25 minutes to 30 minutes

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Why You’ll Love It

One simple ingredient combo makes them extra crispy. The key to crispy wings is tossing them in a bit of baking powder and cornstarch before grilling, which helps absorb some of the moisture and encourages browning.
It’s all about the sauce. The gochujang butter sauce is sweet and spicy with a kick of fresh ginger and soy sauce. Move over, Buffalo sauce — this is the wing sauce you’ll want to add to your roster.

Key Ingredients in Gochujang Butter Grilled Wings

Chicken wings: Separate the chicken wings into drumettes and flats, and freeze the wing tips for homemade stock.
Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder is aluminum-free.
Cornstarch: Along with the baking powder, cornstarch helps crisp up the wings.
Ginger: Fresh ginger is best, but you can use ginger paste as a substitute.
Butter: Use unsalted butter.
Honey: This gives the sauce its sticky sweetness. If you like a spicier sauce, use hot honey!
Gochujang (Korean chile paste): This fermented red pepper paste is big on flavor with a kick of heat.

How to Make Gochujang Butter Grilled Wings

Make the wings. Toss the wings in baking powder, cornstarch, and kosher salt. Grill the wings over direct, medium heat until cooked through and the skin is evenly browned and crisp.
Make the sauce. Cook the garlic and ginger in butter until fragrant, whisk in the remaining ingredients, and cook until the sauce is warmed through.
Toss the grilled wings in the sauce. Toss evenly to coat, and garnish with thinly sliced scallion and sesame seeds.

Other Ways to Cook Gochujang Butter Chicken Wings

To grill indirect: Heat an outdoor grill for indirect, medium heat (400ºF to 425ºF). Place the wings in a single layer with space between each one on the indirect heat side of the grill. Cover and cook until the top of the wings are golden-brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip the wings. Cover and cook until the second side is golden-brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes more.
To bake: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Bake until the top of the wings are golden-brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip the wings. Bake until the second side is golden-brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Gochujang Butter Grilled Wings Recipe

Move over, Buffalo sauce: There’s a new wing sauce in town. It’s spicy and sweet with a fresh kick of ginger.

Prep time 10 minutes to 15 minutes

Cook time 25 minutes to 30 minutes

Serves 4 to 6

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the chicken:

3 pounds
chicken wings, preferably party wings
2 teaspoons
baking powder
2 teaspoons
cornstarch
1 teaspoon
kosher salt

For the sauce and serving:

2 cloves
garlic
1 (1-inch) piece
ginger
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter
1/4 cup
honey
2 tablespoons
gochujang (Korean chile paste)
2 tablespoons
soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon
plus 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon
toasted sesame oil
1
medium scallion, thinly sliced (optional)
White sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Make the wings:

Heat an outdoor grill for direct, medium heat (350ºF to 375ºF).
Prepare 3 pounds chicken wings if the wings are whole and not yet separated: Use a chef’s knife or kitchen shears to cut through the first joint of the wing and remove the wing tip. Discard or freeze the wing tips for stock. Cut through the second joint to separate the wing into forearm (flat) and upper arm (drumette) portions.
Pat the wings dry with paper towels and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss with your hands to evenly coat the wings.
When the grill is ready, scrape the grates clean. Grilling in batches if needed, place the wings on the grill in a single layer with space between each one. Cover and grill, flipping every 5 minutes, until cooked through and the skin is evenly browned and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. About 10 minutes before the wings are ready, make the sauce.

Make the sauce:

Mince 2 garlic cloves. Peel and finely grate 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger until you have 1 tablespoon. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. Whisk until combined and cook until warmed through, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat. (Alternatively, place the butter, garlic, and ginger in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals until the butter is melted.)
When the wings are ready, transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with the sauce and toss evenly to coat. Garnish with 1 thinly sliced medium scallion and white sesame seeds if desired.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The chicken wings can be tossed with the kosher salt, baking powder, and cornstarch, arranged in a single layer on a wire rack, and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead before cooking.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the upper third of a 400°F oven until heated through and the skin is crisp, about 10 minutes.

Filed in:

Chicken

poultry

winter

appetizer

Grilling

Ingredient