Chinese take-out fried chicken wings are just the same as regular old fried chicken, right?
Wrong. This fried chicken wings recipe is special. They have a feather-light, crispy coating, and they’re incredibly juicy and flavorful—perfectly seasoned.
In the 10 years since we first posted this recipe, so many readers have been amazed at the fact that they’ve been able to make the best Chinese takeout wings they’ve ever eaten—in their own kitchens!
I remember my father used to make a tray full of wings piled high each day at our Chinese restaurant. He never wrote down the recipe. This special deep-fried chicken wing recipe was in his head, and he could make them in his sleep if he had to.
They were pre-fried in the morning and re-fried to order throughout the day. Those mountains would turn into molehills real fast during the lunch, dinner and late night rush hours.
Once a week, at the end of the night, we would toss a few into the fryer and serve them with our dinner. No matter what we were having, they were always a favorite.
The importance of double-frying wings
These chicken wings are best when they are fried twice. After frying for the first time, the chicken coating will lose its crispiness quickly because of the juices in the chicken.
It’s best to let them rest for a period after the first fry to let the juices settle back inside the chicken wing.
Once they are cooled but still warm, you can return them to the fryer for a second time so they get nice and crispy on the outside. The length of time for the second frying depends on whether you’re refrying when they are still warm, allowed them to cool, or if you have refrigerated them and brought them back up to room temperature.
The second fry really makes a difference, and trust me, all Chinese takeout restaurants follow this practice.
What do I serve with Fried Chicken Wings?
Serve these tasty fried chicken wings on a nice bed of roast pork fried rice or vegetable fried rice. For me, I actually prefer a bed of white rice with some hot sauce or spicy hot oil. But hey, that’s just me.
So the next time you have a hankering for fried anything and are about to fire up a pot of oil, try this take-out fried chicken wings recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments!
How to Make Fried Chicken Wings
Combine chicken wings, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, salt, sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and egg in a large mixing bowl. Mix everything to evenly coat the wings. Next, add the cornstarch and all-purpose flour and mix again to coat the wings.
Let the wings marinate for 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight for best results. (If you refrigerate the wings, be sure to let them come to room temperature again before cooking).
After marinating, if it looks like there is liquid in the bowl, be sure to mix them thoroughly again. The wings should be well-coated with a thin batter-like coating.
If it still looks too watery, add a bit more corn starch and flour. Cornstarch is a key ingredient for these fried chicken wings. For more information, see our post How to use Cornstarch in Chinese cooking.
Fill a medium pot about 2/3 of the way up with oil, and heat it to 325°F/160°C.
Our recommended instant read thermometer
The ThermoWorks Thermapen® ONE instant read thermometer is a staple in our kitchen. It gives a temperature reading in one second and is accurate to ±0.5°F (±0.3°C). (We are a ThermoWorks affiliate partner, and we earn a small commission if you purchase through the affiliate link above.)
It makes monitoring oil temperature, baked goods, and internal meat temperatures a breeze. Use it for recipes like our chili oil, our egg rolls, shrimp egg foo young (or pork egg foo young), and notoriously finicky Chinese sesame balls (where accuracy is key to good results and safe frying).
Fry the wings in small batches for 5 minutes and remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towels. After all the wings are fried, wait for about 10 minutes, then return them in batches to the oil and fry again for 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack.
Serve your Chinese fried chicken wings with your favorite hot sauce. See below for a tutorial video on our YouTube channel, and for the full recipe card!
Watch Bill Make These Chicken Wings!
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Recipe
Fried Chicken Wings, Chinese Takeout-Style
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds whole chicken wings (about 10-12 wings, washed and pat dry)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Combine chicken wings, black pepper, white pepper, garlic powder, salt, sugar, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil and egg in a large mixing bowl. Mix everything until the wings are well-coated. Next, add the cornstarch and all purpose flour and mix again until the wings are coated.
- Let the wings marinate for 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight for best results. (If you refrigerate the wings, be sure to let them come to room temperature again before cooking).
- After marinating, if it looks like there is liquid in the bowl, be sure to mix them thoroughly again. The wings should be well coated with a thin batter-like coating. If it still looks too watery, add a bit more cornstarch and flour.
- Fill a medium pot or wok about two thirds of the way up with oil, and heat it to 325°F/160°C.
- Fry the wings in small batches for 5 minutes and remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towels. After all of the wings are fried, allow them to rest for about 10 minutes, then return them in batches to the oil, and fry again for 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels or a cooling rack, and serve!
Nutrition Facts
