These baked Vietnamese Chicken Wings are savory and flavorful. They're crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, just like a good chicken wing should be. Best of all they are extremely easy to make and only require a few ingredients!
2poundssplit chicken wing pieces (flats and drumettes)(sometimes called party wings)
1tablespoonchopped peanuts(optional)
½tablespoonchopped cilantro(optional)
Instructions
Combine the fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and vegetable oil in a mixing bowl. You’ll have about 1 cup sauce.
Combine half of this mixture (½ cup) with the chicken wings and mix well so the wings are thoroughly coated. Transfer the remaining unused half of the marinade to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use. Refrigerate the wings and allow them to marinate for 2 to 3 hours (if you marinate longer they can become too salty).
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Arrange the chicken wings skin-side up on the pan. Bake the wings for about 30 minutes, or until crispy and lightly browned.
Meanwhile, add the unused marinade to a small saucepan, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and reduce until it thickens and starts to become syrupy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Keep a close watch, as the mixture will foam and can overflow if you don’t monitor it. Lower the heat or remove the saucepan briefly from the heat as needed to keep the foam from overflowing. The mixture will thicken more as it cools.
Once the wings are browned, remove from the oven and baste with some of the reduced marinade. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven, baste with a little more sauce, transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and cilantro, if desired. Serve.
Notes
You can marinate the wings in a large zip-top freezer bag or in a mixing bowl covered in plastic wrap. I like using a zip-top bag because it’s easy to flip the bag over a few times while marinating to ensure the wings marinate evenly.
Use a silicone brush to baste the Vietnamese chicken wings with sauce. The sauce will thicken a lot as it cools and will get stuck in the natural bristles of a standard brush.
Sprinkling the finished Vietnamese chicken wings with chopped peanuts and cilantro is a great way to add more texture, flavor, and a color contrast. The wings will be stickiest and most receptive to these additions immediately after you brush them with the last bit of glaze.