Description
This Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings recipe features crispy fried wings seasoned with aromatic garlic, ginger, and Shaoxing wine marinade, then topped with a spicy, fragrant chile and garlic mixture. Perfect as a flavorful appetizer or main dish, these wings offer a delightful balance of heat and savory notes with a satisfying crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken
- ¾ cup Shaoxing wine (or sake, dry sherry, dry white wine, or beer as substitutes)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ½ pounds chicken wings
- 1 cup potato starch (or cornstarch, sweet potato starch)
- 2 to 3 cups neutral-flavored oil for frying (safflower, sunflower seed, peanut, canola, corn, vegetable, or grapeseed oil)
For the Chile Topping
- 4 to 6 chiles (such as serrano, red or green, or a combination, thinly sliced; use bell peppers if no heat desired)
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon Szechuan pepper-salt (or kosher salt and ground black or white pepper as substitutes)
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: In a large bowl, combine Shaoxing wine, minced ginger, minced garlic, and kosher salt. Stir to mix well. Add chicken wings to the marinade and toss to coat thoroughly. Let the mixture marinate for at least 20 minutes or refrigerate overnight for more flavor.
- Heat the Oil: In a large, heavy skillet, heat 2 to 3 cups of neutral oil until shimmering and reaching about 350°F. This temperature is ideal for frying chicken to a crispy golden brown.
- Coat the Chicken: Remove the marinated chicken from the bowl, discarding the marinade. Toss the wings with potato starch to coat them evenly, shaking off any excess starch to avoid clumping in the oil.
- Fry the Chicken: Carefully drop 5 to 7 coated chicken wings into the hot oil without overcrowding the pan. Fry for approximately 5 minutes on one side until golden brown, then flip and cook another 5 minutes until evenly golden. Remove the wings and drain on paper towels. Repeat in batches until all wings are cooked.
- Prepare the Chile Topping: In a separate heavy skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter until it foams. Add the thinly sliced chiles and garlic, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the chiles begin to brown and the aroma develops.
- Assemble and Serve: Place the fried chicken wings on a serving platter. Pour the cooked chile and garlic mixture over the wings. Sprinkle with ground white pepper and Szechuan pepper-salt. Serve immediately for the best flavor and crispness.
Notes
- If Shaoxing wine is unavailable, substitute with sake, dry sherry, dry white wine, or beer.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into chunks can be used instead of wings; cook for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Potato starch is preferred for frying as commonly used in East Asian cooking; cornstarch or sweet potato starch are good alternatives.
- For Szechuan pepper-salt substitutes, use kosher salt mixed with ground black or white pepper.
- Use any high-smoke-point, neutral oil suitable for frying such as safflower, sunflower seed, peanut, canola, corn, vegetable, or grapeseed oil.
- Choose chiles based on desired spiciness: serrano for medium heat, Thai chiles for high heat, or bell peppers for no heat.
- Szechuan pepper-salt can be homemade or purchased from Asian markets or online.
Keywords: salt and pepper chicken wings, Chinese fried chicken, spicy chicken wings, Szechuan chicken, garlic chicken wings