Pok Pok Wings (Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings)
Published Oct 27, 2024
Updated Mar 03, 2025
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Easy Pok Pok wings—Vietnamese fish sauce wings—are super tasty and totally addictive! With crispy skin and juicy meat packed with savory, sweet, and tangy flavors, they’re perfect for game days, gatherings, or whenever you’re craving something seriously delicious.
Table of Contents
Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings Recipe
A few years back, Pok Pok originated in Portland and was all the rage in the U.S. food scene. The name “Pok Pok” even sounds like the pestle hitting a mortar while making Som Tam, that yummy Thai Green Papaya Salad. The wings there were famous for their crispy skin and that irresistible savory-sweet glaze, which became the heart of Pok Pok’s popularity. Even though Pok Pok has permanently closed, you can still enjoy these delicious chicken wings at home with this copycat Pok Pok wings recipe!
I came across a recipe for “Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings,” named after the chef who created them, and it seemed easy enough. I gathered all the ingredients, marinated the wings, deep-fried them, and slathered them in that sticky glaze. The result? My kitchen smelled incredible, and I had my own version of Pok Pok wings right at home.
They turned out crispy and packed with flavor, with the perfect mix of salty and sweet and a tasty garlicky kick from the deep-fried garlic. I was hooked! The only part I was a little iffy about was reusing the marinade as a glaze after tossing it with the wings. Even though the sauce is boiled to ensure it’s safe, I decided to tweak it a bit in my version to feel more comfortable with the process.
I’m excited to share this copycat recipe with you! With minimal prep time, simple ingredients, and just four easy steps, you can whip up your own delicious Vietnamese fish sauce wings at home.
Why This Recipe Works
- Addictive flavor. The mix of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors from the Vietnamese fish sauce is just too good to resist.
- Crispy texture. You’ll get that perfect crispy skin that everyone craves—nothing beats a good crunch!
- Easy to make. With minimal prep time and just a few simple steps, you can whip these up without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Just like the real deal. You can count on this copycat recipe to give you delicious wings with the same awesome flavor and texture just like Pok Pok Wing restaurant, which unfortunately shuttered.
Pok Pok Wings Ingredients
- Chicken wings
- Fish sauce – gives the wings that essential umami flavor.
- Sugar – creates that delicious sticky glaze that makes the Pok Pok wings so irresistible.
- Mint
- Garlic
- Cilantro
- Cornstarch – the secret ingredient for getting those wings nice and crispy.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Pok Pok Wings
(Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings)
First, grab a bowl and whisk together the fish sauce, sugar, and crushed garlic. Then, toss in the wings and make sure they’re well coated. Pop them in the fridge for about 3 hours, giving them a stir now and then to soak up all that flavor.
Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Toss in the minced garlic and let it cook until it turns a nice golden color—this should take about 3 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn! Once it’s ready, scoop it out and let it drain on some paper towels.
Grab a large pot and heat about 2 inches of oil to 350°F (176°C). While that’s heating up, pat the wings dry with paper towels—this helps them get extra crispy. Don’t toss the marinade; you’ll need it later! Now, pour some cornstarch into a shallow bowl, add the wings, and give them a good toss so they’re evenly coated. Fry them in batches (don’t overcrowd the pot) for about 10 minutes, until they’re golden and cooked through. Once done, drain them on paper towels and transfer to a bowl.
Pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Let it cook for about 5 minutes until it thickens up and gets nice and syrupy. Once it’s ready, strain it over the wings and toss them so they’re completely coated in that flavorful sauce. Now for the best part—top everything with the crispy fried garlic, chopped cilantro, and mint. Serve them up right away while they’re hot and extra delicious!
Pro Tips For Home Cooks
- Get a good quality fish sauce as it is the umami bomb in this recipe. I recommend Red Boat Fish Sauce or Megachef Fish Sauce.
- Before you marinate, give the chicken wings a good pat with paper towels to dry them off. This little step helps you get that crispy skin when frying.
- The fried garlic brings fantastic flavor to the wings, so definitely don’t leave it out!
- Don’t try to fry all the wings at once! Overcrowding the pan can drop the oil temperature and leave you with soggy wings.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can marinate the wings a day in advance and keep them in the fridge. However, it’s best to fry them fresh right before serving to maintain their crispiness.
Absolutely! Preheat your air fryer to 360°F (182°C), then cook the marinated wings in a single layer for about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Just keep an eye on them, as cooking times can vary depending on your air fryer model.
Yes! Bake them at 400°F (200°C) for about 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until they’re crispy and cooked through.
If you want to kick up the heat, try adding sriracha or your favorite hot sauce to the marinade.
This recipe is only 368 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Pok Pok Wings
For a wholesome Vietnamese meal, I recommend the following recipes:
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Pok Pok Wings (Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup superfine sugar (caster sugar)
- 8 cloves garlic, 5 crushed and 3 minced
- 1 1/2 pounds (750g) chicken wings
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped mint
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the fish sauce, sugar, and crushed garlic. Add the wings and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 3 hours, tossing the wings occasionally.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet. Add the minced garlic and cook over moderate heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Drain the garlic on paper towels.
- In a large pot, heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F (176°C). Pat the wings dry with paper towels and reserve the marinade. Place the cornstarch in a shallow bowl, add the wings, and turn to coat. Fry the wings in batches until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and transfer to a bowl.
- In a small saucepan, simmer the reserved marinade over moderately high heat until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Strain it over the wings and toss to coat. Top with cilantro, mint, and fried garlic, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Before you marinate, give the chicken wings a good pat with paper towels to dry them off. This little step helps you get that crispy skin when frying.
- The fried garlic brings fantastic flavor to the wings, so definitely don’t leave it out!
- Don’t try to fry all the wings at once! Overcrowding the pan can drop the oil temperature and leave you with soggy wings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I haven’t made this yet but will certainly be making this very soon.
It sounds delicious 😋😋
I live in Canada and had wings very similar to these from a tiny local Vietnamese restaurant last week. They were so delicious i just had to go looking for a recipe. Do you think this recipe could work in an air fryer?
I think so.
Pho Nho in Toronto?
No, superfine sugar is the same as fruit sugar. It is the finest granulated sugar.
I live in Canada and had wings very similar to these from a tiny local Vietnamese restaurant last week. They were so delicious i just had to go looking for a recipe. Do you think this recipe could work in an air fryer?
I’ve made these wings three times now and continue to love them. I live in Portland and have been to PokPok plenty of times and still think these taste as good if not better. I want to add a suggestion for folks – go ahead and double the marinade so when you boil it down for sauce you gave enough.
These are good, but I find the original method of letting the minced garlic soak in water overnight, then using the strained garlic water as part of the marinade (but keeping the garlic to fry), imparts more flavour. It’s a bit more time consuming, but worth it in my opinion.
Sure you can try the original method.
These are good, but I find the original method of letting the minced garlic soak in water overnight, then using the strained garlic water as part of the marinade (but keeping the garlic to fry), imparts more flavour. It’s a bit more time consuming, but worth it in my opinion.
Absolutely delicious! In actually like these better than the Pok Pok wings. Wow.
Awesome thanks so much!
I’ve made these wings three times now and continue to love them. I live in Portland and have been to PokPok plenty of times and still think these taste as good if not better. I want to add a suggestion for folks – go ahead and double the marinade so when you boil it down for sauce you gave enough.
Hi Sohjo, thanks for your comment!! Please try more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
is superfine sugar icing sugar?
Ya. But really. He stole the recipe from his ex. She runs Nongs Khao Man Gai in Portland. The wings are fantastic but Andy is also kinda a prick.
Haha Ruth. I worked for Andy and w Nong, and he certainly didn’t “steal” it to rom Nong, Ike, or anyone for that matter.’m quite certain your timeline is missing about 15 years. And though I haven’t worked there in over a decade, he’s certainly not a prick. Beyond all his culinary success, he was way in front re : recycling,, composting and most importantly sourcing these products himself. Just one example of many contributions.
awww… someone has a crush! I hope he likes you back.
No, superfine sugar is the same as fruit sugar. It is the finest granulated sugar.
Since I have the butterball turkey fryer I was able to make a nice quantity of crispy fried wings. I keep it out in my mancave (garage) so as to not smell up the house. I stayed pretty close to the glaze recipe (I added some soyveh garlic teriyaki)and stirred those crispy little devils into the fish sauce added peanuts and green onions. Sorry Andy. You ain’t getting my cash anymore. I love Pok Pok but ain’t nobody got time to wait in them lines.
Awesome Tim. Glad you got to try these Pok Pok wings.