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Sticky, juicy, and crazy addictive, these spicy Korean chicken wings are coated with a sweet and savory gochujang sauce that will have you licking your fingers in delight! It's a nice twist on the classic buffalo wings that you probably have had one too many times.
All things spicy are my jam and gochujang is one of my all-time favorites! And it doesn’t matter where you put it because it just makes everything taste so much better. Trust me, it’s that good!
Those who love bold, spicy flavors like me will find their new favorite thing in this Korean-style chicken wings recipe. The perfect combination of heat, sweetness, and tanginess makes these wings one of the best finger foods you will ever have!
Want more flavor options? Make my Korean Fried Chicken, Sweet and Sticky Korean Fried Chicken and Vietnamese Chicken Wings for your next party!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Signature Korean flavors. These chicken wings are coated in spicy, sticky, and delicious gochujang sauce. It’s classic, bold, and undeniably addictive, so you won’t regret serving these at your next get-together!
- Healthier. Your usual buffalo wings are coated in a buttery sauce and then deep-fried, but this recipe is baked with just salt and pepper, so it has way less fat and calories.
- Perfect for sharing. It’s so easy to double or triple this recipe for a crowd. Make a big batch of these wings to enjoy during game nights, last-minute potlucks, or lazy weekend dinner parties!
What Is Gochujang
Gochujang is a fermented Korean red pepper paste made from chili peppers, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. It has a deep red color and a thick consistency, with a funky, savory, slightly sweet flavor.
This spicy paste is often used in Korean cuisine to add heat and depth of flavor to dishes such as stews, marinades, and sauces. It’s actually one of my must-haves in the kitchen and I use it a lot for Korean dishes like bulgogi, tteokbokki, bibimbap, kimchi jiigae, and many more.
Ingredients
- Chicken wings – I use wingettes and drummettes in this recipe for variety. But you can use whatever you have on hand.
- Gochujang – a Korean red chili pepper paste that gives a spicy kick to these wings! You can buy gochujang tubs in the Asian section of big supermarkets or any Asian grocery store.
- Gochugaru – this is not your usual chili powder! It has a mild to moderate spice level with a hint of sweetness and smokiness that you won’t find in regular chili powders.
- Soy sauce – adds a nice umami flavor to the sauce.
- Sugar – for a touch of sweetness to balance out all the complex flavors.
- Apple cider vinegar – provides a bit of acidity to cut through the richness of the wing sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Variations
- Air fryer. If you don’t have an oven at home, you can use an air fryer to cook the wings!
- Yangnyeom sauce. Make some Yangnyeom chicken by tossing the wings in a tangy and spicy sauce made with gochujang, ketchup, honey, and other seasonings. Enjoy it with a glass of beer like how Koreans do it!
- Chicken tenders. Use this Korean chicken wing sauce as a dipping sauce for chicken tenders or nuggets! It’s an easy and delicious alternative to the usual ranch dip.
How To Make This Recipe
I found inspiration for this recipe from Food and Wine’s Chicken Wings with Angry Sauce. And let me tell you, the sauce is really angry in the best ways possible! It’s fiery, tangy, and sweet all at the same time.
But what I like most about this spicy Korean chicken wings recipe is that you don’t need to deep-fry them! Just pop them in the oven and they come out perfectly tender, juicy, and crispy.
Here’s how to make these Korean sweet and spicy chicken wings in the oven:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, season the wings with salt and pepper. Transfer the wings skin side up to the baking sheets and roast them for about 40-45 minutes or until they are cooked through and crispy.
Step 2: In a small saucepan, add the remaining ingredients except white sesame and scallions. Heat on low heat, whisk to mix well. Turn off the heat when it becomes thick like a sauce.
Step 3: Toss the baked chicken wings in the sauce and coat well. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately.
Helpful Tips
- Preheat the oven to 450°F while you prepare the wings and sauce. Since we’re not using flour, cornstarch, or baking powder (although you can if you want to), these wings should be baked at a high enough temperature to achieve the perfect texture.
- Coat the chicken wings with the gochujang sauce while they are still hot. It helps the sauce stick better to the wings, giving them that delicious sticky texture.
- If you’re not a big fan of heat, reduce the amount of gochujang or gochugaru in the sauce. But if you live for spice, feel free to add more chili powder for an extra kick.
Frequently Asked Questions
Korean fried chicken is coated with starch and/or baking powder before frying and then glazed with a sticky sauce. It’s way lighter than American chicken wings which use batter usually made with flour, eggs, and milk/buttermilk.
Yes, Korean-style chicken wings are less greasy because they have a lighter coating, resulting in less oil retention than heavy batters.
Yes, you can freeze the cooked chicken for up to three months. But I suggest storing the wings separately from the sauce to prevent them from becoming soggy. Just reheat the chicken in the oven or air fryer and toss them with heated sauce before serving.
This baked Korean chicken wings recipe has only 326 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
These spicy Korean wings are best enjoyed with a bowl of white rice, some pickled vegetables, and a cold beer. For a wholesome dinner, make the following dishes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Spicy Korean Chicken Wings Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs (1kg-1.35kg) chicken wings, wingettes and drumettes only
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons Korean red chili pepper paste, Gochujang
- 1/2 teaspoon Korean chili powder, Gochugaru
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- white sesame , for garnishing
- chopped scallions , for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, season the wings with salt and pepper. Transfer the wings skin side up to the baking sheets and roast them for about 40-45 minutes or until they are cooked through and crispy.
- In a small saucepan, add the remaining ingredients except white sesame and scallions. Heat on low heat, whisk to mix well. Turn off the heat when it becomes thick like a sauce.
- Toss the baked chicken wings in the sauce and coat well. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Preheat the oven to 450°F while you prepare the wings and sauce. These chicken wings should be baked at a high enough temperature to achieve the perfect texture.
- Coat the chicken wings with the gochujang sauce while they are still hot. It helps the sauce stick better to the wings, giving them that delicious sticky texture.
- If you’re not a big fan of heat, reduce the amount of gochujang or gochugaru in the sauce. But if you live for spice, feel free to add more chili powder for an extra kick.
- Watch the cooking video for a step-by-step guide.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just how spicy are these rated? If really hot how can you make it less so? I’d say I’m in the medium not catagory.
It’s not that spicy to me but you can cut down the heat if you like it to be less spicy.
cut back to like half the gochujang. You can always add it back in later batches
The best wings ever! Didn’t have the Korean chili paste or powder, substituted with red thai curry paste & chili powder. Wonderful recipe, me & my son loved it & this will be a regular supper at our house! Ordered the Korean chili paste & powder from Amazon next day. Sure it will be ever better with those ingredients instead of what I used! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Hi Amelia, I am so glad you tried out my Korean chicken wings recipe. Please try out more recipes on my site: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
What?? Why would you even bother reviewing her recipe?? Her recipe was Korean wings … you subbed out the 2 main ingredients!! You just made Thai wings for crying out loud!!
Hi Rasa, can I skip the apple cider vinegar? I don’t have it at home and I don’t wanna buy a bottle just to use a little bit for this recipe.
Yes, you can!
If I added some honey would they sweet and spicy?
Yes you can add honey.
Made double mxture and followed the recipe exactly , very morish will make again for sure.
Awesome Andrew. Thanks for trying my spicy Korean chicken wings recipe.
I love Spicy Korean Chicken Wings!
I decided to make this recipe tonight for dinner. I was so amazed how great they turned out. So delicious!
I purchased the Gochujang and Gochugaru from a local Asian grocer in Chermside, Queensland, Australia.
Love this recipe and will definitely be making them many times for sure!
Thank you for sharing this recipe Rasa ?
Hi Julie, yes these chicken wings are very good, just like Korean restaurants. :)
My partner and I have these Spicy Korean Chicken Wings once every 3 to 4 weeks. We absolutely love them! I make them a little spicier, we love spicy food. ?
Rasa I was wondering, do you have any other Korean recipes? I would love to make more korean cuisine recipes ?
Thanks for your support. Yes these Spicy Korean Chicken Wings.
Hi Rasa,
Can you provide the nutrition facts for this recipe? Thanks!
What can be the alternative for korean chilli paste?
I used Sambal Oelek chili paste. I purchased it from the Asian section at our grocery store.
Baked @400F for 1 hr. More tender.