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These oven-baked Vietnamese chicken wings are sticky, juicy, and crispy thanks to the sweet and savory fish sauce marinade. Topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro for the most addictive wings recipe ever!
Easy Chicken Wings Recipe
Chicken wings are the ultimate finger food. They are great for game days, parties, or even just ordinary weeknights. I love them so much that I can probably eat them every day!
While I love classic buffalo-style chicken, these Vietnamese wings are something else. The marinade makes the meat so juicy and savory. When baked, the wings caramelize beautifully for a sticky, crispy exterior that’s simply irresistible.
I suggest making a double batch because these wings go so fast! You really have to try this Vietnamese chicken wings marinade at least once in your life. Even though fish sauce smells pungent, it lends amazing flavors to food like these chicken wings.
For more Asian-style wings, you’ll love my Spicy Korean Chicken Wings, Vietnamese Lemongrass Wings, and Five Spice Grilled Chicken Wings as well!
Ingredients For Vietnamese Chicken Wings
- Chicken wings – I love using both wingettes and drumettes for variety. They have the perfect ratio of skin to meat, so you get that crispy texture while still enjoying tender chicken.
- Fish sauce – This gives these wings their distinct umami flavor. You won’t be able to achieve that flavor with salt or soy sauce, so there is really no substitute for it in this recipe. Fish sauce (nước mắm) is a staple in Vietnamese cooking and many Asian recipes anyway, so it’s a great ingredient to have on hand. You can get one at Whole Foods and regular supermarkets.
- Garlic – Use freshly minced garlic for the best flavors! Mince them as fine as you can so they are evenly distributed in the marinade. You can also use garlic powder in a pinch.
- Brown sugar – A hint of sweetness to balance out the salty and savory flavors. It also helps create a nice caramelized skin during baking. You can substitute this with honey or your preferred sugar substitute.
- Peanuts – The crunch provides an amazing contrast to the stickiness of the wings.
- Cilantro – Completes this Vietnamese wings recipe with its fresh, herby, and citrusy flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Vietnamese Chicken Wings
This Vietnamese chicken wings recipe is all about the marinade. The fish sauce brines the wings, resulting in incredibly juicy and tender meat. When mixed with garlic, sugar, and black pepper, it also turns the skin into a flavor bomb!
I like baking them because I can do a huge batch with very little cleanup. But for the ultimate chicken wings Vietnamese style, grill them over charcoal. For maximum flavors, marinate your wings for at least two hours, or even better, overnight.
Here’s how to make homemade Vietnamese chicken wings:
Step 1. Rinse the chicken wings with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Transfer the chicken to a big bowl or a Ziplock bag.
Step 2. In a bowl, add the garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and ground black pepper together. Stir to mix well.
Step 3. Add the marinade to the chicken wings and mix until well-coated. Marinate the chicken wings for two hours or best, overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 4. Preheat oven to 400°F (207°C). Arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until the surface turns golden brown. Top with the crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
- Add chili flakes to the marinade for a spicier Vietnamese wings recipe.
- For the juiciest and tastiest chicken, marinate the wings for at least two hours. Best if overnight!
- For crispier wings, place the marinated wings in the refrigerator uncovered for a few hours to dry out the skin before baking.
- The sugar in the marinade will caramelize and may stick to the tray, making cleaning and scrubbing a pain. Line your tray with a silicone mat, baking paper, or foil to catch those drips for easier cleanup.
- To bake these Vietnamese inspired wings in a convection oven, reduce the baking temperature by 25°F and check the wings a few minutes earlier.
- For an extra depth of flavor, toast the peanuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown before crushing them. This step brings out more of their natural oils and flavors.
- If you want to achieve a nice char on the wings without grilling, broil them for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.
How Long To Bake Chicken Wings
Bake chicken wings at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes to make sure the skin is crispy and the inside of the chicken wings stay moist and juicy. Try the recipe, I’m sure you will love it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This Vietnamese Saigon wings recipe will also work in your air fryer, which is basically a mini oven. Set your air fryer to 400°F for about 20-25 minutes. Food cooks faster in the air fryer, so check your wings at the halfway mark.
One technique is to marinate your chicken wings in a mixture that contains an acid (like vinegar or citrus juice) or a natural enzyme (like those found in honey, yogurt, pineapple, etc). These can help break down tough muscle fibers. But honestly, chicken wings are already pretty tender on their own!
Bake the chicken wings at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of the wings.
A traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce or “nước chắm” can be made by mixing fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, warm water, minced garlic, and Thai chilies. Adjust the flavors to taste by adding more fish sauce for saltiness, lime juice for acidity, or sugar for sweetness. This sauce adds a delicious tangy and savory flavor to the baked or fried chicken wings (cánh gà chiên).
Yes, you can use boneless chicken thighs for this recipe. But adjust the cooking time accordingly as they cook way faster than bone-in pieces.
This Vietnamese chicken wings recipe has only 538 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Vietnamese Wings
These fish sauce chicken wings are best served as an appetizer. They are also great as a main dish for dinner with a bowl of steamed rice and fresh spring rolls or goi cuon. For a healthy Asian meal and an easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
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
- Sweet and Sour Chicken Wings
- Spicy Thai Chicken Wings
- Pok Pok Wings (Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings)
Vietnamese Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 – 2 lbs (750g-1kg) chicken wings
- 8 cloves garlic, coarsely minced
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 dashes ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon crushed peanuts
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken wings with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Transfer the chicken to a big bowl or a Ziplock bag.
- In a bowl, add the garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and ground black pepper together. Stir to mix well.
- Add the marinade to the chicken wings and mix until well-coated. Marinate the chicken wings for two hours or best, overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (207°C). Arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until the surface turns golden brown. Top with the crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro and serve immediately.
Notes
- Add chili flakes to the marinade for a spicier Vietnamese wings recipe.
- For the juiciest and tastiest chicken, marinate the wings for at least two hours. Best if overnight!
- For crispier wings, place the marinated wings in the refrigerator uncovered for a few hours to dry out the skin before baking.
- The sugar in the marinade will caramelize and may stick to the tray, making cleaning and scrubbing a pain. Line your tray with a silicone mat, baking paper, or foil to catch those drips for easier cleanup.
- To bake these Vietnamese inspired wings in a convection oven, reduce the baking temperature by 25°F and check the wings a few minutes earlier.
- For an extra depth of flavor, toast the peanuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and golden brown before crushing them. This step brings out more of their natural oils and flavors.
- If you want to achieve a nice char on the wings without grilling, broil them for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Keep a close eye on them to prevent burning.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I am allergic to all things fish, therefor cannot use fish sauce or oyster sauce. What do you recommend as a substitute? Thank you.
You can use soy sauce.
Hello! If I want to make this recipe with a 10 pound bag do I need to multiple all the ingredients? Over a cup of sugar is making me little nervous admittedly! Thank you so much!
Hi Maria, you don’t have to multiply directly. I can’t tell you exactly because I haven’t made with 10 lb chicken wings. You can marinate them in a few batches.
These are delicious. My little ones absolutely loved them too. They both hate cilantro however I told them to put it on their chicken to have their minds blown and they were pleasantly surprised. I will definitely be making these again, quick, easy and yummy ?
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for trying Vietnamese chicken wings. Yes, they are amazing. Cilantro as a marinade does wonders to the flavors. Don’t say don’t tell and nobody knows.
Come on! Where is the recipe???
Jerry – the recipe is right at the bottom of the page!
Hi! Whatโs a good dip to make with these wings on the side? Can you share the recipe for it? Thank you!
Just serve with Thai sweet chili sauce in a bottle. :)
Made these the other night – only difference is that I steamed the wings for ten minutes then refrigerated them for an hour. (Seems to insure crispy skin and juicy, fat-coated meat.) I then let them come to room temp and threw them in the marinade for about 4 hours.
My wife has never been a fan of fish suce – even during the year we lived in Bangkok – so I usually use less than a recipe calls for. This time I followed it exactly. But I also held some back that I tossed in a little peanut oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. I roasted them along side the Vietnamese wings and served an Indonesian peanut sauce (a favorite of my wife’s) for dipping.
Thankfully, she left me a few of the Vietnamese wings. The layers of flavor from that marinade are perfectly balanced and totally delicious.
Thanks for sharing it.
Steve
Hi Steve, I am so happy that you had success with these Vietnamese Chicken Wings. Yay that your wife loved them. :)
You just blew my mind with the pre-steaming step. Thank you!
Hi, I was wondering if oyster sauce could be used instead of the fish sauce? Or would it make too much of a difference in flavor?
You can use oyster sauce.
Can the wings be air fried?
I think so, I haven’t tried air frying though.
Love your recipes! If I donโt like fish sauce is there something else I can substitute for the Vietnamese chicken wings?
I cannot find the recipe for vietnamese chicken wings–a cake keeps coming up
Help please
Keep scrolling up, took me a while I watched the whole cakes recipe !
Same here.
Checked again today, and working.. :-)