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These baked Vietnamese chicken wings are sticky, juicy, and packed with flavor thanks to the sweet and savory fish sauce marinade. Topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro for the most addictive wings recipe ever!
Easy Vietnamese Wings Recipe
Chicken wings are the ultimate finger food—great for game days, parties, or even just weeknight dinners. I love them so much I could eat them every day. While Classic Buffalo Chicken have their place, these Vietnamese wings are on another level. The marinade makes the meat extra juicy and savory, and when baked, the wings develop a sticky, golden exterior that’s hard to resist.
I usually make a double batch because they disappear fast! Don’t let the strong smell of fish sauce scare you off—it adds incredible depth of flavor and brings the whole dish together. For more Asian-style wings, you’ll love my Spicy Korean Chicken Wings, Sweet Chili Chicken Wings, Lemongrass Wings, and Five Spice Grilled Chicken Wings as well! Scroll down for my tips and cooking variations to help you get the best results every time.
What Makes These Wings So Addictive
Here’s why these easy Vietnamese chicken wings always disappear fast at my place:
- Sticky and juicy wings. The fish sauce, garlic, and sugar work together to give you that sweet-salty balance, and the wings stay juicy all the way through. No dry meat here.
- Golden and caramelized. A quick bake in the oven is all it takes to get that glossy, golden finish. The sugars in the marinade help the wings caramelize beautifully.
- Perfect for parties or weeknights. They’re easy to prep ahead and bake in batches, which makes them great for gatherings. Or just make a small tray for yourself—they reheat really well the next day too.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken wings – I used both wingettes and drumettes.
- Fish sauce
- Garlic
- Sugar – You can substitute this with honey or your preferred sugar substitute.
Check out the recipe card below for all the measurements and full ingredient details.
Pro Tip #1: Why I Use Fish Sauce
Fish sauce gives these wings that sweet, savory depth you just can’t get from salt or soy sauce. It smells strong at first, but once cooked, it blends right in. There’s really no swap for it in this recipe, and since it’s a staple in Vietnamese and Asian cooking, it’s worth having on hand.
Pro Tip #2: Garlic Makes It Better
I use lots of garlic—coarsely minced—so you still get little garlicky bits that cling to the wings after baking. It adds aroma and flavor depth without overpowering the marinade.
Pro Tip #3: Sugar For That Sticky Glaze
A touch of sugar in the marinade helps caramelize the wings in the oven and gives you that sweet-salty balance. It’s what creates that irresistible glossy coating without needing a glaze after baking.
Shopping Guide: Fish sauce is a key ingredient in Vietnamese cooking and shows up in plenty of other Asian recipes too. I recommend a good brand like Red Boat or Three Crabs. You’ll find it at Asian stores or in the international aisle.
How To Make Vietnamese Chicken Wings
This Vietnamese chicken wings recipe is all about the marinade. The fish sauce works like a brine, making the wings extra juicy and tender. When you mix it with garlic, sugar, and black pepper, it turns the skin into a flavor bomb!
Give the chicken wings a quick rinse under cold water, then pat them completely dry with paper towels. You want them nice and dry so the marinade sticks better. After that, toss them into a large bowl or a Ziplock bag—whatever you’ve got on hand works!
In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, fish sauce, sugar, and black pepper. Give it a good stir until the sugar’s mostly dissolved.
Pour the marinade over the chicken wings and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and let them marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours—or even better, overnight. The longer they sit, the more flavorful and juicy they’ll be.
Pro Tip: If you want the wings a little crispier, let them sit uncovered in the fridge before baking. It helps dry out the skin so it roasts up extra golden in the oven.
Preheat your oven to 400°F (207°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then arrange the marinated wings in a single layer. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until they’re golden and slightly caramelized. Once they’re out of the oven, top with crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro, and serve them up while they’re hot!
Pro Tip: If you want a little extra char without firing up the grill, broil the wings during the last 2–3 minutes. Just keep an eye on them so they don’t burn—those sugars caramelize fast!
Extra Tip: For even more flavor, toast the peanuts in a dry pan over medium heat until they’re golden and smell nutty. It brings out their natural oils and adds a nice, extra layer of richness when you crush and sprinkle them over the wings.
Other Ways To Cook It
- Air fry: Place the marinated chicken wings in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Spoon any leftover marinade over the top. Air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 6 minutes. After 6 minutes, brush a little oil on the wings, then air fry for another 4 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Grill over charcoal: Fire up your charcoal grill and let the coals turn white-hot. Arrange the marinated wings over indirect heat (so they don’t burn too fast) and grill for 15–20 minutes, turning occasionally. Move them over direct heat during the last few minutes for that smoky char.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
Yes! These wings actually taste even better after marinating overnight. You can prep them the day before and just bake when you’re ready to eat.
Definitely. Just skip the peanuts if you have an allergy or don’t like them. The wings still taste amazing on their own or with chopped cilantro on top.
Vietnamese dipping sauce, or nước chấm, is super easy to mix up—just combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, warm water, garlic, and Thai chilies. Taste as you go and tweak it however you like: more fish sauce if you want it saltier, extra lime for tang, or a bit more sugar to round it out. It’s the perfect dipping sauce for these wings.
Store any leftover wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop them in the oven or air fryer at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through. You can also broil for a minute or two to bring back that golden finish.
Yes, you can freeze the marinated uncooked wings in a Ziplock bag for up to 2 months. When you’re ready, thaw overnight in the fridge and cook as directed. I don’t recommend freezing them after they’ve been cooked—they’ll lose that sticky finish.
This recipe has only 188 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Vietnamese Wings
These wings are best served as an appetizer. They are also great as a main dish for dinner with a bowl of steamed rice and Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls). For an easy, wholesome Asian weeknight dinner, I recommend these 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 Chicken Recipes You Might Like
Vietnamese Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 – 2 lbs 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These sound fabulous! On my next to do list as I’ve never seen such a tasteful treatment of wings prior to this. I suppose these can be frozen after baking minus the peanuts and cilantro. Since this prep.and cooking time is longer than most of your dishes, freezing and reheating instructions would be most beneficial. I’ve been cooking for a long time, but I imagine some of your newer users might find this most informative. In fact, freezing instructions (if appropriate) would be helpful on all of your dishes.
Thank you for all the time you spend developing your recipes. We enjoy all of them!
Thanks for your suggestion Nancy!
Does it matter which type of sugar. I’m thinking of using brown sugar but wonder if it matters.
Hi Nancy. Great question! You can definitely use brown sugar—it adds a bit of depth and a slight molasses flavor. It works just as well as white sugar in this recipe. 😊
Thanks for the recipe! It’s so yummy. This is my second time making it with sugar substitute.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for liking my recipe and for the 5-star rating! Try more recipes on my site—they’re all just as easy and delicious. :)
One of our favorite starters at a local Thai restaurant are their “golden wings.” This recipe ends up being very similar–once I greatly reduced the sugar, using only a single tsp. I did experiment with several quantities of sugar and we liked this little touch which seemed right to us–just enough to help caramelize and brown the wings. The recipe also needs more heat, so I added a tsp of sriracha–still not enough, but I’ll keep on experimenting. I found the cilantro and peanut topping perfect, but hubs wanted sauce–haven’t managed that yet.
Hi Janmaus, thanks for the comment and the rating.
Will this recipe be just as good without the suger
It won’t have a sweet taste, which makes the taste balanced.
could you use drumsticks?
Yes you can.
Is it possible to air fry this chicken wing recipe?
I think so!
yes, why not? But I would take out the sugar and fish sauce and add garlic and ginger and more pepper.
The sugar and fish sauce will give you diabetes and high blood pressure, in that order, and respectively.
TAKE OUT SUGAR FROM YOUR SAVOURY FOODS – YOU DON’T NEED IT!