I have an unhealthy obsession of wings. I crave them, and when I see them on a menu I must order them. There is only one caveat to my adoration, I don’t prefer wet wings. I will eat them, but they are never my first choice. I prefer the breading and the chicken itself to carry the flavor, because I like the skin crispy, hence these Fish Sauce Wings!
Fish sauce chicken wings are a Thai restaurant favorite, and most recipes are coated in a sauce, but like I said, I prefer a dry wing. These wings are marinated in a blend of fish sauce and garlic so the chicken itself has tons of flavor. They are then coated in a blend of flour and rice flour, for a crackling crispy crust. I also used the same spices to season the flours that you would find in a southern fried chicken. Think Thai wings with a Southern twist.
I know some people may be a bit scared of fish sauce, but fish sauce=flavor. It does pack a punch when you smell it, but when it is used to flavor food it provides a deep umami flavor. Why do you think Thai food taste so delicious??? If you love Thai food then you love fish sauce! So go buy a bottle and keep it on hand to make this recipe and a gazillion other recipes.
- ¼ cup warm water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup fish sauce
- 2-4 tbsp sugar (if you want the wings to taste less sweet add only 2 tbsp)
- 8 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
- 3 lbs chicken wings
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup rice flour
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¾ tsp salt
- oil, for frying (we like peanut, but you can use vegetable)
- In a small bowl, combine warm water, salt, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Place the chicken wings in a gallon size freezer bag. Pour the fish sauce marinade over the chicken and toss in the garlic. Seal the bag and massage the marinade around the chicken through the bag. Place the bag in a baking dish with sides (this will protect you from any accidental spillage). Refrigerate overnight to marinade.
- minutes before frying take the chicken out of the fridge. This will help take the chill off of the chicken so it cooks more evenly.
- In a large dutch oven (or heavy bottom pot), pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°.
- In a medium size bowl (or clean gallon freezer bag), combine and stir together the all purpose flour, rice flour, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne powder and salt.
- Drain the chicken in a colander. Toss a few pieces of the chicken in the flour at a time. Coat evenly. If using the freezer bag, seal it and shake the chicken in the bag. Place the chicken pieces on a sheet pan and allow them to sit coated. This will help the flours to stick to the chicken and form a tighter crust. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
- Starting with the chicken you coated first, place 2-3 chicken wings in the oil and fry for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on a rack. Repeat the process until all the chicken is fried. Serve immediately.
You can find more chicken recipes here!
