The marinades for baked chicken wings
Spicy:
The key ingredient of the sweet and spicy marinade is gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste). Looking for that extra spicy kick? Just add some gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes). You can also use a hot sauce such as Frank’s hot sauce for unique acidic flavor and heat.
In this recipe, I also used some BBQ sauce. It adds flavors and depth to the marinade. You can substitute it with ketchup if you want. Gochujang and ketchup work very well together! Or, simply use a little more gochujang.
Mild:
The soy sauce-based marinade is mild but packed with flavors! It gets its sweetness from honey and sugar, and a little bit of lemon juice brightens up the flavors. Apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar will be a good substitute. Without saying, this savory marinade is great for kids and those who cannot handle spicy food!
Baking the chicken
I normally bake the wings at 425°F (218°C) for 20 to 25 minutes. With my oven, it works great. I like that lightly charred, crispy golden skin. About halfway through, flip them over and baste each wing with the remaining marinade.
The cooking time and temperature will, however, depend on your oven and the size of the wings. Some of you reported the wings tend to burn at 425°F. The alternative is to bake at lower temperature and longer. I experimented to bake them at 400°F (204°C) for 15 min, flip them over, bake for another 15 minutes. Then, increase the oven temperature to 425°F and bake for another 10 minutes. This worked well too.
More Chicken Recipes
Yangnyeom Chicken (Spicy Korean Fried Chicken)
Dakgangjeong (Sweet Crispy Korean Fried Chicken)
Dak Bulgogi (Chicken Bulgogi)
Dak Galbi (Spicy Stir-fried Chicken)
Jjimdak (Braised Chicken)
For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Ingredients
- 24 wing pieces about 3 pounds for each marinade
Spicy marinade:
- 4 tablespoons gochujang Korean red chili pepper paste
- 4 tablespoons barbecue sauce any type
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine or mirin (or white wine)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sweet and savory marinade:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken wings and drain the water. Mix all the ingredients for each marinade together.
- Combine the marinade with the chicken wings and coat all the pieces well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours (overnight for best results). Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chicken wings in a single layer and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden. Flip them over halfway through and baste/spoon the remaining marinade over each wing. Alternatively: Bake them at 400°F (204°C) for 15 minutes, flip them over, bake for another 15 minutes. Then, increase the oven temperature to 425°F, baste, and bake for another 10 minutes. This worked really well too.
- Turn them over halfway during baking and baste with the leftover marinade. Reduce the heat level if the wings are browning too quickly. (See notes.)
Notes
- The time required can vary depending on the oven. Keep your eye on the chicken while baking and adjust the heat level and time as necessary.
- You can also grill these chicken wings on a gas or charcoal grill over moderate heat for 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently. Repeat the process with the second marinade.
Darlene says
Can I marinade the wings overnight or will they be too spicy?
Hyosun says
Yes you can!
Donna says
Can you use the marinades with other pieces of chicken such as thighs or drumsticks?
Hyosun says
Of course!
Evelyn says
I made the spicy ones last night for dinner and it was an absolute hit!!!! Finger lickin’ good! Thank you for your amazing recipe!!
Seirios says
This was incredibly good! I made the spicy version of course… 😉 and even the kids loved it which is saying something, because my older one is not a fan of spicy hotness!
marilyn l gilbaugh says
i am going to an oscar party this sunday. can i make the chicken wings on saturday, wrap them and reheat at the party. the party takes place 100 miles from my home.
i can reheat them when i arrived. thanks
Hyosun says
Yes you can! I’ve heated the leftovers many times and they were great!
M says
Thank you so much for the recipe. I am a 13 year old teen and I made them for my parents 14th anniversary and they said it was delicious with the Korean sauce.
Lisa says
The sweet and savory recipe was delicious. My spouse (who is not a fan of chicken) loved it. We all ate too much!
I love your site — the recipes, the photos, and your thoughtful advice (particularly your patient explanations to your non-Korean readers). Thank you!
Richard Tunner says
We love wings in our house and these are absolutely superb! Definitely making these again – so delicious.
Hyosun says
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know!
RITA RODRIGUES says
thank you very much for your delish recipes, and sharing your talent with the world. You are a beautiful lady, and God bless you
Peyton says
These wings sound delicious. This is the recipe that I am going to try first. Which marinade do you prefer?
Ann says
Can I soak the wings in milk for a few hours before marinating them? Thank you!
Hyosun says
Yes you can. Enjoy!
Sharon says
very good recipe and both were delicious and easy to prepare.
Winnie Goh says
Hi. I try baking ur recipe today… some problems happen is that the oven temperature 425 °F equal to 218 °c I bake for onli 10 min and it turn black. Hahaha… but the recipe is really good… I try the spicy one… thank alot for sharing this recipe. ..
Fleur says
Hihi 🙂
Can you I use beksul spicy sauce of braised chicken, korean bbq sauce for the spicy marinade?
Thanks lots
Hyosun Ro says
Sure! I’m sure it will be delicious.
Emily Jang says
Thank you so so much for this recipe!! I made the sweet and savory tonight for dinner and my husband LOVED it so much!! I can’t wait to make it again 🙂 I made a few adjustments – added 10 smashed garlic cloves, no ginger on hand so just ground ginger and I only had full wings, not drums/wings. I marinated for 7 hours, baked as directed and it crisped up wonderfully, was super moist & flavorful…It is so nice to get korean flavors WITHOUT having to deep fry (as delicious as that is) so we can have a healthier chicken wing at home! I can’t wait to try the spicy one also. Thank you again. I’m a big fan of your recipes so you may see more of my posts in the days to come regarding other recipes 🙂
Hyosun Ro says
That’s awesome, Emily! I’m thrilled to hear you guys loved it. You’ll like the spicy one as well. Thank you so very much for being a big fan! I look forward to hearing more about your Korean cooking. Happy cooking!
Anonymous says
Hello! The wings look delicious! I really want to try this recipe, but rice wine (mirin) isn’t available where I live…can I possibly substitute it with something else? Thanks.
Hyosun Ro says
You can use any cooking or drinking white wine, or simply omit it. It will still taste great! Cheers!
Anonymous says
As I suspected, the thick and honey-rich sauce burned in the 425F oven. I kept an eye on them, and managed to avoid complete disaster. Looking more closely at your photo, I see you have some “caramelized” (burnt) spots on yours, too. But I would recommend marinating in the thin marinade. Then bake for 20 minutes at 425F. Drain off the fat, and brush both sides with the thick sauce and roast for 10 minutes more. If necessary, grill for a couple of minutes more to glaze the wings. The wings were very good, and give a great Korean flavor without deep-frying. But they turned out just short of burned after 30 minutes as directed.
Hyosun Ro says
Thank you so much for the detailed feedback! I really appreciate it. I made this today for Superbowl, and 425 degrees for about 25 minutes worked well for me. We like them a little crispy and charred. I realize ovens vary though. You can simply reduce your oven temperature a little or time according to your oven. (For a convection oven, the temperature should be reduced by 25 degrees.) Your recommended method sounds great as well. Happy to hear the wings were still good. We really enjoyed ours too.
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Okay even tough I missed this recipe before Superbowl, we eat chicken wings all the time! I might need to go with sweet and savory one but my husband will love to have the spicy one. I guess trying two kinds at the same time? Oh boy these look SOOOO GOOOD Hyosun!!!!!!
Hyosun Ro says
Nami – What’s up with those chicken wings? Everyone loves them. These recipes have been very popular. I hope you get to try them.
sarah says
Thank you for the receipt! I try the sweet one and it was delicious!!
Lisa @ Snappy Gourmet says
These look delicious! Love all the flavors!
Hyosun Ro says
Thank you, Lisa! it’s been popular. Hope you try it.
Hyosun Ro says
Thank you, Anonymous!! I am so happy to hear that. Oh now I want to make some wings. It’s been a while.
Anonymous says
My husband is from South Korea and he has two Korean friends staying with us at the moment. I made the chicken wings using the spicy marinade. All I will say is that the chicken wings disappeared very quickly! Thank you so much for sharing this fantastic recipe!
Hyosun Ro says
Thank you, Jean! You and your son will like this.
Jean says
This recipe looks delicious! My son Perry loves chicken wings and Korean anything, so I am definitely going to try this out when he gets back from New Orleans!
Judy says
Hi Hyosun, I haven’t been visiting as often as I would like, and I’m sorry that I missed out on these wings! My husband would have loved your sweet and savory wings (me too!) but instead I was lazy on Bowl Sunday and bought take-out wings from Lucille’s BBQ (not sure you have this chain back East) but it wasn’t as satisfying as I had hoped. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Jean says
It’s too early for lunch–or even brunch–but I’m drooling over these chicken wings. I can’t stop looking at them. Gosh, one of my favorite foods and I love the two versions you made. Yum!
Anh says
omg this dish is wonderful! yes!!!
denise @ bread expectations says
Hey Hyosun – Happy Heart Day! 🙂
I can honestly say that everything you post makes my mouth water and these gorgeous wings are no exception!!
Kimberly Peterson says
YAYYYY!!! Excuse my excitement but I am SO HAPPY you posted this. You see, I bought a whole bunch of chicken wings yesterday because they were on special. Then, I am stuck – not sure how to marinade them!!! And then I see THIS, and I realise I’ve never cooked anything Korean before.. and the ingredients look OKAY and do-able.. so THANK YOU!! I am so going to try this. Let you know how I go 🙂
Hyosun Ro says
My contact e-mail can be found at the end of my “About Me” page. Thanks.
Anonymous says
Hi!
Is there anyway to get in touch with you? I can’t seem to find an email anywhere?
Thanks in advance!
All the best
Kalle
Tanantha @ I Just Love My Apron says
I probably have to try the spicy version! Chicken wings are great at any party. With these wings? I would be licking my fingers too!
Biren @ Roti n Rice says
The wings look really good. Both marinades sound delicious but I especially like the spicy one.
Nam @ The Culinary Chronicles says
OH MY! My mouth is watering! YUM!
Medifast Coupons says
I made a batch of your Korean chicken wings last night for dinner. Oh yeah, they are awesome. And really not too bad or hard to make, it was the ingredients I had the trouble with – just finding them all.
Thanks so much for my new favorite wing recipe.
beyondkimchee says
Yum! I happened to eat the famous Korean chicken wings at “Bonchon” restaurant in NYC last weekend. Koreans do know how to make their wings finger licking good. Don’t you think?
Wonderful recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Ali says
I should have waited to read this until after lunch. Those wings look SO good, Hyosun. I would take those over a traditional buffalo wing anyday.
~Lisa~ says
I love Asian wings. Great recipe!
Andrea@WellnessNotes says
The wings sound wonderful! My hubby would love them!