Honey Soy Chicken Wings – Carmy

February 9, 2024

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Posted: Feb 9, 2024 Last Modified: Feb 7, 2024 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

These Korean-style honey soy chicken wings are finger-licking good! They’re sweet, tangy, sticky, and absolutely delicious. Double-fried so they’re perfectly crispy, these wings make for an amazing appetizer or as a main.

If there’s something I think about often, it’s the mouthwatering honey soy chicken wings I had in Korea. They were so crispy and the honey soy sauce they were tossed in…. absolutely a dream. Once you take a bite, you’ll see why I’m obsessed with them.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These Korean chicken wings are double-fried, making for a deliciously crispy bite. They’re so crispy on the outside while juicy and tender on the inside.
It’s pretty easy to make! You simply season and coat the chicken wings, fry them twice in oil, then coat them in a sauce that only requires a handful of ingredients.
If you’ve made a few of my recipes before, you’ll likely have these ingredients on hand!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make honey soy chicken wings.

chicken wings — you can use a mixture of wingettes and drumettes or just one. It’s up to you. We buy and use whatever’s on sale.
seasoning — the wings are seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
starch — I use potato starch and cornstarch to coat the chicken wings. You can use all potato starch or all cornstarch if you prefer. I find potato starch lighter than flour, but if you only have flour, feel free to use that.
oil — you can use vegetable or canola oil for frying. You need to use oil that has a high smoke point. If you use an oil that is low in smoke point, the oil will burn and leave an unpleasant aftertaste.

For the Sauce

soy sauce — I use low sodium soy sauce.
mirin — if you don’t have mirin, you can use rice vinegar and an extra pinch of sugar. You can read my post on what is mirin for more information about mirin!
oligo syrup — this is a rich and sweet rice syrup. If you do not have this, swap it for additional honey.
sugar — you’ll need some white granulated sugar.
honey — I use liquid Ontario honey. Make sure you use runny honey.
apple cider vinegar — you’ll need a splash to cut through the sweetness. It adds a wonderful tang to the sauce. You can add extra if you love tangy flavor.
garlic powder — just a pinch of garlic powder to add savory flavor.

How to Make Korean-Style Honey Soy Chicken Wings

Set of two photos showing meat seasoned.

Pat dry the chicken wings with a paper towel. Season them generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Toss well to combine. For extra crispy wings, set aside the seasoned chicken wings in the fridge for an hour, uncovered.

Set of two photos showing wings tossed in flour and fried in oil.

Combine the potato starch and cornstarch and then coat the chicken wings in the starch.
Prepare a sheet pan lined with a paper towel with a cooling rack on top.
To a Dutch oven, add around 2 to 3 inches of oil and bring it to 345F/174C.
Slowly add in a couple chicken wings at a time. Fry for around 8 minutes, flipping the chicken wings at the halfway mark. Transfer to the cooling rack and repeat until you’ve fried all of the wings.

Set of two photos showing the wings before and after double-frying.

Increase the temperature of the oil to around 375F/195C and add the cooked chicken back in, again in batches.
Double-fry the chicken wings for around 2 minutes or until golden.

Set of two photos showing sauce mixed in a skillet and fried chicken wings tossed in it.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, combine the soy sauce, mirin, oligo syrup, sugar, honey, apple cider vinegar, and garlic powder. Bring it to a simmer until the sauce has thickened to your liking. I simmer for around 8 to 10 minutes.
Add the double-fried chicken wings to the sauce and toss until well combined before serving.

A hand holding up a honey soy chicken wing over a plate of more wings.

Recipe Tips and Notes

I like using a large skillet to make my sauce, so it’s easier to toss the honey soy chicken wings than in a small saucepan.
For the classic spicy Korean fried chicken, try my Yangneyom chicken recipe.
Lining a sheet pan with paper towels under the cooling rack makes cleaning up much easier as it absorbs the oil that drips off the chicken.
The Korean wings are done when they reach an internal temperature of 165F/74C. I recommend using an instant-read meat thermometer. You can also use it to check the temperature of the oil.

My Recommendation

This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!

Get it Now!

Don’t add too much chicken to the oil at once, as that will bring down the temperature of the oil. When that happens, your chicken will absorb more oil than necessary and be greasy.
I’ve made this recipe with double and triple the amount of apple cider vinegar and it tastes fantastic. If you’re a huge fan of a tangy sauce, add extra!
If you want to air fryer the chicken wings instead of baking them, check out my air fryer korean chicken wings recipe.
Keep in mind that the sauce may seem a bit runny, but as it cools, it’ll thicken back up a bit, thanks to the honey.

Overhead view of honey soy chicken wings, french fries, and ketchup on a plate.

Make Ahead Tips

Storage: These chicken wings keep up to 4 days in the fridge. Make sure to use an airtight container.
Reheat: I highly recommend reheating these wings in the oven or air fryer so they stay crispy.