Air Fryer Soy Sauce Chicken Wings. Tender juicy wings marinated in a honey soy garlic sauce made easily in the air fryer. Ready in 30 minutes! A delicious Chinese recipe for an easy dinner or appetizer. Great for the whole family!
What are Soy Sauce Chicken Wings?
These tender chicken wings are the best! They're savory with bursting umami flavor and the meat is so juicy inside. Marinated in a garlicky soy-oyster sauce with a hint of sesame and sweetness and air fried to perfection! I love enjoying these wings as a side dish with some steamed rice and veggies or as an appetizer. Select Chinese restaurants may serve the wing version of this dish, whether it's in the form of chicken thighs or breast meat. Either way it's absolutely delicious and you'll love it!
I remember when I was a young girl, my mother would make these wings for us on the stovetop (back then the air fryer didn't exist). The glossy brown sauce would just envelope the wings and when they were served, it was like a race to see who could eat as many as they were so good! It was definitely a dish our family looked forward to.
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
- Chicken wings & drumettes
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
- Green onions (optional garnish)
Marinade:
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.
- Oyster sauce: this gives it that umami flavor. If you don't like oyster, substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce. This is not to be confused with Hoisin sauce, which looks similar.
- Honey, or brown sugar: This will balance out the saltiness in the chicken. You may also use white sugar.
- Sesame oil
- Dark soy sauce: different than regular soy sauce as it's thicker and darker.
- Shaoxing wine: This is a Chinese rice wine popularly used in Chinese cooking. You may also substitute with Dry Sherry or rice vinegar.
- Ginger
- Garlic powder
How to make Air Fryer Soy Sauce Chicken Wings
Pat Dry the Chicken Wings
Use clean paper towels to pat dry the wings. The extra water content can prevent the soy garlic sauce from sticking to the chicken skin because it's slippery.
Transfer Wings to a Large Bowl
Transfer chicken wings into a large mixing bowl.
Add Marinade to Wings
Add Marinade ingredients into the bowl and massage into chicken until coated.
Marinate Wings
For best results, let the wings sit in this simple marinade for 15 minutes or ideally overnight if possible. This gives the wings time to absorb the marinade.
Spray oil on air fryer basket to prevent sticking
Spray enough vegetable oil or any neutral oil (or cooking spray) on the air fryer basket to prevent the wings from sticking to the tray. Trust me on this! The worst part is seeing the skin tear away from the basket when you flip them.
Position Wings in a Single Layer
Lay chicken wings in a single layer. Do not overlap. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to air fry in batches to avoid overlapping.
Air Fry Chicken Wings
Air fry for 8 minutes at 400 degrees F on one side. Flip the wings over and air fry for 4-5 minutes on the other side.
Cook Through
Cook until an internal temperature is 165 F or until juices run clear and meat is cooked through. If not cooked through, air fry for another minute.
Garnish
Garnish with green onions and enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
Store any leftover wings in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last up to 4 days. To reheat, air fry them at 350 F for 5-6 minutes or microwave them for a few minutes until hot.
Expert Tips
Buy Fresh Chicken Wings
This is important for these air fryer soy sauce chicken wings! When you buy fresh chicken wings there will be no odor. You can usually smell it through the packaging and if you do, avoid buying those wings. Tip: If your wings have an odor, soak them in white vinegar or apple cider vinegar in a glass or stainless-steel bowl for 5 minutes and this will help remove the smell a bit.
A digital meat thermometer is helpful!
This is the best way to measure the internal temperature of meat! They're a very affordable tool ranging from $10-20 at the store or online.
Poke the metal end into the center or the meatiest part of and it'll show you the internal temperature. It beats guessing or having to cut into the meat to check which can cause those precious juices to drip out.
The internal temperature of cooked chicken is 165 F.
What if I don't own a meat thermometer?
To check if the meat is cooked, the juices should run clear, and the meat should peel away from the bone easily. The meat should be white in color, not pink or translucent.
Different Air Fryer can Cause Different Cooking Time
Different brands have various ways of building their air fryers. From placing the heating element from a further from the air fryer basket to various heat levels.
Therefore, it's important to use my suggested cook time as a starting range and monitor the meat using a cooking thermometer or checking if the juices run clear. If you notice it's slightly under cook, don't worry air fry for another minute until you reach the right temperature (165 F for chicken)
FAQ
What can I do with the extra marinade?
If you have extra sauce after marinating the wings, you can simmer the sauce in a small saucepan over medium high heat until it bubbles. Remove off heat and serve as a dipping sauce for the wings.
How can I make these spicy?
Add a little bit of sriracha sauce or hot chili sauce, about 1 tbsp, to the marinade.
Can I use other cuts of meat?
Yes! I would suggest using boneless thighs with skin on or boneless skinless chicken thighs. I actually share a recipe for Air Fryer Soy Sauce Chicken Thighs if you click here.
Can I pan-fry these wings?
Yes! Please follow the instructions in the Notes section of the below recipe card.
Other Chicken recipes you may like!
- Air Fryer Soy Sauce Chicken Thighs
- Oyster Sauce Braised Chicken Wings
- Soy Maple Glazed Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Soy Hoisin Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Adobo
📖 Recipe
Easy Air Fryer Soy Sauce Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb Chicken Wings and Drumettes
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil for spraying air fryer basket
Wing Marinade
- 1.5 tablespoon Regular soy sauce
- 1.5 teaspoon Dark soy sauce
- 1.5 tablespoon Oyster sauce (or sub with Vegetarian Stir Fry Sauce)
- 1.5 tablespoon Honey (or sub with maple syrup, brown or white sugar)
- ½ tablespoon Sesame oil
- 1.5 teaspoon Shaoxing wine (or sub with Dry Sherry Wine or White Wine or omit completely)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
Optional Garnish:
- 1 Green onion chopped finely
Instructions
- Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels.
- Transfer chicken wings into a large mixing bowl.
- Add Marinade ingredients as listed into the bowl and massage into chicken until well coated. Marinate for at least 15 minutes or overnight for best flavor.
- Spray air-fryer basket with vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil.
- Place chicken wings in a single layer. Do not overlap. Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to air fry in batches to avoid overlapping.
- Air fry for 8 minutes at 400 degrees F on one side. Flip the wings over and air fry for 4-5 minutes on the other side. Cook until an internal temperature is 165 F or until juices run clear and meat is cooked through. If not cooked through, air fry for another minute.
- Optionally garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
May I pan fry these wings?
Yes! Follow these instructions:- In a large non-stick pan set over medium heat allow the pan to get hot. Add 2 teaspoon of cooking oil.
- Then add half the batch of wings and turn down the heat to medium low. Do not over crowd the pan.
- Cook on one side for 1-2 minutes.
- Flip wings over and cover the pan with a lid and cook wings for 3 minutes.
- Flip wings over again especially for the drumettes. Cover and cook again for 3-5 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 F.
Suggested Equipment & Products
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Garry
Another amazing dish that I will be trying very soon.
Thanks Christie
christieathome
Thanks so much Garry! I hope you enjoy my wings recipe!