Covered in a sweet, creamy and spicy bang bang sauce, these chicken wings make for a delicious appetizer that's super easy to make! Bang bang chicken wings are a copycat recipe inspired by the popular take-out dish from restaurants like Cheesecake Factory and Bonefish Grill. You'll love this recipe!
In this post, you'll learn how to make the perfect crispy chicken wings right at home by either baking them or frying them. When you add bang bang sauce to your wings, you'll be amazed by how flavourful and addictive they are! They're perfect for any holidays or occasions, like game day, Thanksgiving, New Year or any other time!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! ❤️ If you give it a try, please let me know how it turned out for you in the comments section at the bottom of the page or share a pic of your om noms on Instagram and tag @dishesanddustbunnies! ❤️
What are Bang Bang Chicken Wings?
What culture does bang bang chicken come from?
Well, it's an Americanized version of a Chinese dish and was popularized by the well-liked take-out dish from restaurants like Cheesecake Factory and Bonefish Grill. If you've had bang bang chicken or shrimp before, this is very similar but in wing form!
The recipe for the sauce used in this post is inspired by the one created by Chili Pepper Madness and I'm absolutely in love with its flavour! I highly recommend checking out their blog, as they have many other incredible recipes!
Be sure to see the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredients & instructions!
How to make Bang Bang Chicken Wings – Overview
Delicious chicken wings are so easy to make at home! You can find the full instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, but first here's a simple overview of how to make wings at home.
Make the wing sauce – the first thing you want to do is combine all the ingredients for your wing sauce and set them aside until you need to introduce them to the wings! 😋
Prepare the wings – Before cooking your wings, it's important to make sure that you prep them by drying them off with paper towels. Removing as much excess moisture as possible will give them a deliciously crisp texture. After patting them dry, toss and coat the wings with the dry seasoning mix – garlic powder, cornstarch and salt and pepper.
Cook the wings – Next, cook the wings! In the recipe card at the bottom of the page, I've included a couple of different methods. Personally, I prefer fried wings since they're closest to restaurant quality, but you prefer, you can also bake them.
Toss the wings with the sauce – After cooking your wings, add them to a mixing bowl and toss them in the sauce. Now you're ready to serve them!
How do I make crispy chicken wings?
There are a few ways to ensure your chicken wings turn out crispy and delicious like the ones you get in the restaurants;
- Frying wings will create a crispier texture, rather than baking them. If you want to bake your wings, that's ok too, but I find they just don't compare.
- Before cooking, it's important to prep the wings by removing excess moisture from them.
- Pat them with paper towels
- Toss them in a dry seasoning mixture containing cornstarch. The cornstarch works amazingly to remove moisture and creates the right crisp texture!
- If you're baking the wings, you can remove excess moisture by boiling them first. I talk about this in the next section below.
Should you boil wings before deep frying?
When deep-frying chicken wings, you do not have to boil them beforehand. Deep frying works very well in rendering the fat and removing excess moisture from the wings to make them crispy.
If you choose to bake your wings, it's recommended to boil them first. Baking your wings in the oven, while a healthier option, will not usually give them that crispy deliciousness that you're looking for with wings. Boiling the wings before baking will help to remove excess moisture and fat from the skin. In the recipe at the bottom of the page, I'll go over how best to make your baked wings crisp and irresistible.
What goes with Bang Bang Chicken Wings?
- Steak and Salsa Taco Bites
- Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
- Fried Rice
- Onion Rings
- Cornbread
- Mac and Cheese
- Pasta Salad
- Coleslaw
- Creamy Potato Salad with Bacon
- Crispy Seasoned Potato Wedges, and other crisp potato sides, like fries
- Green salad
- Corn on the cob
- Roasted veggies
- Ranch Dip
Bang Bang Chicken Wings
- Total Time: 43 minute
- Yield: 2 lbs of wings 1x
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (the real kind)
- 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
- 2 tsps sriracha
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp cayenne (can adjust this to your taste.. use less if you'd like a milder version)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
Wing Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 2 tbsps cornstarch
- 1 tbsps garlic powder
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
How to Make the Sauce
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside until ready to toss with the wings.
Prepare the Wings for Cooking
Before cooking the wings, you need to prepare them!
- Note: If you're planning on baking your chicken wings, you'll need to boil them in water for about 10 minutes before moving on to the next step. This step is not necessary if you're frying the wings.
- Pat chicken wings with paper towel to remove excess moisture. The more moisture you remove, the better! This will help them become crisp!
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch, garlic powder and salt and pepper.
- Add the wings to the bowl and toss with the cornstarch mixture. Set aside until ready to cook (deep fry, bake, etc. – see below).
How to Deep Fry Chicken Wings
- Preheat the deep fryer to 375°F.
- Add wings to the frying basket and place them into the fryer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Please keep in mind, depending on the size of your frying basket; you may need to cook the wings in batches – that's how I do it!
- Once the wings have cooked, allow them to drain for a few minutes.
- Toss the wings in a mixing bowl along with the bang bang sauce, then transfer to a serving plate and serve.
How to Bake Chicken Wings
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- Reminder: Before baking the wings (as mentioned under the “Prepare The Wings for Cooking” section above), you'll need to boil them – This will help remove excess fat and liquid from the wings and result in the best texture. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken wings and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the pot, allow them to drain, then pat them completely dry with paper towels. Next, toss them in the dry seasonings described in the “Prepare the Wings for Cooking” section above.
- Place the wings on a wire baking rack (like this one) on top of a baking sheet.
- Place the seasoned wings on the rack – try to place them, so none are touching. Giving space between them will help them crisp up. 🙂
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crisp to your liking.
- Once they've finished baking, in a mixing bowl, toss the wings in the prepared bang bang sauce and place them back onto the wire rack on the baking sheet.
- Place the wings back in the oven and Broil for 6-8 minutes. You want the heat to “glue” the sauce to the wings. 🙂
Looking for another cooking method for wings? As I try out different methods, I'll add them here!
Sauce recipe inspired by Chili Pepper Madness
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking, Frying
- Cuisine: American
