Recipe for Honey-Glazed Chicken Wings (Crispy Exterior, Tender and Juicy Meat—No Fail!)

This is a classic home-style dish that’s loved by both young and old. The chicken wings are coated in an amber-colored honey glaze. The outer skin is slightly crispy with a hint of char, and when you bite into them, the meat is tender and juicy. It’s sweet and fragrant without being greasy, making it perfect as a main course or a snack. The recipe is simple, and even beginners can succeed on the first try!

1. Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

Main Ingredients:

• 500 grams of chicken mid-wings (Choose fresh chicken mid-wings for tenderer meat. For frozen chicken wings, thaw them in advance and pat dry the surface with paper towels to avoid a strong fishy smell)
• 1 small piece of ginger (Sliced, about 3-4 slices, essential for removing fishy odors)
• 2 cloves of garlic (Minced, to enhance aroma; you can omit it if you don’t like garlic, which won’t affect the honey glaze flavor)
• 2 green onions (Cut into sections, for garnish at the end, optional)

Marinade (To Infuse Flavor and Remove Fishy Odor):

• 1 tablespoon of cooking wine (For removing fishy odors; beer or white wine can be used as substitutes for a unique flavor)
• 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce (Enhances freshness and seasons the base; do not use dark soy sauce as it will make the dish too salty)
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt (Only a small amount is needed; the honey glaze will include light soy sauce, so avoid over-salting)
• A pinch of white pepper (Optional, adds aroma without spiciness and removes the meaty fishy smell)
• 2-3 slices of ginger (Marinate with the chicken wings for double fishy odor removal)

Honey Glaze Seasoning (Proportions Are Key—Do Not Alter Randomly!):

• 2 tablespoons of honey (Choose pure honey with high thickness for a richer sweet aroma. If there’s no honey, 1.5 tablespoons of maple syrup + 0.5 tablespoons of white sugar can be used as a substitute, with a similar taste)
• 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce (Enhances freshness and complements the light soy sauce in the marinade)
• 1/2 teaspoon of dark soy sauce (Used in small amounts for coloring to give the honey glaze an amber color; adding too much will make it bitter)
• 1/2 teaspoon of white sugar (Neutralizes the sweetness of honey and adds flavor layers, optional)
• 2 tablespoons of water (Adjusts the thickness of the honey glaze to prevent it from being too thick and burning easily when pan-frying)
• 1 small handful of white sesame seeds (Sprinkled at the end to enhance aroma and appearance; it’s okay if you don’t have them)

2. Required Tools

• Frying pan (Special for pan-frying chicken wings, heats evenly and is non-stick, more suitable than a wok)
• 2 small bowls (1 for preparing the marinade, 1 for preparing the honey glaze)
• Toothpicks (Essential for pricking holes in the chicken wings to facilitate flavor absorption)
• Paper towels (For dabbing the surface moisture of the chicken wings and the oil produced during pan-frying)
• Plastic wrap (For marinating the chicken wings, sealed to better infuse flavor)
• Spatula (Silicone or wooden spatula, to avoid scratching the pan when flipping and pan-frying the chicken wings)

3. Detailed Steps

Step 1: Preprocess the Chicken Wings (Key to Infusing Flavor and Removing Fishy Odor!)

(Score 3 slits on each side for flavor)

(Massage & marinate for 30 mins)

1. Prick Holes / Score: Place the chicken mid-wings on a cutting board. Use a toothpick to prick 10-15 holes on the surface of the chicken wings (especially the skin side), or use a knife to make 2-3 slits on each side of the wings (do not cut too deep to avoid the meat falling apart during pan-frying). This step allows the marinade and honey glaze to penetrate better, making the chicken wings more flavorful.
2. Clean and Drain: Rinse the pricked chicken wings quickly with water, place them in a slotted spoon to drain, then gently press with paper towels to pat dry the surface (this prevents oil splatters during pan-frying and helps achieve a crispy, fragrant exterior quickly).

Step 2: Marinate the Chicken Wings (At Least 30 Minutes—The Longer, the More Fragrant)

(Skin side down, medium-low heat; Flip & fry until both sides golden)

1. Put the drained chicken wings into a large bowl, add the marinade (cooking wine, light soy sauce, salt, white pepper, ginger slices), and mix well with your hands to ensure each chicken wing is coated with the marinade.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for marination—at least 30 minutes (sufficient time is needed for flavor absorption. If you prepare in advance, marinating overnight in the refrigerator will result in a better taste, and you can stir the wings once halfway through).

Step 3: Pan-Fry the Chicken Wings (Render Oil, Achieve Crispy Exterior!)

(Simmer covered for 10 mins to cook through)

1. Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat, no additional oil is needed (the chicken wing skin itself will release oil, and adding extra oil will make it greasy).
2. Take the marinated chicken wings out of the refrigerator, remove the ginger slices on the surface, and place them in the pan with the skin side down (pan-frying the skin side first can quickly render the oil and make the skin crispy).
3. Pan-fry for 2-3 minutes until the skin side of the chicken wings turns golden yellow and releases a lot of oil. Gently flip with a spatula and pan-fry the other side for 2 minutes until the entire chicken wing turns light brown and the meat shrinks slightly (do not pan-fry for too long, otherwise the meat will become tough; a slight char on the surface is sufficient).
4. Use paper towels to absorb the excess oil in the pan (to reduce greasiness and prevent the honey glaze from burning easily when preparing it later), turn off the heat, and temporarily push the chicken wings to the side of the pan.

Step 4: Prepare the Honey Glaze + Thicken the Sauce (Key to Coating Without Burning!)

(Stir to coat with sauce, cook for 3-5 mins until thickened)

1. Keep the frying pan over medium-low heat, pour the prepared honey glaze (honey, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white sugar, water) into the empty space in the middle of the pan. Stir a few times with a spatula to mix the honey glaze evenly and cook for 10-20 seconds (you will see the honey glaze slightly bubble and start to thicken).
2. Push the chicken wings from the side of the pan back into the honey glaze. Stir-fry continuously for 1-2 minutes with a spatula to ensure each chicken wing is evenly coated with the honey glaze (maintain medium-low heat throughout and keep stirring to prevent the honey glaze from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning—honey is high in sugar and burns easily over high heat).
3. Continue cooking until the honey glaze thickens (when you lift the spatula, the honey glaze should cling to it and drip in a thread-like manner without spreading out immediately). Turn off the heat—do not thicken the sauce too much; leave a little honey glaze in the pan as it’s more delicious to dip into when eating.

Step 5: Plate and Finish

1. Place the chicken wings coated with honey glaze on a plate, sprinkle with white sesame seeds and green onion sections (optional). Serve hot for the best taste! The outer skin is crispy, the meat is tender, and the honey glaze is sweet and fragrant. The honey glaze will become sticky when cold, so it’s recommended to eat it immediately after cooking.

4. Tips for Success

• No Fishy Smell in Chicken Wings: Be sure to prick holes or make slits, and marinate with cooking wine and ginger slices. For frozen chicken wings, rinse them several times after thawing and pat dry the moisture.
• Tender Meat Without Toughness: Do not use high heat when pan-frying the chicken wings; use medium-low heat for slow pan-frying. The marination time should not be too short—30 minutes is the minimum. Do not cook for too long when thickening the honey glaze; just coat the wings evenly.
• Honey Glaze Without Burning: Add the honey glaze at the end, cook over medium-low heat, and keep stirring. Do not skimp on the water; too little water will make the glaze thicken too quickly and burn accidentally.
• Substitution Options: Honey → maple syrup + white sugar; cooking wine → beer / white wine; if you don’t have a frying pan, a wok can be used, but pay attention to controlling the heat to avoid local burning.
• Advanced Eating Methods: If you like garlic flavor, sauté minced garlic in the pan before pan-frying the chicken wings. For those who love spiciness, add a pinch of chili powder to the honey glaze to make spicy honey-glazed chicken wings.
• Serving Suggestions: It goes well with rice and steamed buns, and can also be eaten as a snack. Do not waste the remaining small amount of honey glaze; mix it with vegetables (such as broccoli and carrots) for a sweet and sour taste that relieves greasiness.

(Sweet & sticky, tender meat falls off the bone)