Sweet, salty, sour.
Juicy, sticky, crunchy.
Are we drooling yet? You should be. These wings combine a lot of bold flavours in perfect balance- they are a gustatory orchestra (as in, “I’ll take Gustatory Orchestra for $800, Alex”).
If that’s not enough to seduce you, these tasty morsels take almost no effort and are totally customizable at the table. I like to serve them with a light sprinkle of finely chopped fresh herbs- mint, Thai basil, cilantro, and a touch of chopped peanut, then serve them with heaps of extra garnish for each eater to use as they please- pho-style (although it’s important to note that these aren’t ‘pho flavoured,’ just happen to also be Vietnamese with self-serve garnish). To each their own and everyone is happy.
As an example, these have become something of a staple in my household, given the wealth of fresh herbs growing in my garden.
My husband douses each wing in lime, then chopped peanuts, then meticulously adds one additional mint leaf, cilantro leaf and basil leaf- hold the chilis. (and you thought Starbucks ordering had gotten high maintenance…)
My mum, on the other hand, takes her herbs with a side of wings, that is to say she wads up a big, salady handful of herbs, squeezes a bit of lime overtop as ‘dressing’ then adds a wing. Heavy on the greens, skip the nuts, minimal chili.
Even my toddler is on board with these wings (!!!). She takes hers straight up with a small squeeze of lime, the meat stripped off the bone.
As for me, I like lots of everything. Give me all the lime, all the herbs, all the chili and all the peanuts. Actually, just give me all the wings, I’m done with sharing. 😉
| Vietnamese Chicken Wings | | Print |
- Marinade:
- ¼ cup good quality fish sauce
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 lime, zest
- .
- 1 kg chicken wings
- Thai basil
- Fresh mint
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Peanuts, coarsely chopped
- Thai red chilis, chopped
- Pour all marinade ingredients into a large ziploc bag until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add chicken wings and seal bag, squeezing out as much air as possible. Knead the bag gently to distribute the marinade over the wings and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight, changing the position of the bag occasionally to ensure the chicken marinates evenly.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat (or, for bonus points, wire cooling racks- I like doing this so both sides of the wings get crispy). Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is browned and cooked through.
- Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then bring it down to a simmer. Reduce until syrupy and set aside.
- Serve wings with a sprinkle of finely chopped thai basil, fresh mint and cilantro, with more whole leaves on the side to serve. Drizzle wings with reduced marinade and top with chopped peanuts for crunch and thai red chilis if you like a kick!
Can’t go wrong with chicken wings! They’re literally the best finger food ever.
Totally agree with you there, Mike!