Sticky Thai Chicken Wings With Peanut Satay Sauce

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

These Thai chicken wings are marinated in a flavor packed marinade, then baked to a crispy, gooey perfection. The baked chicken wings come out ultra juicy and tender, and are served with a spicy peanut satay sauce.

These are literally some of the best wings I've ever had. They are baked to perfection in a spicy, tangy, slightly sweet Thai sauce - these wings are perfect!

This chicken wing recipe is flavor packed with a glaze made of fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, lemongrass, coconut sugar, etc. etc. You know, all the good stuff we use in this crying tiger recipe too.

All the stuff that gives food that oh so amazing "I need more" type of feeling. These sticky Thai wings have a perfect sweet and savory flavor and are nice and crispy!

They are perfect served as an appetizer, or alongside this coconut jasmine rice or this curry mac and cheese as a main dish. Sticky wings are also great served on game day!

Plus, they come out perfectly crispy and delicious without having to deep fry them or use any oil.

Jump to:

• Recipe Ingredients
• Step By Step Instructions to Make Thai Chicken Wings
• How to Make Peanut Satay Sauce
• How to Make Air Fryer Thai Chicken Wings
• Expert Tips
• Serving Options (What to Serve with Wings)
• Storage and Reheating Instructions
• More Favorite Chicken Wing Recipes
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

For the chicken wings, I use wingettes or drumettes - sometimes also called "party wings" at the grocery store. Basically, the small wings.

We use these ingredients in the marinade, which also becomes the glaze when we bake them:

Sambal Oelek: The Sambal Oelek is made with just chopped chilies, lime, salt and pepper. If you have a good old bottle of chili garlic sauce in the fridge, you can use that as a substitute.

Lemongrass: Lemongrass has a mild citrus flavor and is commonly used is soups, stews and curries. You can use fresh lemongrass or lemongrass paste for this recipe (easier to use).

Fish Sauce: Fish sauce is a fermented condiment and seasoning made from anchovies and salt. It does have a strong fish smell, but when added to dishes is not fishy at all! It adds a delicious umami flavor.

Soy sauce: Any basic light soy sauce like Kikkoman will work here.

Turmeric: Turmeric is a spice derived from a root that has a mild peppery flavor and a bright yellow color.

Garlic/Ginger: I always recommend using fresh garlic and ginger for the best results. That said, ginger paste can be pretty convenient and still has a good flavor.

Coconut Milk: Full fat unsweetened coconut milk is recommended for the best creamy results. The "light" coconut milk is just a more watered down version.

Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice should be used - the bottled lime juice just doesn't have the same flavor as fresh. You can substitute fresh lemon juice if you need to here.

Coconut Sugar: Coconut sugar is a palm sugar that is processed less than traditional granulated sugar - it has a deeper flavor and less is required for the same result. You can substitute brown sugar or honey for the coconut sugar if needed.

For the peanut satay sauce that we use as a dipping sauce, we also use these ingredients (in addition to a few of the ones already mentioned):

Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds a light freshness to the sauce and also works great as a garnish to the whole dish. I do not recommend using dried cilantro.

Tamarind: Tamarind is a pod like fruit with a sweet and tart flavor. Commonly used in Thai, Indian and Mexican cooking, the pulp of the fruit is very sour.  It is very hard to use fresh, so I prefer to use this tamarind concentrate.

Peanuts: Dry roasted, salted peanuts work great here. If all you have is raw or unsalted, you can use those as well, you just may need to adjust the salt content of the peanut sauce.

Thai Chili: These really give great flavor and heat to the satay sauce. They can be spicy, so if you'd like less heat, you can substitute serrano peppers or even Anaheim peppers for even less heat.

Now if you're unfamiliar with some of the ingredients, don't fret! Pop on over and read this post to learn a bit more about the ingredients used in Thai cooking.

Step By Step Instructions to Make Thai Chicken Wings

Step 1: Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and place the wings in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours for the best results.

Step 2: Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Step 3: Spread the wings in a single layer on a parchment paper (or foil) lined baking sheet, reserving excess marinade (optional). You can also use a wire rack to ensure the wings crisp on all sides easier.

Step 4: Place them in the oven and bake the wings for 35-45 minutes, turning once half way through.

Step 5 (optional): While the wings cook, pour any excess marinade in a saucepan and simmer on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and baste the wings with the sticky sauce halfway through. If the remaining sauce is too thick, add additional liquid like chicken broth.

The baked Thai chicken wings should be gooey and caramelized on the outside with slightly crispy skin when they are done. Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions and/or diced chilies (all optional) and serve.

How to Make Peanut Satay Sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. If the sauce is too thick add a couple tablespoons of water or stock to thin it out.

Peanut sauce is amazing served with Thai wings! We also love it with these chicken summer rolls or beef satay skewers.

How to Make Air Fryer Thai Chicken Wings

I still recommend marinading the wings. When ready to cook, add 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the wings, toss to coat (it doesn't have to fully coat them) and place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer.

Cook them at 400°F for 20 minutes, flipping them halfway through. You may have to cook them in a couple batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket.

They will be golden brown and sticky when done. Remove the fried chicken wings and serve with the Thai peanut dipping sauce over the wings or on the side.

Expert Tips

1. Lay the chicken wings in a single layer when baking them to ensure they caramelize fully.
2. Use a wire rack for the wings if you want them ultra crispy on all sides.
3. Line the baking sheet with foil or parchment paper to keep the glaze from ruining your baking sheets.
4. You can use chicken thighs instead of wings. Add 15-20 minutes to the cook time to ensure they are cooked through. Use a thermometer to check they are cooked to 160°F.
5. You can use whole wings as well if you can't find drumettes.
6. If the wings are not caramelized, continue cooking for 5 minutes at a time until edges are brown and gooey.
7. Use more or less Thai chilies depending on your heat preference.

Serving Options (What to Serve with Wings)

• Serve with the peanut sauce, or substitute a Thai sweet chili sauce or even sriracha sauce if you'd like.
• Add a couple teaspoons of rice wine vinegar to the marinade for extra tangy results or as a substitute for the lime juice.
• Serve with a side of sticky rice, or I even like them with this tangy sushi rice! You can also serve them with fried rice or I LOVE this turmeric rice.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, a 400°F oven or a 400°F air fryer. You can also reheat in the microwave, they just won't be quite as crispy.

You can also freeze the wings for up to 3 months and thaw them in the fridge overnight.

Recipe