Baked Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings With Brown Sugar & Soy Sauce

4.61 from 113 votes
Made with soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic, this baked sticky Chinese chicken wings recipe is loved by everyone. And they really are the easiest chicken wings ever...you can't mess them up if you tried!
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These baked sticky Chinese chicken wings made with brown sugar and soy sauce are always a hit at my parties. And it truly is the easiest chicken wing recipe you can find!

easy baked sticky Chinese chicken wings with brown sugar and soy sauce

These easy sticky Chinese chicken wings are one of my go-to recipes for parties when I want an easy-to-make appetizer that everyone loves! (And let’s be honest, when do I not want that?)

They do have to bake for a couple of hours so it generally isn’t a recipe that I serve for weeknight dinners.

But for parties the long baking time is actually a good thing.

There’s no last minute prepping and trying to get something into the oven while people are arriving.

Ingredients

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baked Chinese sticky wings ingredients - brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and wings

One of the best things about this recipe is how few ingredients it takes.

  • Chicken wings – 3 to 4 pounds of wings with the tips cut off. That works out to about 40 wingettes and drumettes if you are buying them already separated (which is what I like to do so I don’t have to spend time separating them myself).
  • sugar – This recipe takes a lot of brown sugar – 2 cups to be exact. But that’s what makes them sticky.
  • liquids – 2 Tablespoons white vinegar and 4 Tablespoons soy sauce. I know it doesn’t seem like a lot, but the brown sugar will melt in the oven so this is all you need.
  • garlic – 2 cloves of fresh garlic. If you like your wing sauce extra-garlicky, you can add another clove or two.

Substitutions

  • To make the wings work for people who are gluten-free, substitute Coco aminos for the soy sauce.
  • I think fresh garlic tastes best but you can substitute 3 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic if want to save some time.

Pots and Utensils

Similarly, you don’t need to use up every pot in your kitchen to make these. Here’s what you need:

  • 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish. While you can use a different size of dish, you definitely need one that is at least 2 inches deep (ie. a cookie sheet won’t work). The sticky sauce boils during baking and it will get all over your oven if the sides of your dish are too low.
  • mixing bowl and spoon
  • tin foil

How to make sticky Chinese chicken wings

Easy baked sticky Chinese chicken wings on a plate

This recipe makes about 40 half-wings.

Prep work

Pre-heat the oven to 350℉.

If your wings are not separated, you’ll want to cut them at the joints, and discard the tips if necessary. This makes them easier to eat and you can fit more into the baking dish at one time.

If you are using fresh garlic, mince it.

uncooked wings arranged in a baking dish

Spread the wings out in a baking dish. It’s okay if they are touching and they don’t have to be laid out flat.

Since I’m usually making these for a party, I try to get as many wings into the dish as possible. I line up all the drumettes on one side of the dish with the large ends alternating. Then line all the wingettes next to each on the other side of the dish. And then fill in the middle with whatever fits.

Again, make sure to choose a dish with sides that are at least 2 inches high (not a baking sheet).

The sugar mixture will boil in the oven and can bubble over the sides if they are not high enough. Which makes a really big, hard-to-clean mess in your oven and usually creates lots of smoke (ask me how I know!)

Mix the sauce

Making this sticky wing sauce is about as easy it gets.

Simply mix all of the ingredients (except for the wings) in a bowl.

Then pour the mixture over top of the wings in the baking dish.

Easy baked sticky Chinese chicken wings in the pan with sauce poured over the top before baking

It doesn’t even matter if all of the wings are covered by the sauce at this point. It will bubble and coat all of the wings while it is baking.

Bake

baking dish covered with foil

Cover the dish with foil.

You may want to put a layer of tin foil on the oven rack under the pan, too, since the sauce sometimes boils over.

Bake at 350℉ for an hour.

wings in a baking dish being turned over with tongs

Then take the foil off and turn the wings over using a pair of tongs or a fork.

Bake for another 45 minutes to an hour uncovered.

Sticky Chinese chicken wings in the pan after baking

Because of the brown sugar, you do need to bake them at a fairly low temperature for a longer period of time. Otherwise the sugar will burn.

But when they come out of the oven they will be the best tasting, fall-off-the-bone, sticky sweet and sour baked chicken wings you’ve ever had!

baked sticky chinese chicken wings on a  plate

Can you make them ahead of time?

You can also get this sticky chicken wings recipe ready to go the day before your party.

To do this, separate the wings (if you have whole ones), spread them out in the baking dish, cover with foil and store in the refrigerator.

Then make the sauce in a small bowl and store that in the refrigerator, too.

On the day of the party, pour the sauce over the wings and pop them into the oven.

As an added bonus, these sticky Chinese chicken wings do really well in a chafing dish if you’re serving them on a buffet. Since they are a fall-off-the-bone type of wing (not a super-crispy one) they don’t get all soggy like fried wings can after they’ve been out for a while.

Is there a gluten-free version?

Yes, you can substitute Coco Aminos* for the soy sauce and the wings will still taste great!

What to serve with baked sticky Chinese chicken wings?

Since I’m usually serving these wings at a party, my other dishes are also buffet-ready recipes like:

Other wing recipes you might like

baked sticky chinese chicken wings

Baked Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

4.61 from 113 votes
Servings: 40 wing drumettes and wingettes
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 2 hours
Total 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 to 4 pounds chicken wing sections (without tips) about 40 wingettes and drumettes
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons vinegar
  • 4 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic minced

Equipment

  • 1 9" x 13" baking dish that's at least 2" tall
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • 1 mixing bowl
  • 1 spoon

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oven to 350°F.
  • If the wings have not been separated, remove the tips and separate the wings at the joint.
  • Arrange the wings in a baking pan.
  • Mix the rest of the ingredients in the bowl.
  • Pour the mixture over the top of the wings in the pan.
  • Cover the pan with foil.
  • Bake for an hour. 
  • Remove the foil.
  • Turn the wings over.
  • Bake, uncovered, for another 45 minutes to an hour.

Notes

  1. Because of the brown sugar, don’t try to speed up the baking process by raising the temperature. The sugar will burn quite easily.
  2. For parties, you can do the prep a day ahead of time. Spread the wings out in the baking dish, cover with foil and put in the refrigerator. Then make the sauce and store it in the refrigerator as well. On the day of the party, just pour the sauce over the wings and pop them in the oven.
  3. Substitute Coco aminos for soy sauce if you want a gluten-free version
Nutrition Facts
Baked Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings
Serving Size
 
1 drumette or wingette
Amount per Serving
Calories
91
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
3
g
5
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Trans Fat
 
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Cholesterol
 
17
mg
6
%
Sodium
 
119
mg
5
%
Potassium
 
52
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
 
11
g
4
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
11
g
12
%
Protein
 
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
 
32
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
12
mg
1
%
Iron
 
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

courseAppetizer, Main Course
cuisineAmerican: Asian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Have comments or questions about our easy baked sticky Chinese chicken wings?  Tell us in the section below.

This post was originally published on February 15, 2015 but was updated with new content on March 19, 2024.


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Recipe Rating




78 Comments

  1. How does it become a sauce when there is hardly any liquids. Am I missing something?

    1. Hi Steve…I know it seems like there isn’t much liquid in the sticky wing sauce, but the brown sugar dissolves enough to pour over the top of the wings. Then it melts while it’s cooking to create the sauce. The pictures on the page show you what it looks like before you cook it and after. If you try it, you’ll see 🙂

      1. Beth Wegner says:

        Omg..delicious wings! I put my wings in marinade in fridge for 4 hrs.then dumped in cookie sheet..(sprayed)..also I added fresh ground ginger in sauce..so good..my buffalo wing loving husband requested them again!! Sticky.fall of the bone goodness❤

        1. Wanda Simone says:

          Thanks, Beth! Fresh ground ginger sounds like it would be an awesome addition! I’m glad your husband liked them 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    This is my favorite wing recipe ever!

  3. Linda Roehrig says:

    5 stars
    I have been looking for this recipe! A neighbor made “Chinese Chicken Wings” for my family years ago. I think it was the 1st homemade Asian food I ever tasted. Back in 1971, LaChoy was all I knew. So, those wings have been haunting me all this time. I’m making your recipe today! I’ll confirm the rating in about 2 1/2 hours!! Oh Boy!!

    1. Glad you found the recipe, Linda 🙂 It’s one of my favorites!

  4. 5 stars
    I did this recipe for a fundraiser for our church Youth and it was absolutely amazing!! Have you ever tried it with either boneless skinless breast or thighs?

    1. Thanks, Susan! Glad you liked it. I haven’t tried it with chicken breasts or thighs, but that’s a good idea 🙂 I think it would be good.

      1. I did try it with the boneless skinless chicken breast. The one thing that I would do differently would be to bake the chicken for about 20-30 minutes (without the sauce, (because there’s way more juice in the breast) drain of the juice and then put the sauce on and continue baking the remaining time until the chicken reaches the 165F (flipping and basting ) until the chicken is nice and sticky (coated).

        1. Thanks for the suggestion! I will definitely be trying that.

  5. I am trying to figure out how many pounds of chicken wings I need to buy. Your recipe serves 8 and that’s using 3 lbs. of wings. How many wings is a serving ?
    Thank you

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Dot…I buy the wings already cut in half (without the tips) and 3 pounds usually ends up being about 40 wings, so about 5 wings per person. But the exact number will depend on how big the wings are.

    2. Hi,

      Looks yummy.

      Can I use pressure cooker instead of over for this recipe?

      Joyce

      1. Wanda Simone says:

        Hi Joyce…I think it would be fine in the pressure cooker, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. I’d love to know how it turns out if you make it that way 🙂

  6. Beth Gard says:

    Wanda, do you recommend a particular vinegar you use?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Beth…I use plain white vinegar (no particular brand).

      1. LindaMaria says:

        Wanda this recipe sounds delicious! I’m trying it tomorrow. I was wondering if I can coat them in baking powder before putting them into the pan to get crispy wings?

        1. Wanda Simone says:

          Hi Linda Maria…I haven’t tried them with baking powder so I’m not sure if that will work (They are kind of submerged in sauce once the brown sugar melts). But I don’t think it would hurt anything to try it. I would love to know how it turns out if you do 🙂

          1. LindaMaria says:

            Thanks Wanda for replying. I’ll definitely let you know how it turns out. I want to have the wings crispy in the end, so that was the only way I could think of. But it may not work since they are submerged in the liquid. Unless the last 5-10 minutes I raise the temp and crisp them before burning them😀

  7. 5 stars
    I love this recipe, made it exactly as you said. Just perfect!!!! I am making it again today. Thank you!!!!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Valerie! It’s one of my favorites, too 🙂

  8. DOREEN HENEAULT says:

    4 stars
    Before moving to Florida my favorite Chinse restaurant owner took me aside and showed me how he made then. Almost the same as you but the only take half an hour or less. What most Chinese restaurants do it deep fry the wings. Or I know most markets sell already fried wings that are plane in the deli these days. Then what he said was to simply mix half soy sauce and half brown sugar in a sauté pan. So say, one cup soy and one cup brown sugar. Turn it to low to medium heat then when it starts to bubble add the wings and slowly cover them. The sauce is thick and sweet, very sticky Like everyone loves them. Easy Peasy!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks for the suggestion, Doreen! I don’t do a lot of deep frying (so it’s probably not something I would do) but it could be helpful for someone else 🙂

  9. 5 stars
    I just made these and they were a success! I did add 1/4 honey terriaki sauce and I turned the heat up to 425 for the last 10 min to get them crunchy

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Amy! The honey teriyaki sauce addition sounds good 🙂

  10. Archanna Veerasamy says:

    5 stars
    I did them today and they were really good. I suggest adding 1/2tbsp of thick soy sauce for colour and marinating it for a few hours. Also to those crispy chicken skin lovers out there, leave the tip on ❤️

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks for the suggestions, Archanna!

  11. Archanna Veerasamy says:

    5 stars
    Have made this recipe thrice now and I’d say this yields the best baked chicken wings ✨ Added 2tsps of dried chilli flakes for some added flavour ❤️

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Archanna…adding chili flakes is a good idea!

  12. Great recipe. I added some fresh ground ginger as in a previous comment and a pinch of cayenne pepper for a touch of heat. Yummy!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Carolyn! The ginger and cayenne pepper additions sound good!

  13. Two hours to cook little tiny chicken wings seems like so long. Everyone has raved about the recipe but that still spooks me. I cooked wings tonight for one hour and they were over done.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Eva…the long cook time is because of the low oven temperature and the sauce. Normally, wings are baked dry at 400F or 425F, in which case 2 hours would be way too long.

  14. Looking at the picture itself has made me water my mouth and that is what is exciting me to try making it out. Thank you so much for posting the steps and guide for this recipe it is really of great help.

  15. I’ve been searching for this recipe for years!!! Tastes just like I remember and pairs amazing with oven fried rice. Thank you for posting!!!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      You’re welcome, Cory…enjoy!

  16. Can I do these in an air fryer?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Maureen…I don’t have an air fryer so I haven’t tried making them that way. Sorry I’m not much help!

  17. I’m doing this recipe right now but I’m using chicken drumsticks instead

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      That sounds good, Byron! I haven’t tried it with drumsticks so I hope they turned out well 🙂

  18. They look so delicious! So instead of the vinegar I used pineapple juice and a few pineapple chunks just because I love pineapple.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Rose! Pineapple juice sounds like it would be pretty tasty, too.

  19. Sharyl Connor says:

    Can you half the recipe? Its just me. Have anyone used any dip with this recipe (like blue cheese). Thanks.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Sheryl…yes, you can half the recipe. Just bake in a smaller dish so the wings will still be coated with the sauce. And I love these wings with blue cheese dip.

  20. 5 stars
    OMG this may be my new favorite recipe! I had a 3lb bag of wings, already cut – I had nowhere near how many your recipe calls for, so after an hour in the oven it was way too soupy….I removed most of the liquid and put back in uncovered for another 45min. Almost perfect….I ended with a 3 min Broil to carmelize the marinade oooh the stuff dreams are made of! I used some of the marinade to top white rice. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Dawn! It is one of my favorite wing recipes, too 🙂

  21. What do I do with the extra sauce? There is so much and it’s not really thickening too much. I would love for these wings to be a bit more crispier and saucier. They are almost coming out “boiled”, the flavors are amazing, I am just trying to figure out how to reduce it, so it crisps up a bit.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Kristina…I usually just throw out the extra sauce (I haven’t tried thickening it but you could probably pour it into a saucepan with a little cornstarch and simmer for a few minutes). If you want to get the wings crispier, you can put them back in the oven at 400F for a few minutes after you have removed the liquid.

  22. 5 stars
    Hello! I made this and it was AMAZING. Which brown sugar did you use? I made it the first time with light and am doing dark for my second batch.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Lynn! I have used both light and dark at different times, and I think they both taste great 🙂

  23. Says to leave in for hour then take foil off, flip it and leave in for another hour. Does still apply for boneless chicken?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Ginny…yes, I would still flip boneless chicken so that both sides have a chance to soak up the sauce which gives them more flavor.

  24. 3 stars
    A little to sweet for my taste and not enough soy sauce.

  25. 5 stars
    I made this twice First time followed directions and it was the best. Second time I double sauce because i has 5lbs of wings and it didn’t get sticky was to much sauce and liquid

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Vicki…sorry to hear it didn’t work out when you doubled it. When I’m doubling, I bake them in 2 dishes (so each one has about the same number of wings as a single batch would) and put them both on the same rack in the oven (so they get even heat). And that seems to work. Hope that helps!

  26. Do it hv to b sooo much b.sugar?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Nikki…I haven’t tried to make it with less, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. Most of it ends up in the sauce that flavors the wings, though, so you don’t end up eating that much of it.

  27. Made this tonight! It was delicious and so easy to make. No leftovers 😱We all loved it!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Penelope! It’s one of my favorites, too 🙂

  28. Gwen Patterson says:

    Sticky wing recipe for 6-10 wings

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Gwen…I haven’t tried to make this recipe for a small batch like that, so I can’t say for sure that this will work. But here’s what I would do:
      1. Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon vinegar, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce and 1 clove garlic in a bowl. It will make more sauce than you need, but you want it to cover the wings while cooking and I don’t think it will do that with less.
      2. Put the wings in a 8″ x 8″ pan (or something smaller like that) and pour the sauce over.
      3. Bake at 350℉ but reduce the baking time. I would try 45 minutes with the foil on and 30 minutes with it off.
      Hope that helps and I would love to know how they turn out.

  29. 4 stars
    LLoved the wings, best ever, but the juices exploded and made a mess of my oven & pan….what did I do wrong?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Sandy…That happened to me once and I think some of the wings were partly frozen. So they released extra water into the sauce while they were baking which caused it to boil over the sides of the dish. Not sure if that’s the same issue you had, but I have made these wings many times before and after that incident and it has never happened again.

  30. 5 stars
    Wanda, I think that is what happened, not all were entirely defrosted….I am so glad for your reply because these will continue to be on my menu. Thanks, Sandy

  31. 5 stars
    I’ve made these by request 3 times in 3 weeks. They are a hit!!!
    I seasoned the wings first with pepper and Tony Cachere’s lightly first and sealed them and sit overnight first. The sauce is perfect and delicious!!! A great easy recipe!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Karen! I will have to try seasoning the wings first. It sounds delicious!

  32. Want to make these but need my oven for other apps, Can these b baked in a crockpot?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Irene…I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work. I would cook them for 3 to 4 hours on high in the slow cooker.

  33. Debbie Baker says:

    5 stars
    I just made this recipe today, smells fantastic not ready yet still have 50 minutes to go after I turned them over and no foil on them. Will definitely let you know the turn out. My 18 yr old son is my biggest critic. That will be the ultimate tell tell. Kids don’t lie nor hold back feelings about food.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      I hope he liked it, Debbie!

  34. Just a note: LaChoy brand soy sauce is gluten free. I plan on making these very soon.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks for the tip, Sue!

  35. Has anyone tried in a crockpot? This sounds so good, I’m going to try today.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      I have not tried it in a crockpot, Kristina. But if you did, I would like to know if it turned out.

  36. 5 stars
    These are the best wings I have ever made! Delicious and incredibly easy! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

  37. Has anyone tried this recipe with bone-in chicken thighs?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Laura….I haven’t tried it with chicken thighs, but I think it would work with those, too.