This fried chicken is known for its sweet and spicy glaze with a crisp and crunchy coating. Today we're using Asian garlic chili, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, soy sauce, and plenty of delicious spices and seasonings for ultra flavorful candied chicken wings with a kick.
Use half of the salt and pepper to season the chicken wings. Place seasoned chicken wings in a large bowl. Using gloved hands, add 1 tablespoon of the Asian garlic chili to the bowl with the wings and toss to coat.
To a gallon zipper plastic bag, add remaining salt and pepper, the flour, smoked paprika, ginger, and garlic powder. Close bag and toss to combine dry ingredients.
Working in batches, add 5 or 6 wings to the bag of dry seasonings. Close bag and shake to coat the wings.
Remove to a wire rack and repeat process until all wings are coated.
Preheat your deep fryer to 345 F.
Add wings to fryer basket, being careful not to crowd the chicken. Cook 5-7 minutes, lifting basket once during cooking and gently shaking to ensure wings do not stick together and they cook evenly.
Remove chicken to paper towel lined tray and allow to drain.
To a medium saucepan, add remaining Asian garlic chili, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and ketchup. Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until it reaches a gentle boil.
Add some water to the cornstarch and stir until no powder remains. You won’t need much water, just enough for the cornstarch to dissolve.
While stirring, slowly add cornstarch mixture to the sauce in pan. Stir until completely combined. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 3-4 minutes to thicken.
In a large bowl, using gloved hands, gently toss 5-6 wings at a time with some of the sauce to coat chicken wings. Repeat until all chicken wings are coated. You may have a little sauce left over which is perfect for dipping.
Notes
You can buy party wings. We like to buy the full wings and cut the wing tips off as they tend to be meatier than party wings.
These sticky wings are best served right away, but if you happen to have leftovers you can store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the air fryer or oven for the best results.
If you do not have a deep fryer, you can fill a dutch oven or heavy bottom skillet with oil about halfway or enough to fully submerge the chicken. Heat the oil to 345F before beginning. It's best to use a thermometer for this process to ensure the oil reaches the correct temperature. Keep an eye on the oil temperature as you cook the chicken as it can cool down throughout the process of adding and removing chicken.