Buffalo Wings are so last year! Kick up the spice with crispy baked Kung Pao Chicken Wings for game day eats.
The Big Game is this Sunday, are you looking forward to watching your team play or just to eat all day? Me personally? I’m so clueless about football that I had to ask Google when the game is on more than one occasion. I don’t even know who is playing or where it’s even being hosted this year.
You know what I do know though? I know good food and I know good food should be devoured during the game. After all is this the biggest eating day right after Thanksgiving?
That’s a big deal! Let’s not skimp on your game day spread.
I’m a bit of a purist when it comes to football watching food, make it easy and make it something I can eat with my hands. After all while I don’t actually care about football, somehow whenever I’m in a room with a sporting event on I managed to get caught up in the action anyway. Which means you want your eyes on the game not on what you’re eating.
Wings fit this bill perfectly and while I’m a purist on the type of food what you do with it is completely up to you. I love buffalo wings as much as the next person but chicken wings are a blank canvas waiting for a variety of sauces and seasonings.
I’d love to say I came up with this Kung Pao Chicken Wings on my own but that’d be a lie. These were inspired by one of my favorite Brooklyn restaurants. They serve them up two ways, as an appetizer and served for brunch on top of waffles. You haven’t started your morning until you bite into a spicy chicken wing paired with chewy waffles dripping with maple syrup.
So while the idea of the wings were inspired from the restaurant the sauce is all mine. There are hundreds and hundreds of ways to make Kung Pao sauce out there. Everyone has their own version but here’s the basics, you want spice, you want a little sweet and a little acid. It all balances out to these sticky, spicy and messy wings. Toss with peanuts, cilantro and if you’ve got it scallions and they are ready to go.
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 to 3lbs chicken wings (whole or flats and drumettes)
- 1 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup sambal oelek chili paste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon shaoxing wine
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoons cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch + 1 tablespoon water to make a slurry
- Roasted peanuts, cilantro and scallions for garnish.
Instructions
- Rinse and dry your chicken wings and place in a large bowl, toss with the baking powder and salt to coat evenly.
- Heat your oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a baking sheet on top. Lay the chicken wings out in an even layer and back for 25 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue to roast for another 30-40 minutes until the chicken wings are crispy and golden brown.
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking prepare the sauce.
- In a medium saucepan drizzle 1/2 tablespoons of avocado oil or sesame oil and saute the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds stir in the sambal oelek, red pepper flakes, shaoxing wine, chicken stock, sugar, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir to combine and then bring up to a simmer.
- Pour in the cornstarch slurry, whisk so there are no lumps and bring back to a simmer until the sauce is thickened.
- Place the baked chicken wings in a large bowl and pour the sauce over the wings to coat evenly.
- Place the wings on a platter and garnish with peanuts, chopped cilantro and chopped scallions.
