These sweet chili wings have tender, crispy chicken covered in a sticky, sweet sauce that is a just little bit spicy! They are ideal for a game day food or for a simple weeknight dinner.
These classic chicken wings are covered in glaze and you’ll find yourself licking the sauce off your fingers and reaching for another! This recipe will satisfy a craving for a crispy chicken wing with a sweet flavor.
Cooking the wings in the air fryer makes them extra crispy without all the hassle and mess of deep frying. But I also give instructions for cooking in the oven if you don’t have an air fryer yet. Skip takeout and make wings at home!
Why You Will Love these Sweet Chili Wings
- These Thai inspired wings are the perfect wing flavor, just like you’d get a Buffalo Wild Wings.
- They are a excellent party wings, because not everyone wants extra spicy hot wings.
- These wings have a lot of sauce, which I love! Dry rub wings like lemon pepper wings and ranch wings are great, but I love saucy wings too.
- These aren’t just an appetizer, but make a tasty meal too. Serve them with a veggie and some rice. Drizzle some of the glaze over the rice for an amazing dinner!
Find more air fryer chicken wing recipes!
Key Ingredients
Chicken wing – It is nice when you can buy the chicken already cut into the wing and drumette pieces. But if not you can cut them yourself.
Baking powder – The baking powder helps keep the wings dry and makes them crispy.
Seasoning – Wings are seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
Thai Chili Sauce Ingredients
Thai sweet chili sauce – This is a classic sauce that you can find in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores or buy online. It combines hot chilies with honey, vinegar and fish sauce for a sweet yet slightly spicy flavor.
Brown sugar – You can also use honey to sweeten the sauce.
Sesame oil – Sesame oil adds a deep rich taste.
Soy sauce – Soy sauce is classic Asian flavor.
Cornstarch – The cornstarch is combined with water and helps make the sauce thick so it clings to the chicken pieces.
Seasoning – The sauce also includes garlic, red pepper flakes and pepper.
How to Make Thai Chili Wings
1. Prep
If your wings are not separated into the drumette and wing then cut them apart. Here is a handy video showing how to cut a chicken wing if you’ve never done it before.
Preheat the air fryer at 350 degrees F while you prep all the ingredients. Preheating helps ensure the wings get crispy.
Pat each wing dry with paper towels. You want them to fry, not steam, so get rid of as much moisture as possible.
Put the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix. Add the chicken wings and toss them until they are completely coated with the mixture.
Alternately you can put all the ingredients and the chicken in a zipper bag and toss them around in the bag until they are coated.
2. Air Fry
Put the coated wings in the air fryer basket. Don’t crowd them and keep them in a single layer.
Tip: Using parchment paper isn’t necessary, but it will greatly simplify cleanup! You can buy parchment paper precut to fit in most brands of air fryers. Just don’t put it in the basket until after preheating or it can fly up and stick to the heating element.
I find I can fit about 1 pound in my 5.8 quart Cosori air fryer. You might have to cook them in batches depending on your air fryer.
Air fry the pieces at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Then pull the basket out and flip them over. Cook them for another 8 minutes. Flipping each wing over halfway through helps them brown more evenly.
Check the internal temperature of a wing with an instant read meat thermometer and make sure they have reached 165 degrees F. If they haven’t cook them for another 2-3 minutes and check again.
Always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, don’t try to cook based just on time. A thermometer is not expensive and the peace of mind they give you is priceless. Food poisoning is not fun! This is my favorite inexpensive meat thermometer, which you can buy on Amazon.
3. Make Sauce
While the wings air fry make the sticky sauce. Mix the Thai sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, pepper, garlic, soy sauce and water.
Put it all in a saucepan on medium heat. Let it cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Then stir in the cornstarch and water mixture. Continue to cook the sauce on low heat until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. It will have a syrup consistency when it is done.
4. Combine
Once the wings are cooked through let them sit for 3-5 minutes. This helps keep them crispy even after they are dipped in the sauce.
Then put each wing in the sauce and stir them to coat. Put the coated wing and drumettes back in the basket. This is where it gets messy and you are going to want use parchment paper if you can!
Cook the sauced wing at 400 degrees F for 3 minutes. This will help glaze them and make them extra crispy.
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How to Serve
Serve crispy wings while hot and garnish with chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes, sesame seeds or green onions. This is a saucy dish, so serve it over rice or noodles or along with a dipping sauce. My kids love to dip a wing into ranch sauce!
If you are making these for dinner some great side dish suggestions for sweet Thai chili wings are edamame pods or fried rice. If you are looking for more ideas check out my post on what to serve with chicken wings!
How to Store
You can store the sweet chili chicken wings in an airtight container for 3 days in the refrigerator. Heat leftover chicken wings by putting them back in the air fryer at 370 degrees F for about 5-7 minutes.
FAQ
Yes, although the baked chicken wings won’t be quite as crispy. To bake them in the oven put them on a baking sheet in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Then flip them over and bake for another 20 minutes. Toss them with the sweet chili sauce and broil them for 3-5 minutes to coat them with the sauce.
Yes, this glaze mixture is delicious with chicken thighs or drumsticks too. The cooking time will be a little longer, so make sure you check the internal temperature of the chicken before tossing it with the sauce.
Find More Asian Inspired Air Fryer Recipes
Sweet Chili Wings Recipe
Ingredients
Wings
- 1 pounds chicken wing
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce
- 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic (2 tablespoons garlic)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- If the wings aren't separated into wing and drumette then cut them apart. Pat them dry so they crisp instead of steam.1 pounds chicken wing
- In a medium bowl mix the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Add the chicken wing and drumette pieces and toss them until they are completely coated with the mixture. You can also put everything in a zipper bag and toss them around to coat them.2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Put each wing in the preheated air fryer basket. Cook at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes on one side then turn them over and cook for another 7-8 minutes or until golden brown. Don't overcrowd the basket and cook in batches if you need to.
- While these cook combine the sweet chili sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic, soy sauce and water in a small sauce pan. Heat on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1/2 cup water
- Stir in the cornstarch and water mixture. Let it cook on low heat until it thickens and becomes a little sticky. Take if off the heat.1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
- When the chicken wings are done let them sit for about 5 minutes. Then toss them in the sauce.
- Put the coated wings back in the air fryer so they are glazed with the sauce. Use parchment paper in the air fryer to make cleanup easier! Cook them at 400 degrees F for 3 minutes so they are crispy and delicious.
- To serve garnish with cilantro, sesame seeds or green onions.
Notes
Baked Wings
- To bake these in the oven put them on a baking sheet in a preheated 425 degree F oven for 20 minutes. Then flip them over and bake for another 20 minutes. Toss them with the sweet chili sauce and broil them for 3-5 minutes to coat them with the sauce.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
If I don’t have enough the ingredients for the sauce, can I make it? I love this dish. Can you tell me which one I can cut out of the recipe? Thanks
One thing about the baking powder when I’ve prepared wings using BP be sure that it is aluminum free. From experience, the aluminum in the BP will leave bitter taste. RUMFORDS brand is the best to use. Thanks for sharing this recipe and I apologize for the interruption regarding the ingredients!!
I cooked this Thai Sweet Chili Wings Recipe and it was so tasty and delicious. I will cook it tomorrow again because it was so amazing. your article is so perfect and it gave me guidance very perfectly
Super easy! Totally delicious! Used convection bake at 425° little longer than the 20 mins; then broiled.
Half Thai chili (right amount of heat/sweetness), and half BBQ!