Chinese Takeaway Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings

Name: Chinese Takeaway Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 0.5 tsp garlic powder; 3/4 tsp five spice; 40 g cornstarch; 1 tsp Baking powder; 1 kg chicken wings; Vegetable/sunflower oil; 3 scallions (chopped diagonally ); 3 red chillies (chopped diagonally ); 1/4 white onion (chopped); 3 garlic cloves (crushed); 2 tbsp Vegetable/sunflower oil

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If you are in the mood for Chinese Takeaway Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings, this recipe is just what you need! These wings are seasoned to perfection, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Serve as a side or appetizer.

salt and pepper wings in bowl with scallions and chillies on top.

Salt and pepper chicken wings are a popular Chinese takeout side option and there is good reason for this. They are deep fried in a cornflour mixture to give the wings a crispy skin and seasoned with salt and pepper to give the wings their notorious delicious flavor. They are then tossed in a mixture of fried chilies, scallions, garlic and onions to add even more savory flavor. As a result, you end up with a crowd-pleasing favorite!

Table of Contents

What I Love About This Recipe

This chicken wing recipe has a lot of things going for it and will soon become your go-to side for the following reasons:

You only need a few simple easy-to-find ingredients to make this takeout classic!
The wings are cooked for ten minutes.
They can be made in the oven or air fryer.
This recipe is inexpensive.

Ingredients

Salt: Use regular table salt for this recipe.
Black pepper: Ground black peppercorns or use ground black pepper. If you don’t have black pepper, then use white pepper instead. Traditionally, it’s made with Sichuan peppercorns.
Garlic powder: Add this to the cornflour mix.
Chinese five-spice: Select a good quality five-spice mix to add Chinese flavors.
Cornstarch/cornflour: This will make the chicken crispy.
Baking powder: Make sure it has not expired. This will add more crispness to the chicken. Do not use baking soda because this has a strong metal-like flavor.
Chicken wings: Chop the wings in half before preparing. You should have drums and flats. If the wings are frozen, let them thaw completely and pat them dry before coating them in the cornflour mixture.
Vegetable oil: For frying.

Chicken Wing Marinade

Scallions: Slice diagonally for presentation.
Chilies: Select red chilies and slice them evenly and diagonally.
White onion (optional): Chop white onions evenly.
Garlic cloves: Crush garlic thinly.
Vegetable/sunflower oil: For frying.

Equipment

Chefs knife
Chopping board
Large Bowl
Saucepan

Recipe Variations

For a less oily wing recipe bake them in a preheated oven at 200°C/ 425°F / Gas mark 7 for 30 minutes and turn halfway through. Once the wings are done coat them in the chili marinade.

These wings can also be made in an air fryer. Fry them at 190°C/380°F for 20 minutes and flip them every 5 minutes. Once this is done, toss the wings in the chili marinade.

Feel free to skip the Chinese five spice if you don’t have any to hand.

How to Make Chinese Takeaway Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings

Chop the wings into drums and flats. Then pat them dry with a paper towel. Add the wings to a bowl.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined.

1. Add dry ingredients to a bowl and mix.

4. Add dry ingredients to the wings and mix until the wings are evenly coated.

2. Mix the chicken wings with the cornflour mixture.

5. Heat oil in a saucepan or deep fryer. Fry chicken wings for 6-8 minutes or until done on medium heat. Add paper towels to a bowl and place the wings on top of the paper towels to soak excess oil.

4. Fry wings and place them on a paper towel.

Salt and Pepper Marinade

7. Heat oil in a pan. Then add crushed garlic and onions then cook for a few minutes. Next, add scallions and chilies and cook for another two minutes. Add the wings to the pan and coat them in the marinade.

3. Wings in scallion and chilli marinade.

8. Serve salt and pepper chicken wings as a side with Singapore noodles or broccoli.

Tips and Tricks

Chicken wings: Pat the wings dry before coating them in the flour mixture. This will ensure that the chicken is extra crispy. Some people like to season the wings before coating them in cornflour if you decide to do this, then be mindful as you don’t want salty wings.
Batches: Fry the wings in batches and ensure you don’t overcrowd the saucepan. This will ensure that wings fry evenly in good time. Overcrowding can cause the temperature of the oil to lower and the chicken may get stuck together while frying.
Marinate overnight: Feel free to marinate the chicken overnight for more flavor or to make them ahead of time.

FAQs

What is the secret to crispy chicken wings?

There are a few things you can do to ensure that the wings are crispy. Pat wings dry to remove excess moisture and coat them in baking powder, plain flour or cornflour and seasoning. Then, deep fry the wings in oil. You can also bake them, but they won’t be as crispy.

What does salt and pepper chicken contain?

Salt and pepper chicken recipes vary slightly, but most include salt, pepper, baking powder, cornflour or plain flour and Chinese five spice.

What is salt and pepper seasoning?

Salt and pepper seasoning varies, but most contain salt, ground white pepper, Chinese five spice, crushed chili flakes, garlic powder, ground ginger and caster sugar. This seasoning is used to season chicken, fish, meat and vegetables.

How to store salt and pepper wings?

Place wings in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 60-90 seconds (depending on the microwave) before serving.

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