Whenever we stop at Quaker Steak & Lube, my wife ALWAYS orders the Thai’R Cracker wings. The sauce combines a great sweetness with a little kick, all in an Asian-inspired chili sauce. We always grab a couple extra bottles of their sauce when we eat there. But if we can’t get to a Quaker Steak & Lube, we grab a bottle of Great Value Asian Sweet Chili wing sauce instead. It’s a mighty great substitute. Perfectly sweet with just a bit of heat. Nothing to be afraid of, but something to enjoy!
Nicely Sweet
Because this Great Value Asian sweet chili wing sauce is a bit on the sweet side I tend to use a bit less sauce than I normally would. That’s just my personal preference. My wife would lean towards more sauce instead.
Remember that if you have to refrigerate your open bottle of wing sauce to let it sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using. You don’t want to ‘shock’ hot, just-cooked wings with a cold sauce.
I stopped at a Wing’s Etc not long ago when I was out of town on a little trip. I’d never been to one. I ordered their wings sauced up in the Say It Ain’t Tso sauce. I devoured them like I hadn’t eaten in days. The sauce was sweet. And a little spicy. And the wings were cooked perfectly. Service was fantastic too. When I got home I set out to make my own General Tso chicken wings.
Nothing But Greatness
I could eat General Tso’s chicken wings daily. The sauce is definitely one of my all-time favorites. My version isn’t overly sweet. But it does bring a little heat. Not such a fan of a spicy wing sauce? Just cut back a bit on the red pepper flakes. I wouldn’t leave it out, though, because I think it adds an important flavor to the sauce.
The wings here are easy. Just tossed in cornstarch and deep-fried. No seasonings required. The sauce is the winner here. I recommend making extra.
My brain works a bit differently than most. When I see a peanut sauce, I don’t think egg rolls or stir fry. I think wings. First thing that pops into my head is wings. Last thing, too, for that matter. Pretty Thai Peanut sauce wings are lightly peanut-y, with hints of vinegar, garlic, Tamarind, and just a slight bit of spiciness. They’re definitely finger-lickingly good wings.
A Great Dippin’ Sauce, Too
This is a thinner sauce. If you want extra sauce on your Pretty Thai Peanut Sauce wings, I recommend serving it on the side in little cups for dipping. You’ll definitely find yourself enjoying the great Asian-inspired flavors even more.
Sauce your wings while they are hot. If you’re using a bottle of sauce that you had in the fridge, make sure you set it out on the counter for a bit before using it. Last thing you want to do is put super cold sauce on super hot wings. The wings won’t be hot long if you do.
This copycat of the Asian wings from Hooters is beyond incredible. These are easily my favorite Asian-flavored wings. I could not possibly eat too many of them. I quickly regretted not making a bigger batch as they disappeared in minutes. The sauce is the boss here. It’s a bit sweet with a bit of soy flavor. Reduced to a thick glaze, the sauce is almost candy-like in texture. And like candy, it’s impossible to resist.
Great Asian-Inspired Flavors
These copycat Hooters Asian wings are not spicy in any way, shape, or form. I’m usually a ‘hot’ hot wings guy, but these opened my eyes to wings with a sweeter flavor profile. If you want your wings to have some kick, add dried red pepper flake or cayenne to the sauce as you reduce it down. I would not add hot sauce as it would change the color of the sauce.
I store my leftover homemade sauces in squeeze bottles. If refrigerated, I set them out an hour before using so they come to room temperature. You don’t want to put cold sauce on hot wings!
My goodness gracious me are these sticky crispy garlic wings ever good. The chicken cooks up crazy crunchy. It’s good enough to serve by itself. The batter is well-seasoned and is definitely not boring. Then there’s the sauce. Slightly sweet with a slight Asian-inspired flavor, it brings the garlic big time. And oh yes, it’s sticky. Get out the paper towels, because wimpy napkins aren’t going to cut it here.
Watch your sauce
The one thing you need to know before you dive in and make these sticky crispy garlic wings is that the sauce needs to be watched the entire time it simmers. Trust me on this. It’ll want to boil over. You might be thinking it won’t….. and then it will. Just keep an eye on it. If it starts to rise, just grab the pot handle and take it off the heat for a minute or two. Once it subsides, put it back. And keep keeping an eye on it.
No Tossing Zone
If I’m saucing deep-fried wings, specially ones with a thicker coating like these, I don’t like to toss the wings in the sauce. That’ll tend to knock off the crispy coating. Instead, I’ll put the wings in a bowl and drizzle them in the sauce then stir them gently with a rubber spatula. Or I’ll just serve the sauce on the side and dip my chicken wings in it instead.
For the sauce (Warning: Do not leave the sauce un-attended while simmering)
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the honey, soy sauce and pepper. Stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir often and keep a close eye on the sauce as it simmers. It will want to expand and boil over the side of the pan. If this starts to happen, remove the pan from the heat until it subsides. Return to the stove and continue simmering.
Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to use.
For the wings
Heat 3-4" of oil to 350 F in a Dutch oven or deep fryer.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and cold water.
Working in batches as needed, dip wings into the egg wash and coat well.
Shake off any excess and transfer to the flour mixture. Turn to coat well.
Transfer the wings to the oil and fry 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack over a baking sheet to drain.
This right here is why I love (absolutely love!) buying wing sauces from small, non-chain (or at least, regional chain) restaurants and bars. That’s where I often find the best flavors. These Thai Place wing sauce wings are a huge winner. I mean huge. All from a Thai restaurant in Pittsburgh, that has, sadly, closed, but you can still find their wing sauce in stores! I found it in Jungle Jim’s outside of Cincinnati. And boy am I ever glad that I did! This sauce is has hints of soy sauce. It’s sweet for sure. And there’s a little heat kind just hovering around in the background. Not upfront so it’ll bite you, but it’s there.
Make Some Wings!
There’s no need to over-complicate this situation. Make some wings. Doesn’t really matter how. I went with air-fried wings. You can go with baked. Grilled. Whatever. Even store-bought frozen ones (plain, of course). Just get ’em done and get them in this sauce. You’re gonna enjoy these Thai Place wing sauce wings no matter how the wings are made. The sauce is definitely the star of this show.
Make sure you get extra bottles of the sauce. It’s great on smoked (or grilled) ribs too!
Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer with non-stick spray. Preheat per manufacturer’s recommendation.
Combine the baking powder and wing seasoning. Sprinkle over the wings and toss to coat.
Add the wings to the basket (be careful it’s hot!). If you have trouble fitting them without overlapping, stand the drumettes along the sides of the basket.
Cook at 360 F for 12 minutes for large wings, 10 minutes for smaller ones.
Carefully flip the wings (rotate the drumettes if they are standing) and cook another 12 minutes again (10 minutes for smaller wings) at 375 F.
Flip the wings one last time. Increase the temperature to 390 F and cook another 6 minutes (4 minutes for smaller wings).
The simplest of wings can often be the best. Like these Buffalo teriyaki wings. Just a few ingredients and a little cooking time and I’m enjoying great wings. No fancy batters or marinades or anything. Just cooked plain wings tossed in a great sauce. I cooked my wings in the air fryer but any technique will do. I make the sauce while the wings are cooking since it doesn’t take long to prepare. The end result is lightly sweet and lightly spicy. It’s a great combination of Asian-inspired and traditional wing flavors. These are finger-licking good wings!
Step Up Your Teriyaki Game
You can use whatever teriyaki sauce you like to make these Buffalo teriyaki wings. But for me, my go-to teriyaki sauce is from the fine folks over at Bourbon Barrel Food. They have two versions actually. The Kentuckyaki sauce is a wonderfully bourbon-infused sauce that has such a great, deep flavor. It’s great anywhere I need a teriyaki sauce. And of course their spicy version is … spicier! It also makes for a great sauce for these wings!
While the wings are cooking, combine the remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Once the sauce begins to simmer, reduce heat to low to keep the sauce warm.
It’s not uncommon for me to have wings two days in a row. It is uncommon for me to have the same wings two days in a row. These baked hoisin wings hit the spot for me. Lightly sweet, the lightly sweet and smoky sauce is finger-licking good. I could not get enough of it. These savory wings are baked until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is nicely brown. You won’t find crunchy skin here, but it does have a clean bite-through and great flavor.
Twice-Sauced… Or Thrice-Sauced?
I admit that I do ‘triple sauce’ my baked hoisin wings. The recipe (from the fine folks over at Kikkoman) calls for saucing them up front using half of the sauce. Then halfway through the baking, brush the wings with the remaining sauce. I always found that there was a bit too much sauce to use it all at once for that second saucing. Instead, I like to use half of the remaining sauce for the first brush, then I sauce them for the third time about 10 minutes before they are done. You don’t have to do that, the recipe is great as it is written. With my approach I always use up every ounce of the sauce.
Whoa back up the truck to teriyaki yumminess! We both loved the heck out Moore’s Asian Teriyaki wing sauce. Though the bottle says you can use the sauce on anything from vegetables to stir-fry to whatever, the sauce was amazing on wings. Not overly sweet as teriyaki sauce can sometimes be. Not overloaded with soy sauce or ginger. Just flat-out perfect teriyaki flavors.
Don’t Drown Your Wings
I made sure to not overly sauce my wings. Some places you buy wings at like to bury their wings in sauce, usually to hide skimpy thin wings. Not me. I use the big wings and I want to taste the wings too, not just the sauce. Even if that sauce is delicious like Moore’s Asian Teriyaki wing sauce!
Remember that if you have to refrigerate your open bottle of wing sauce to let it sit out on the counter for at least 30 minutes before using. You don’t want to ‘shock’ hot, just-cooked wings with a cold sauce.
Legend Larry’s Sweet Thai Chili wing sauce is fantastic. I am not surprised, though, because every sauce I’ve had from Legend Larry’s has been fantastic. Always the right consistency. Never overpowering. Just flat-out fantastic. This sauce has a slight kick, but not too much. You just notice it. It’s slightly sweet, but not so much so. It’s a great chili sauce by itself, but on wings it’s perfect.
The Perfect Chili Sauce
Whomever comes up with the sauces at Legend Larry’s deserves a raise. I’ve never had anything but great experiences with their sauces. Memorable experiences. The Legend Larry’s Sweet Thai Chili wing sauce is just another in a long list of sauces that make me happy. Get yourself some and get happy too!
If I am serving my wings with Ranch or blue cheese or some other sauce, I use these sauce dipping cups. They’re the perfect size for dipping wings, nuggets, tenders and even vegetables.
