Crispy Baked Chicken Wings with Kimchi Caramelized Honey Sauce

Crackling crispy baked chicken wings with sweet and spicy kimchi-honey sticky wing sauce. This appetizer writes game-day all over the napkins. :)

Even though Kimchi and Honey Wing Sauce is bomb on it's own... sticky, sweet, sour, and spicy!! These wings also are crispier than any average oven baked or broiled wings. Oh yes, even crispier than my own previous broiled wings recipes.

I have always broiled wings/drumettes (skin-on) instead of baking to get those crispy-style chicken wings without extra calories of oil. I don't say I did not like the results but since I tried these crackling wings, I'm impressed with a new level of crispiness and that too with just baking, not even broiling!

Secret, my friends, is in a two ingredient marinade which takes these wings from fab to fabulous... without any oils or butters. That two-ingredients are - egg whites and baking soda!! Who knew!?!

No, no this not something I knew :) The real credit goes to Chef Bryan Voltaggio! The famous brother from Voltaggio Brothers. I have always loved their modern play on classic recipes and foodie + flavorful approach towards cooking. Recently, when I cam across Bryan's cookbook, I wanted to try almost every recipe! First of all, Crackling Baked Chicken Wings with Kimchi Caramel Sauce caught my eye. After reading the first few lines, I was hooked. You can make baked wings more crispy?! Talk to me!!

The surprise came when a 2 ingredients duo, just Voltaggio brothers, was magic behind the whole recipe. I know right then, I'm sharing this with you...

Now, I cannot say this recipe is copy of his recipe. Even though concept and even technique matches a bit.. but I have adjusted a lot of things per my taste. Even if you don't want to try honey-kimchi sauce.... please do get this technique a try! You will be glad you did. I promise. 

Now, my humble kimchi-honey wing sauce does need a few words of praise. Vishal was crazy for it! First, because it is spicy, and second because sticky honey caramel just balances everything making it finger-licking good. Instead of using just kimchi liquid for sauce, I have also chopped and added some kimchi while finishing the sauce to add some crunchy kimchi bites.

What I love about this recipe? Is that it comes together very quickly. After I marinated the wings in egg white and starch... I set the oven to preheat and get the baking sheet ready. Also, take out the ingredients for honey wing sauce and dipping sauce.

Even though recipe calls for more time, I just gave these wings 30 minutes bath in egg white marinade and wings still come out crispy and crackling.

Once the wings are marinated, I oil spray a baking sheet, place wings 2 inch apart and discard the egg marinade. For broiled wings I used to stand in the kitchen and watch'em after first 10 minutes. These baked wings cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. So, I put them in oven and watch game for 20 minutes.

Then, it is time to turn the wings once for even cooking and even crispiness. This time, I make the dipping sauce and quickly make honey-kimchi sauce. In meantime, wings are ready.

I toss in the hot kimch-honey caramel and serve immediately!

All of sudden, everyone is more interested in wings and finding tissues  than watching games! haha! That's a 'home run' moment!!

I hope you will enjoy'em as much as we have.

Oh, and grab the link from recipe notes to buy Bryan's cookbook - "home". There are a lot many recipes which you will like to try.

PS: In California, we are going though May-gray-June-gloom season. ;) So I could not do justice to these pictures on a cloudy day. I'm definitely updating these again, soon.

Oh, and if you get chance to make these wings for game day this weekend? Send me pictures and I will update here.

Wish you a great weekend!

Cheers- Savita