Gochujang Honey Wings Recipe

Name: Gochujang Honey Wings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 3 lbs chicken wings; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; Vegetable oil for frying; 1 cup flour; 1 cup cornstarch; 1/2 tablespoon sea salt; 1/2 tablespoon black pepper; 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1/4 cup honey; 1/4 cup gochujang; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 2 tablespoons rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons water

This is my version of the double-fried Korean wings that are all over Instagram. The secret is frying them twice - first cook gets them done, second fry makes them shatteringly crispy. The gochujang sauce is sweet, spicy, and sticky. Warning: these are addictive and you'll want to make double.

Harper Donahue

June 2, 2025

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Ingredients

3 lbs chicken wings
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Vegetable oil for frying

Seasoning Mix

1 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup gochujang
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water

Marinate the Wings

In a large bowl, toss wings with salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix until every wing is coated.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours. Overnight is better – more flavor penetration.

Make the Coating

Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and baking powder in a shallow dish.

Drizzle in ~2 tablespoons of the marinade liquid from your wings. Work it through with your fingers until you have small lumps throughout. These lumps = extra crispy coating.

Coat the Wings

Let excess marinade drip off the wings. Press each wing into the coating, turning to cover all sides.

Set on a wire rack for ~5-10 minutes. The coating needs to set while you heat the oil.

First Fry

Heat oil to 350F in a deep pot. Fry wings in small batches for ~6-8 minutes until cooked through.

Transfer to a wire rack. Let oil come back to temp between batches – this is crucial.

Second Fry

Once all wings have had their first fry, make sure oil is back at 350F.

Fry each batch again for ~1-2 minutes until deep golden brown. They should hit ~165F internal and be super crispy.

Make the Sauce

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium. Add garlic powder, ginger, and gochujang. Stir for ~30-45 seconds until fragrant.

Add honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and water. Let bubble for ~2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.

Toss and Serve

Add hot wings to the sauce and toss until completely coated.

Serve immediately – the coating stays crispy for about 10 minutes before the sauce makes it soft.

Notes

Keep batches small – overcrowding drops oil temp and makes soggy wings.

The coating should feel dry before frying. If it’s gummy, dust with more dry mix.

Have tongs ready and maybe a splatter screen – this gets messy but it’s worth it.