Change whatever plans you had for dinner tonight, because you’re going to want to put these honey Korean gochujang wings on the menu. This recipe is my take on Korean BBQ wings with some fun little flairs. Overall, it’s a simple recipe that can either feed the whole family or be the centerpiece of your awesome party spread. Nothing too revolutionary here, but a Korean chicken wings recipe done well is insanely delicious.
Turtlebox brought the jams while I was outside grilling these sticky wings. Did I listen to K pop while I was making the recipe for a proper Korean cooking vibe? Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. But if I did, the sounds of BTS were absolutely next level fantastic on my rugged outdoor speaker.
Post sponsored by Turtlebox
Why You’ll Love Gochujang Wings
I freakin’ love the flavors of these Korean gochujang chicken wings. The spicy and sweet factors are off the charts, thanks to the spicy Korean red pepper paste and honey coating the wings with an intense sauce. The wings get this awesome sticky sweetness for the texture that make them absolutely irresistible. You’ll want to make sure you have a few trays of crispy wings if you’re planning to make this Korean chicken wings recipe for the big game!
Wings are actually really easy to make once you get the hang of it. If you buy party wings, the drumette and the flat are already separated, so it’s super simple to just toss the wings in your crispy coating or wing sauce.
I made two pounds of chicken wings for this recipe, which is enough for a party of four. Since we’re cooking them on the grill, though, you can scale up the recipe easily and not have to worry about an extra baking sheet in the oven. We’re also frying the wings after we smoke them, so you get all the smoke flavor and all the crispiness in one spicy-sweet chicken wing.
Get stoked for life
This sauce is FYR!
Born from a deep passion for food and flavor. Whether you’re grilling in the backyard or live fire cooking around the world, we have what you need to transform every meal into an adventure.
Looking for more gochujang recipes? Check out Maple Gochujang Rotisserie Ribs, Honey Gochujang BBQ Wings and Garlic Gochujang Shrimp Burgers.
Gochujang Wings Ingredients
- Chicken Wings: We’ll season our Korean wings first with SPG Seasoning (using FYR GLD Sauce as a binder) and then adding the gochujang sauce. You’ll also want some peanut or vegetable oil for the frying step of this recipe.
- Glaze: The base of our glaze is the gochujang paste, which gets an extra kick with honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic and sesame oil.
- Garnish: Sliced scallions and sesame seeds round out our Korean chicken wings recipe!
What Is Gochujang?
If it’s your first time cooking with gochujang, prepare to have your mind blown. This Korean condiment is a thick red chili paste made from dried chilli flakes called gochugaru, glutinous rice, salt and fermented soybeans. You’ve got spice, salt, funkiness and a little bit of sweetness from the fermentation (when the starches in the rice convert to sugars).
In addition to the strong flavors, gochujang has this incredible deep red color. So, all your food will be dressed to impress. Buy a jar for these chicken wings and you’ll be ready to use it next time on pork, ribs, ramen, rice and more.
Add flavor to everything you’re cooking
shop over the fire spice lines
How to Make Gochujang Wings
To start, season your 2 pounds of chicken wings thoroughly with FYR GLD sauce as a binder. Then add 1 cup of SPG Seasoning and mix. Set chicken aside until ready to use.
Next, preheat your smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for indirect cooking. Add some hickory wood chunks for more smoke flavor if desired. When your smoker reaches temp, place your chicken wings to the smoker and cook for about 1.5-2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer.
As the wings get close to done, preheat a grill, fire pit or stovetop for direct cooking. Add a Dutch oven to it and *carefully* add your 1 quart of frying oil, leaving at least 2-3” of space from the oil and the top of the pot. Heat up the frying oil for 325-350 degrees F.
Carefully add wings to frying oil and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and stir occasionally. Once the wings are done, pull them off and let them rest for 2-3 minutes.
As the wings are frying, gently heat up the glaze — 1/2 cup gochujang paste, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons minced garlic and 1 teaspoon sesame oil — in a skillet until it begins to simmer. Once the mixture of gochujang is done simmering, pull off and let cool.
Pull your wings out of the frying oil, pat dry with a paper towel and add to a tossing bowl. Cover the wings in the glaze and toss thoroughly.
Serve, garnish with scallions, sesame seeds and enjoy!
What to Serve with Gochujang Wings
A large bowl of white rice, some kimchi or a crunchy cucumber salad, and a cold beer would be perfect with this Korean chicken wings recipe. You could also make some crispy roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli and flavor them with a gochujang-based sauce!
Leftovers and Reheating
If you’ve got leftover gochujang wings, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, I like the oven best because it maintains that crispy coating from the smoking and frying. Place your wings on a wire rack over a baking sheet for good air circulation. Then, cook at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes until they’re heated through.
You can brush them with some extra glaze in the last few minutes if you’d like! Your air fryer would also be great to keep that crisp texture.
For More Wings
FAQs
I’d say the heat level is pretty moderate! It’s milder than sriracha and a lot milder than jalapeños, if that gives you a reference point for these gochujang wings. The sweetness from the rice and fermentation balances the heat quite a bit and the sauce has a deep umami flavor, so it doesn’t feel as hot as other sauces.
The spice level varies from brand to brand, so try a few and see what works best for your taste buds.
You could use a combination of sriracha for heat, miso for fermented umami and brown sugar for sweetness as a substitute for your gochujang wings.
It’s only the world’s loudest, most rugged outdoor portable speaker! The company’s motto is “Listen loud. Live free.” And it definitely lives up to that with some incredible sound, no matter where you are. The speakers come in three sizes too for all your adventures.
Get The Cookbooks!
Flavor X Fire & FOOD X Fire
All the major tastes—salty, sour, sweet, bitter, and umami—are explored in depth, along with an investigation of other components you should consider when it comes to flavor, such as aroma, heat, and texture.
Honey Korean Gochujang Wings
Ingredients
Chicken Wings:
- 2 lbs Chicken Wings
- 1 cup Salt Pepper Garlic Rub
- Canola Oil as needed
- 1 qt Frying Oil peanut or vegetable
Glaze:
- ½ cup Korean Gochujang
- ¼ cup Honey
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
Garnish:
- Sliced Scallions
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
- Slather your chicken wings in yellow mustard. Season the chicken thoroughly with SPG rub. Set chicken aside until ready to use.
- Preheat your smoker to 250F for indirect cooking. Add some hickory wood chunks for added smoke flavor if desired.
- Add your chicken wings to the smoker and cook for about 1.5-2 hours or until 165F internal.
- As the wings are close to done, preheat a grill, fire pit or stovetop for direct cooking. Add a dutch oven to it and *carefully* add your frying oil (leaving at least 2-3” of space from the oil and the top of the skillet). Heat up the frying oil for 325-350F.
- Once the wings are done, pull them off and let them rest for 2-3 minutes. Carefully add wings to frying oil and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and stir occasionally.
- As wings are frying, gently heat up the glaze in a skillet until it begins to simmer. Once simmering, pull off and let cool.
- Pull wings out of frying oil, pat dry with a paper towel and add to a tossing bowl. Cover the wings in the glaze and toss thoroughly. Serve, garnish with scallions, sesame seeds and enjoy!
