Crispy Air Fryer Gochujang Wings

Sticky, sweet, and spicy, can you believe these crispy Korean gochujang chicken wings are made in the air fryer?

If you like wings with a sweet and savory sauce, then these gochujang wings are for you. Inspired by Korean fried chicken, these wings are crispy on the outside and might make you think they were deep-fried. Surprise! They are super easy to make in the air fryer. This scalable wing recipe is perfect for a holiday gathering or game day. So, what are you waiting for? Go buy some wings!

*This post is sponsored by Local Hive Honey^TM, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for your support!

WHAT IS GOCHUJANG?

There is a good chance you’ve run into this ingredient before, even if you have never been to an Asian specialty market. If you don’t know what gochujang is, it is a sweet, spicy, and fermented red chili paste that is commonly used in Korean cooking.

Made from gochu-garu, glutinous rice, meju powder, yeotgireum, and salt, this thick paste is a great ingredient to use in marinades or sauces. If you have had gochujang before then you know it has a STRONG flavor on its own. This recipe pairs that strong flavor with sweet honey, herbaceous cilantro, and a little bit of acid to make a finger licking wing sauce.

HOW TO GET CRISPY AIR FRYER WINGS

Have you tried to make crispy wings in the air fryer and they came out … well not so crispy and dry. Below are tips and tricks to get deep fried texture in the air fryer.

DO NOT OVER CROWD

If you have an air fryer, then you know the key to crispy food is to not over crowd the basket. Depending on how large your air fryer is, and how many wings you have, this recipe could call for 3 rounds of cooking. Do not cut corners by stacking the wings on top of each other. Make sure each wing is lying flat in a single layer on the bottom grate with some room in between. For reference I have the Ninja AF101 and I was able to fit 6-7 wings easily in the basket.

ROTATE FOR EVEN COOKING

These wings require 1 turn midway through cooking to ensure the entire wing is golden brown and crispy. Halfway through pause the air fryer and pull the basket out. With a set of tongs flip the wings, spray (we will get to that next), and place the basket back in to cook the other side.

SPRAY SPRAY SPRAY

The ultimate hack to getting that deep fry texture in the air fryer is to use spray oil. I am talking real cooking oil not one that has additives. I like to use avocado oil, however since the air fry temp is only 390 you can use olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil spray.

Place the wings in the basket and generously spray the tops of each wing. When you flip midway, spray once more to get the bottoms. I found this method guaranteed a golden crispy wing that wasn’t dry.

Air fryers vary in quality and performance. This recipe calls for a basket air fryer which I find can actually get things pretty crispy vs an oven air fryer. If you know your air fryer requires a higher or lower temperature or a different cooking time, feel free to adjust accordingly.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR CRISPY GOCHUJANG WINGS

WINGS + BREADING

• Wings – This gochujang wings recipe uses 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of chicken wings, including drums and winglets, but can easily be doubled for a larger crowd. Go small, trust me. The breading will beef up these wings significantly. I bought “party wings”, but whatever small wings you can find works.
• Cornstarch
• Flour
• Panko Breadcrumbs – Use regular, unseasoned panko. For this recipe, I used Japanese panko. I find that Japanese panko gives these wings a slightly better texture. Either way avoid pre-seasoned bread crumbs.
• Egg – Used to adhere the breading. These wings are double dipped to give a great thick crispy crust, similar to Korean fried chicken.
• Oil Spray – The key to getting crispy air fryer wings. Does this recipe require you to spray both sides? Yes. Is it absolutely worth it? Also, yes. I use an avocado oil spray, but if you have a canola, vegetable, or even olive oil spray that works at well. Avoid EVOO, and make sure you aren’t using a cooking spray that has a ton of other ingredients added.

HONEY GOCHUJANG SAUCE

• Honey – Repeat after me, I will use good honey. If you aren’t aware or haven’t seen any of my other recipes that uses honey, then let me tell you, not all honey is created equal. Whether it’s these spicy and sweet gochujang wings, crispy Brussels sprouts, or even hot honey chicken my go-to is always Local Hive Honey^TM.
  
  Quality is always at the forefront of their products, working with over 250 beekeepers across the US Local Hive^TM  bottles 23+ different varietals of 100% US raw & unfiltered honey. Each varietal has its own flavor profile which comes from the local pollen sources in which the honey originates from.
  
  Even more exciting this recipe uses the latest varietal, Cali Valley Harvest Reserve Honey. Cali Valley is mellow, citrus-tinged, and rich in flavor which comes from unique blend of floral sources: forget-me-not, orange, and lemon blossoms nestled in the San Bernardino Valley. You can find more information about Local Hive as a whole as well as order this limited-edition bottle online at www.LocalHiveHoney.com.
  
• Gochujang – These days, you can find gochujang paste not just in Asian specialty markets but also in the international or Asian aisle of many chain supermarkets. It often comes in a hard, rectangular red box. Order it online HERE!
• Ginger – Fresh only! Grated on a microplane or the tiny hole side of a box grater.
• Rice Vinegar – Absolutely necessary, the thick strong flavor of the sauce needs a touch of acid to break it up.
• Garlic – Fresh only! Grated on a microplane or the tiny hole side of a box grater.
• Sesame Oil -Toasted preferred, un-toasted also works.
• Butter -Seems odd, but let’s remember that buffalo sauce has a whole lot of butter too.

FURIKAKE RANCH

• Furikake – If you have a favorite, definitely use that, if not choose a basic furikake (ie. not one that has bonito or wasabi in it). Look for one that consists of nori (dried seaweed), sesame seeds, sugar, and salt if possible. Call me basic but I love the one that Trader Joes sells
• Buttermilk – The key to a good ranch, equal parts buttermilk, mayo, and sour cream. Feel free to swap out the buttermilk for regular milk. You will lose a bit of the funk that ranch has, but I understand that sometimes buying a carton of buttermilk for one recipe can be annoying.
• Mayo
• Sour Cream – Must be sour cream, do not swap out for greek yogurt.
• Garlic Powder

TOOLS NEEDED

• Air Fryer – I can’t believe I am saying this, but you need an air fryer for this recipe. If you have been here for a while, then you know I was always anti-air fryer. It wasn’t until I bought one to make French fries that I realized what the hype was about. Making these wings in the air fryer not only simplifies the process and cuts down on oil but also keeps them crispy post-cooking. If you are a pro deep fryer though, with no air-fryer absolutely take that route.

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY GOCHUJANG WINGS

Make the Honey Gochujang Sauce – In a saucepan over low heat, add all the sauce ingredients (butter, honey, gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame oil, grated garlic, and ginger). Yes, no pre-sautéing the garlic and ginger, no melting the butter prior—just throw everything into a pot and give it a good mix to combine. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the sauce to cool. As it begins to cool, it will thicken up, so don’t worry if it feels a little thin.

Prep the Chicken Wings and Stations- Remove the chicken wings from the package and pat them dry with a paper towel. Season with a heavy pinch of kosher salt on both sides. On the side, beat the eggs in one bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch in another, and, finally, place the panko in the third bowl. It is extremely important that you are salting throughout, so add a heavy pinch of salt to the eggs and panko.

Bread the Chicken Wings – Working with a few wings at a time, coat them first in the egg, then in the flour/cornstarch mixture, followed by another dip in the egg, and finally, coat with the panko. Make sure to pack the panko down. Place all the finished wings on a sheet pan or a plate on the side.

Air Fry to Crispy – Preheat the air fryer to 390°F for 3 minutes. Spray one side of the wings with oil and place that side up in the basket. Be careful not to overcrowd the basket. Depending on the size of your wings, cook for 7-9 minutes before pausing the air fryer and flipping them. Give them another spray and continue cooking until they are cooked through (approximately another 7 minutes). Remove them, and repeat the frying process for the next batch until all the wings are cooked. When all the wings are done and you are ready to serve toss them in the sauce and garnish with a generous amount of cilantro.

Make the Ranch – This couldn’t be easier. In a bowl combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and mayo. Add in the furikake and garlic powder. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until the rest of the wings are cooked.

STORING/REHEATING

Store leftover gochujang wings in the fridge for 2-3 days. It’s best to store the wings before coating them in sauce. However, if they’ve already been coated, they can still be reheated. I highly recommend you reheat the same way you cooked them. In the air fryer at 350F degrees for a few minutes until they are crispy and warmed throughout.

Need another recipe to use this delicious honey? Check out the recipes below!

Honey Harissa Chicken
Honey & Pancetta Brussels Sprouts
Hot Honey Chicken