Crispy Vietnamese Wings (Gluten Free)

Crispy Vietnamese Wings (Gluten Free)

I love wings. My dad loves wings. My mom…not so much. So it was extremely satisfying to see my mom chow-down on these Crispy Vietnamese Wings (Gluten Free). I knew this recipe was a winner just by watching her! These wings are ridiculously good with top-notch flavor and crunch but with no mess or extra calories from deep frying. Hell yeah!

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Seasoning and Coating Ingredients

ingredients - chicken wings, tapioca starch, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, kosher salt, and baking soda.

Organize the seasoning and coating ingredients – chicken wings, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, kosher salt, tapioca starch, cornstarch, and baking soda.

Marinating the Wings in the Dry Seasoning

Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper and kosher salt in a medium sized bowl. Pat dry the wings and then add them to the dry rub seasoning and mix until wings are thoroughly coated. Let marinate for at least 15 mins.

Sauce Ingredients

sauce ingredients - dark brown sugar, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, water, jalapeno, and cilantro

Organize the sauce ingredients – dark brown sugar, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, water, jalapeño, and cilantro.

Making the Sauce

Combine the lime zest, juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, cayenne (if using) in a medium sized bowl. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

While wings are marinating, prepare the sauce and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the dark brown sugar, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, water and jalapeños in a medium sized bowl Mix until sugar has dissolved and set aside.

Coating the Wings

combine the starches and baking soda in a bowl and thoroughly coat the chicken wings.

After the wings have been seasoned for 15 minutes, combine the starches and baking soda in a bowl, add the wings, and thoroughly coat. Dust off as much excess coating as possible.

Two Ways to Cook Wings:

Air Fryer (left photo) or Oven (right photo)

I ran a test to see which method, air fryer or oven, would provide the crispiest wings. I placed half the wings on an air fryer rack lined with foil and the other half on a baking sheet lined with parchment for the oven and sprayed both with some cooking spray. I placed the coated wings into the oven and air fryer, both at 425 degrees. When using the oven, I baked for a total of 30 minutes and when using the air fryer, I cooked for 25 minutes, turning the wings over halfway through cooking. The goal is to have golden, crispy wings so cook until this desired result is achieved. What I learned from my test…both cooking methods provide amazing results so go with your preferred method!

Assembly

Transfer wings to a medium sized bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the sauce and cilantro onto the wings. Don’t over sauce because you still want to eat crispy wings.

Place wings in a medium sized bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of the sauce (more if needed) and cilantro. Add more sauce if needed but be careful not to over-sauce because you want to keep the wings as crispy as possible.

Crispy Vietnamese Wings (Gluten Free)

Transfer wings to a platter and serve immediately with any remaining sauce served on the side as a dipping sauce.

Transfer wings to a platter and serve immediately with any remaining sauce served on the side as a dipping sauce.

Crispy Vietnamese Wings (Gluten Free)

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
marinate15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: vietnamese
Keyword: baking soda, chicken wings, cilantro, cornstarch, fish sauce, garlic, garlic powder, gluten free, lime juice, onion powder, tapioca starch, vietnamese wings, white pepper
Servings: 4 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken wings flats and drums separated

Dry Rub Seasoning

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper, black pepper can also be used
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Coating

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons tapioca starch (or tapioca flour) or if you don't have tapioca starch, use all cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Sauce

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • Few slices of jalapeńo. red or green, de-seeded, finely chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes

Garnish

  • Handful of fresh cilantro or thai basil finely chopped for over the wings and the sauce

Instructions

  • Thoroughly pat dry the wings.
  • Combine dry rub marinade ingredients (garlic and onion powder, pepper, and kosher salt) in a small bowl. Then add wings and thoroughly coat and let marinate for at least 15 mins.
  • While wings are marinating, prepare the sauce in a medium sized bowl by combining the dark brown sugar, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, water and jalapeños. Mix until sugar has dissolved and set aside.
  • Next, combine the starches and baking soda in a bowl, add the wings, thoroughly coat and dust off as much excess coating as possible before placing the wings in a single layer onto the tray.
  • Preheat oven or air fryer to 425 degrees.
  • I ran a test to see which method, air fryer or oven, would provide the crispiest wings. I placed half the wings on an air fryer rack lined with foil and the other half on a baking sheet lined with parchment for the oven and sprayed both with some cooking spray.
  • I placed the wings into the oven and air fryer,.When using the oven, I baked for a total of 30 minutes and when using the air fryer, I cooked for 25 minutes, turning the wings over halfway through cooking. The goal is to have golden, crispy wings so cook until this desired result is achieved. What I learned from my test…both cooking methods provide amazing results so go with your preferred method!
  • Serve immediately by tossing 2 tablespoons of the sauce and the cilantro or thai basil onto the wings. Add more sauce if needed but be careful not to over-sauce because you want to keep the wings as crispy as possible. Any remaining sauce can be served as a dipping sauce on the side.
  • Tranfer wings to a platter or bowl and dig in immediately!

Notes

If you’re big chicken wing eaters, I would double the recipe.
For super crispy wings, keep the sauce on the side and use soley as a dipping sauce.

Recipe by Verna Banana (originally found on Instagram).

If you like this recipe, you may also like these other GFchow recipes. Crispy Oven-Baked Buffalo Wings, Chicken Wings Africana, and Sesame-Lime Grilled Wings.

GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER

The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free.   However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free.  Whenever possible,  I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free. 



2 thoughts on “Crispy Vietnamese Wings (Gluten Free)”

  • Sounds great! Can I use chicken thighs? I must say… I have to pass on the cilantro. Yes, I am one of those people. 🤷‍♀️
    I’ll use parsley.

    • Soooo good. I would think so but don’t know how to advise you on the cooking time. Cilantro rules! Thai basil or parsley would be great.

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