Description
Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings are a crispy and flavorful dish inspired by the famous Pok Pok wings. Deep-fried until golden, then tossed in a sticky-sweet, savory fish sauce glaze, these wings deliver bold umami with a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and garlicky goodness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs chicken wings (drumettes and flats)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp rice flour (or all-purpose flour)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1–2 Thai chilies, finely sliced (optional, for heat)
- Chopped green onions or cilantro (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Let them rest for 10 minutes while you heat the oil.
- In a large bowl, mix cornstarch and rice flour. Toss the wings to coat them evenly in the flour mixture.
- Heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry the wings in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook for 8–10 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- In a small saucepan, combine fish sauce, water, sugar, rice vinegar, and garlic (and chilies if using). Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens and becomes glossy.
- Transfer the fried wings to a large mixing bowl. Pour the hot sauce over the wings and toss well to coat evenly.
- Garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro if desired. Serve immediately while crispy and hot.
Notes
- For an extra crispy result, double-fry the wings: fry once for 6 minutes, rest for 5 minutes, then fry again for 2–3 minutes until deeply golden.
- Adjust the amount of fish sauce or sugar to your preferred sweetness/saltiness level.
- Use Thai bird’s eye chilies for authentic heat, or omit if serving to kids or those sensitive to spice.
- These wings go great with cold beer or sticky rice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 95mg