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These Vietnamese chicken wings are marinated in a delicious umami marinade made with fish sauce, sugar and garlic, then roasted until sticky and caramelized.
And who doesn't love chicken wings??? Especially gooey, crispy, sticky umami packed wings like these.
These are hands down the best wings I've ever made. The fish sauce really adds the most amazing umami flavor (don't worry, they don't taste even the tiniest bit "fishy").
The best part? They're so easy. No messy frying or dipping or rolling...just a little marinade and some time in the oven.
People will love these.
YOU will love these.
For you wing lovers out there, try some of these chicken wing recipes:
- Crispy Cajun wings
- Pok Pok wings
- Spicy Asian glazed wings
- Guava chicken wings
- Thai satay chicken wings
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
- The fish sauce adds the most amazing, deep, umami flavor to the wings.
- Coating them with the marinade and baking them makes them perfectly crispy and caramelized - while keeping them ultra juicy and tender.
- We looooooove the tanginess of the lemongrass and freshness of the ginger.
- The wings are super easy to make, with very little hands-on time.
- They can be served as an appetizer to this Instant Pot pho or bo luc lac or served with some Instant Pot jasmine rice or Chinese fried rice.
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Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Fish sauce is used in the marinade for a nice umami flavor. Fish sauce is made from anchovies fermented in salt. If the smell of the fish sauce is off-putting, don't worry - it adds the most amazing umami flavor to the wings.
I use coconut sugar, but either palm sugar or brown sugar can be substituted.
Lemongrass tends to grow in more tropical climates. It has a pungent lemony flavor and is used heavily in Southeast Asian cooking.
The stalks are long and typically, only the tender white core inside is used in cooking. If you can't find fresh, you can also use a lemongrass paste.
Step By Step Instructions
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Remove 2-3 tablespoons and reserve for later.
Add the wings and toss to coat. Let sit in the fridge overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
Heat the oven to 400F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (helps prevent a mess later).
Spread the wings on the pan in a single layer, along with the crushed garlic cloves (roasted caramelized garlic cloves are the BEST) and place in the oven.
Cook for 35-45 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown and bubbly. Turn them once at the halfway point, and baste with the reserved marinade.
Remove from heat and serve hot.
Expert Tips
- Marinading them for the full 6-8 hours will help give them a deep flavor.
- Sprinkle them with fried garlic before serving them.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of chili sauce to the marinade if you want to add spice to the wings.
- For an extra pop of freshness, drizzle them with fresh squeezed lime juice.
Serving Options
These wings are so yummy, you can serve them alone or as part of a meal.
- Serve them as party food alongside these Vietnamese egg rolls, pok pok wings, and/or these chicken summer rolls;
- Have them as a lunch appetizer for these pork banh mi;
- Serve a whole Vietnamese style dinner with this Vietnamese chicken, Instant Pot caramel pork, Instant Pot chicken pho, and/or bun thit nuong;
- Follow it up with a little something sweet like these Vietnamese sponge cakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Saigon wings are basically an umami packed wing that is fried crispy with garlic. It is basically the same thing as these Vietnamese chicken wings.
To make wings crispy, juicy and tender, using just a pinch of baking powder mixed with the flour or cornstarch to coat the wings will give you a crispy wing.
Most wings are tossed in sauce after they are baked, so they can soak up all the delicious sauce in the crispy coating. That said, this recipe cooks them in the sauce so they can become ultra caramelized.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
These wings are best served immediately, but you can also reheat them in a 400F degree oven for 5-10 minutes until they are heated through. You can also microwave them.
They can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for 3-5 days.
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Recipe
Vietnamese Chicken Wings (Fish Sauce Wings)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken wings
- 2 whole limes
Marinade:
- ½ cup fish sauce
- ½ cup coconut sugar (substitute brown sugar)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass
Instructions
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Remove 2-3 tablespoons and reserve for later.
- Add the wings and toss to coat. Let sit in the fridge overnight or for at least 6-8 hours.
- Heat the oven to 400F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (helps prevent a mess later).
- Spread the wings on the pan in a single layer, along with the crushed garlic cloves and place in the oven.
- Cook for 35-45 minutes, or until the wings are golden brown and bubbly. Turn them once at the halfway point, and baste with the 2-3 tablespoons of reserved marinade.
- Remove from heat and serve hot.
Expert Tips:
- Marinading them for the full 6-8 hours will help give them a deep flavor.
- Sprinkle them with fried garlic before serving them.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of chili sauce to the marinade if you want to add spice to the wings.
- For an extra pop of freshness, drizzle them with fresh squeezed lime juice.
Nutrition
Chris Whitfield
Great but may need a little longer to caramelise.
Danielle
Thanks for the tips - glad you enjoyed them!
Thanh
Seriously delicious and love how easy it is to make in the oven! This is the closest thing to my dad’s Vietnamese chicken wings I’ve ever had. And his requires a lot more work (deep frying and then pan frying). Thank you!
Danielle
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Julie-Catherine
We LOVE these wings! We got to sample a similar recipe in Oregon, and I came home determined to try them again. Your recipe helped us find those flavors in our own home. Yay!! My husband likes them so much, he requested them for Father’s Day. 😊
Danielle
Yay! I'm so glad you liked them!!
Ben Myhre
I have a thing for wings and this is right up my alley. Oh man, these sticky little suckers look so great.
Danielle
Thanks Ben! Who doesn't have a thing for wings? LOL - they were super tasty!
Leslie
I wasn't sure at first what Vietnamese flavors were. Once I read the recipe, it was apparent these have to be amazing! Totally craveable!
Danielle
Vietnamese flavors are so awesome! You should give it a shot, it's one of my favorite cuisines 🙂
Edyta at Innocent Delight
Oh gosh, these wings look insanely good. My hubby would love them.
Danielle
They were certainly good! I hope you get a chance to make them.
Adriana Lopez Martin
Absolutely delightful. You can see the umami in yoru pictures, that marinade is everything need to make this recipe!
Danielle
Thanks! The marinade totally is what makes it.
Emily
These wings look absolutely delicious, saving this recipe to try asap!
Danielle
Thanks! I hope you love the recipe!
Kate | Veggie Desserts
All those amazing flavours in the marinade sound incredible together! Crushed peanuts to garnish is a great touch too.
Danielle
Thanks! The flavors were pretty awesome 🙂