RecipeTin Eats’ secret to perfectly cooked chicken wings (plus your new go-to Asian slaw)

Name: RecipeTin Eats’ secret to perfectly cooked chicken wings (plus your new go-to Asian slaw)
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 1.25 kg chicken wings, cut into wingettes and drumettes

The trick that will save your chicken wings from going up in smoke, plus a vibrant Asian slaw you’ll want to make again and again.

RecipeTin Eats

February 20, 2024

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

I love a summer barbecue. But I’ve learned that grilling certain types of food requires a bit of skill. Chicken wings, for instance, are prone to overcooking on the outside before the inside cooks through. And using a marinade that contains sugar, like this Vietnamese lemongrass marinade (one of my favourites), makes them especially prone to burning.

So here’s a neat trick to avoid that stress: cook them ahead in the oven, then finish them on the barbecue to brown the skin and caramelise the marinade just before you serve them.

As a bonus, I’ve paired the wings with my Asian slaw, a staple side dish for Asian meals.

SOS checklist

Less than $20 for 4 servings ✔

Ingredients

1.25 kg chicken wings, cut into wingettes and drumettes

Marinade

4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
¼ cup fish sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce (or all-purpose soy sauce)
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 lemongrass stalks, bashed lightly to release flavours then cut on the diagonal into 5mm slices
coriander leaves and red chilli slices to serve (optional)

ASIAN SLAW

4 cups finely shredded cabbage (I like to use half green, half purple cabbage)
1 carrot, peeled, finely julienned
2 spring onions, finely sliced
¼ cup mint leaves
¼ cup coriander leaves

Dressing

1½ tbsp light soy sauce (or all-purpose soy)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1½ tbsp white vinegar
1½ tbsp vegetable oil
1½ tsp brown sugar

Method

Step 1
To make the salad, shake the dressing ingredients together in a jar. Combine the cabbage, carrot and spring onions in a medium bowl and toss with the dressing. Leave the slaw to soften and absorb the dressing while you cook the wings. Toss through mint and coriander just before serving.
Step 2
To marinate the wings, mix all the marinade ingredients except the coriander leaves and red chilli slices in a large press-seal bag. Add the wings and close the bag, pressing out as much air as you can. Massage the bag to coat the wings. Refrigerate overnight.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). Remove the wings from the marinade and place on a large oven tray.
Step 4
Bake for 35 minutes until just cooked through but not browned. They will be unappealingly pale, but we’ll make them golden on the barbie. Reserve the tray juices.
Step 5
To finish, preheat the barbecue to medium heat (brush with canola oil if it’s not well seasoned). Add the wings and grill each side for 4–5 minutes, brushing regularly with the tray juices, until you get nice grill marks and a little charring on the wings. Be careful not to let them burn. Serve garnished with coriander leaves and red chilli slices, if desired, with the slaw on the side.

Notes

The wings can be cooked up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge until you’re ready to finish them on the barbecue. Give them a reheating head start in the microwave. Remember to keep the tray juices: you’ll need them for basting.
The slaw ingredients and dressing can be made the day before and kept separately in the fridge.