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Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings (Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm)

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Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings (Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm)

Crispy double-fried chicken wings tossed in a glossy, caramelized fish sauce glaze that is sweet, salty, garlicky and lightly spicy. A beloved Vietnamese finger food and drinking snack.

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🇻🇳 Vietnam ·Asia · $
Prep
Cook
Total
4 portions
Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm is one of Vietnam's most addictive ways to eat chicken wings. The wings are marinated with garlic, pepper and a little fish sauce, then given a light coating of cornstarch before being deep-fried until the skin turns shatteringly crisp and golden. Frying twice is the trick that keeps them crunchy even after they meet the sauce. While the wings drain, a glaze of fish sauce, sugar and fried garlic is simmered until it caramelizes into something thick, dark and sticky, with lime juice and a touch of chili for a mild kick. The hot wings are tossed in this glaze so every piece is coated in a salty-sweet lacquer, then finished with crunchy fried garlic. Serve them straight away with steamed rice or as a snack alongside cold drinks, while they are at their crispiest.

Ingredients

Wings and marinade

1 kg chicken wings split into drumettes and flats
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp fish sauce for the marinade
1 tsp ground black pepper
0.5 tsp salt
1 tsp chicken bouillon powder (optional)

Coating

0.5 cup cornstarch for dredging the wings
0.5 tsp baking powder (optional)
1 l vegetable oil for deep frying

Fish sauce glaze

3 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed
8 clove garlic finely chopped, fry some for garnish
1 piece red chili finely chopped, adjust to taste (optional)
2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying the garlic
1 piece spring onion chopped (optional)

To serve

1 piece lime cut into wedges (optional)
0 cilantro for garnish, to taste (optional)

Ingredients

4 portions

Wings and marinade

1 kgchicken wings split into drumettes and flats
2 tspgarlic powder
1 tbspfish sauce for the marinade
1 tspground black pepper
0.5 tspsalt
1 tspchicken bouillon powder (optional)

Coating

0.5 cupcornstarch for dredging the wings
0.5 tspbaking powder (optional)
1 lvegetable oil for deep frying

Fish sauce glaze

3 tbspfish sauce
3 tbspsugar
3 tbspwater
1 tbsplime juice freshly squeezed
8 clovegarlic finely chopped, fry some for garnish
1 piecered chili finely chopped, adjust to taste (optional)
2 tbspvegetable oil for frying the garlic
1 piecespring onion chopped (optional)

To serve

1 piecelime cut into wedges (optional)
cilantro for garnish, to taste (optional)

Instructions

Marinate the wings

  1. 1

    Rinse the chicken wings, then pat them very dry with paper towels. Dry skin is what gives you a crisp crust.

  2. 2

    In a large bowl, toss the wings with garlic powder, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, black pepper, salt and the optional chicken bouillon powder until evenly coated.

    ~5 min
  3. 3

    Cover and let the wings marinate for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight for deeper flavor.

    ~30 min

Coat and double-fry

  1. 1

    Mix the cornstarch with the optional baking powder. Toss the marinated wings in the cornstarch until lightly coated, then shake off any excess in a colander.

  2. 2

    Heat enough oil to submerge the wings in a deep pot or wok to about 350F. The oil is ready when a wooden chopstick dipped in bubbles steadily.

  3. 3

    Fry the wings in batches over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side until lightly golden, then lift out and drain. Do not crowd the pot.

    ~10 min
  4. 4

    Raise the heat to high and fry the wings a second time for about 2 minutes until deep golden and crisp. Drain on a wire rack.

    ~5 min

Make the glaze and toss

  1. 1

    In a small pan, gently fry a spoonful of the chopped garlic in 2 tablespoons oil until golden, then scoop it out and reserve for garnish.

    ~3 min
  2. 2

    To the same pan add the remaining garlic and the optional chili and stir until fragrant. Add the fish sauce, sugar and water and simmer over medium-high heat, stirring, until it caramelizes into a thick, glossy, sticky glaze.

    ~7 min
  3. 3

    Stir the lime juice and optional spring onion into the glaze, then turn off the heat.

  4. 4

    Add the hot fried wings to the glaze and toss quickly until every piece is evenly coated and shiny.

  5. 5

    Transfer to a plate, scatter the reserved fried garlic over the top, and serve immediately with lime wedges and cilantro while the wings are still crisp.

Credits & Inspiration

  • Helen's Recipes

    Authentic Vietnamese recipe for sticky, glazed fried chicken wings from Helen Le.

  • Vicky Pham

    Cornstarch-coated wings deep-fried and tossed in a fish sauce, sugar and lime glaze.

  • Beyond Sweet and Savory

    Marinated wings with a rice flour and cornstarch crust and a reduced fish sauce glaze.

  • Wok and Kin

    Family recipe with a double-fry method and a caramelized garlic, shallot and chili fish sauce glaze.

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