Air-Fryer Vietnamese Chicken Wings
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love the explosive flavour of Vietnamese-style chicken wings… rich umami from fish sauce, fragrant lemongrass, warm garlic, sticky honey and subtle heat from chili. These are always a crowd-pleaser, and now I’ve turned them into an easy, air-fryer recipe that delivers crispy, juicy wings with minimal fuss.
Tossing the wings in chilli, coriander and crispy fried garlic
after
air-frying turns them into something gloriously addictive.
Way less effort than deep-frying, these wings are perfect for parties, snacks, or dinner-for-one (I might have polished off the tray myself LOL. No shame!).
My Spin on Vietnamese-Style Wings
Vietnamese wings are all about balance: salty, sweet and aromatic. Traditionally, they’d be deep-fried or grilled, but I keep things fuss-free with the air fryer. You still get that sticky, golden crust and punchy marinade, without the vat of oil.
Store-bought fried garlic
You’ll see little jars of crispy fried garlic in most Asian grocers. They’re a lifesaver, ready to sprinkle over everything from noodles to wings. Keep one in the pantry, it’ll last ages.
Lemongrass prep tip
To use fresh lemongrass, trim off the tough green tops and the root, then peel the outer layers until you get to the tender white part. Slice it finely or pound it. I also like to freeze lemongrass. Just chop and bag it. It’s still beautifully fragrant and saves prep time.
Marinate for 20 minutes or overnight
Twenty minutes is enough to get the flavours going, but if you leave the wings overnight, the fish sauce and aromatics really get into the meat. That’s when you hit game-changer territory.
Vietnamese vs Thai Fish Sauce
Fish sauce
is the backbone of Southeast Asian cooking but not all fish sauce is the same. Vietnamese fish sauce (nước mắm) is typically lighter in colour with a clean, slightly sweet finish. Thai fish sauce (nam pla) tends to be darker, funkier and saltier.
For this recipe, I like Vietnamese fish sauce because it pairs beautifully with honey and lemongrass. But honestly, just use whatever you’ve got. The important thing is that deep umami hit.
What You Need
Chicken wings
Fish sauce
Soy sauce
Honey
Garlic
Lemongrass
Oil spray
Coriander
Chilli
Fried garlic
Cucumber
Mayo
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil
Steps
In
a large bowl
, combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, garlic and lemongrass. Stir until the honey dissolves and everything is fragrant.
Add the chicken wings and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or overnight for deeper flavour.
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Lightly spray the basket with oil. Arrange the wings in a single layer. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, then cook another 10-12 minutes until golden, sticky and crisp.
When the wings are done, immediately toss them in a large bowl with the sliced chilli, coriander and fried garlic so the aromatics cling to the hot wings.
Mix together the mayonnaise, honey, fish sauce and
chilli oil
until smooth.
Pile the wings on
a platter
, scatter with extra coriander, and serve with cucumber slices and the hot honey mayo for dunking.
Special Ingredient Notes
Fish sauce:
Salty, savoury, essential.
Honey:
Helps with caramelisation and balances the salty marinade.
Lemongrass:
Freezes well. Prep in batches to always have some handy.
Fried garlic:
Adds crunch and umami. Store-bought is fine (and easier).
Chilli & coriander:
Freshness and a kick to finish.
Air-Fryer Vietnamese Chicken Wings
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PREP TIME
15 minutes (plus marinating time)
COOK TIME
20-22 minutes
SERVES
4 as a snack or starter
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Ingredients
For the wings:
1kg chicken wings (flats and drummettes)
4 tbsp Vietnamese fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised and the white part finely sliced
Vegetable oil spray
1 long red chilli, finely sliced
2 tbsp fried garlic (store-bought or homemade)
½ cup roughly chopped coriander
1 small cucumber, sliced, to serve
Vietnamese Hot Honey Mayo Dip:
4 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp Vietnamese fish sauce
2 tbsp
Marion’s Kitchen Crispy Chilli Oil
Storage Tips
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat in the
air fryer
at 160°C for 5-7 minutes to bring back the crisp.
Instructions
1
Mix up the marinade
In
a large bowl
, combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, honey, garlic and lemongrass. Stir until the honey dissolves and everything is fragrant.
2
Marinate the wings
Add the chicken wings and toss well to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or overnight for deeper flavour.
3
Air-fry the wings.
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Lightly spray the basket with oil. Arrange the wings in a single layer. Cook for 10 minutes, flip, then cook another 10-12 minutes until golden, sticky and crisp.
4
Toss in flavour
When the wings are done, immediately toss them in a large bowl with the sliced chilli, coriander and fried garlic so the aromatics cling to the hot wings.
5
Make the hot honey mayo
Mix together the mayonnaise, honey, fish sauce and chilli oil until smooth.
6
Serve
Pile the wings on
a platter
, scatter with extra coriander, and serve with cucumber slices and the hot honey mayo for dunking.
