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Easy, Baked Chicken Wings with Thai Chili Sesame Sauce

Published . Last updated by 48 Comments

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Our Baked Thai Chili Sesame Chicken Wings are flat-out hard to stop eating when sweet and spicy sauce clings to every crispy bite.

ADDED BONUS: Baked chicken wings are better-for-you wings because there’s no need for added oil.

Chicken wings on a white plate with lime wedges

I’m not sure if it is the texture of the wing or the flavor of the sauce I love more or the symbiotic sensation of their perfect union, but love them I do.

Based on the sheer number of chicken wing recipes and numerous wing places with a cult following, it is safe to assume I am not alone in this. 

It’s the Homemade Thai Chili Sesame Sauce

This particular recipe left me a bit embarrassed by the pile of bones that quickly replaced the garlic and chili studded wingettes on my plate, while my husband was only halfway through his.

I set a plate in front of our daughter mentioning the sauce was not her favorite Mae Ploy, it was my new homemade Thai chili sesame sauce.

Skeptical, she muttered something about me leaving well enough alone … then all I heard was finger-licking sounds, followed by, “Okay, this one’s a keeper.” In short order, she too sat with a pile of bones.

Thai chili sauce in a white bowl with spoon.
HOMEMADE THAI CHILI SESAME SAUCE

Buy whole chicken wings instead of party wings

Party wings are wing parts already separated into wingettes and drumettes, without the wingtips. This is definitely the quick and easy route if you’re making several trays of wings for a party. However, fresh whole wings are simple to separate and can be prepped and frozen well in advance of when you need them. 

Three reasons to prep your own party wings:

  1. Wing tips make great stock! I keep a bag in my freezer of chicken backs, wing tips, and bones for making homemade stock. Using those wing tips helps add the collagen I’m looking for in stock. Bonus. 
  2. Whole wings will have more of the breast meat at the top of the drummette since they aren’t trimmed as closely. 
  3. Spend less! Make those two joint cuts yourself and save up to a dollar per pound. 
cutting up a chicken wing into segments
Prep a chicken wing by cutting it into segments.

Easy, Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

Our chicken wing recipe is a simple 1-2-3 of season, bake, and sauce!

Roasted chicken skin needs little help to be delicious. Baked in the oven with freshly ground sea salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika is all it takes—you don’t even have to be neat about it, they don’t care.

While the wings bake, there is plenty of time to make the chili sauce and prep a plate of fresh vegetables. The sauce can also be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week. 

Then, right before you sink your teeth into the crisp, sweetly-spiced Thai Chili Sesame Chicken Wings shower them with freshly squeezed lime for a heavenly finish. The lime finish is truly is a step you do not want to miss! 

Try the sauce on Grilled Shrimp too!

step by step collage of baking chicken wings

Recipe TIPS

  • Thai Chili Sesame Sauce recipe makes enough sauce for the wings and extra to pass at the table.
  • Sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week. 
  • Convection bake will allow for more even browning and less turning during the baking process, but either baking method works fine.
  • Reheat leftover wings in an air fryer or bake in the oven at 350°F for 5-6 minutes for best results.

More Thai Style Recipes:

Chicken wings with Thai Chili Sesame Sauce served on a white plate with lime wedges.
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Thai Chili Sesame Chicken Wings

Oven baked crisp wings sweetly-spiced with Thai flavors of chili and garlic accented with fresh lime and sesame seeds.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Thai
Servings: 3 servings
Author: Judy Purcell

Ingredients

  • 12 whole chicken wings , or 24 party wings, drumettes & wingettes separated
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
  • 3 teaspoons smoked paprika

For the sauce:

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons dry sherry
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons organic cornstarch , or arrowroot, dissolved in 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds , plus more for sprinkling
  • lime wedges
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Heat convection oven to 375°F or regular bake to 400°F. 
  • Spread chicken wing pieces out on a cutting board or baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides. Transfer wings to a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet, being sure to leave space between each piece and not overcrowd the pan.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes and turn over. Continue to bake 20-30 more minutes, or until wings are well browned on both sides (this will depend on size of wings and oven). 
  • While wings are baking, mix the honey, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sherry, chili sauce, and garlic in a saucepan and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
  • Stir in cornstarch mixture and continue to simmer on low a couple of minutes until sauce thickens. Stir in 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
  • Remove from heat and set aside until chicken is done. The seasoning can be adjusted at this point–adding more chili sauce for spice or more honey for sweetness.
  • Once the wings are golden and crispy, remove from oven. Using tongs, dip each wing into the sauce and transfer to a clean parchment-lined pan until all the wings have been well coated with the sauce.
  • Sprinkle each wing with sesame seeds and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes.
  • Serve wings with extra sauce for dipping and lime wedges to squeeze over the wings just before eating.

Notes

Recipe TIPS
  • The sauce recipe makes enough sauce for the wings and extra to pass at the table.
  • The sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 1 week. 
  • Convection bake will allow for more even browning and less turning during the baking process, but either baking method works fine.
  • Reheat leftover wings in an air fryer or bake in the oven at 350°F for 5-6 minutes for best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 2918mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 985IU | Vitamin C: 1.6mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Rating




  1. Diane says

    5 stars
    Made these for a football game and they were an absolute Hit!! They were all gone before halftime (-; Have to double the recipe for the Super Bowl I think!

    Reply

    • Judy Purcell says

      Hey Diane, thanks for stopping back by to let me know what a hit they were! It makes my day to know how much you enjoyed the recipe and that you were able to share it with friends too. 🙂 Oh yeah, doubling the recipe for the Super Bowl is a smart move!

      Reply

  10. Carol Little R.H. @studiobotanica says

    5 stars
    LOVE wings! This recipe does look fabulous!
    Can you recommend a good quality good ingredients Fish Sauce?
    I clicked on the link in recipe.. but there are many choices there..
    I have never bought as have never found one with good ingredients.
    Any help appreciated. and Thanks for the recipe!!

    Reply

    • Judy Purcell says

      Hi Carol! Yes, I recommend Red Boat Fish Sauce, it has only 2 ingredients – fresh-caught wild black anchovies and sea salt. And the flavor is great too, it’s the one I use myself. 🙂

      Reply

  18. Jessica M. says

    5 stars
    I realize this recipe is a few years old, but we just made it last night and it was incredible! I just had to come on here and leave a 5-star review! We were actually running late to a get-together with friends, so my husband took over for me so I could get ready and we followed the recipe exactly as written. We only had chicken drumsticks. We brought them with us to the get-together, and then realized that our friends are vegetarians! Guess what? They both had a couple drumsticks! First time eating chicken in a very long time, and they thought they were delicious.
    Awesome recipe, we’ll be making this again for sure!

    Reply

    • Judy Purcell says

      Hi Jessica, Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed this recipe! This sauce is fabulous on any part of the bird, so I’m not surprised the legs went over so well with your friends! Your comment made my day!

      Reply

  19. Christina says

    Your embarrassment at finishing before your husband, leaving a pile of bones, says something about the recipe. While it did make you come out of your shell a bit more than anticipated, at least you enjoyed the meal.

    Reply

  20. Heena says

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe!!! Easy to make and sooooo delicious! Just how they look in the pictures! Love so much they have become a weekly regular! Thank u so much!!! Have shared with all my friends x

    Reply

    • Judy Purcell says

      Hi Heena, thank you so much for letting me know how much you liked the recipe and for sharing with your friends — that is the greatest compliment. 🙂

      Reply

  21. Stephen says

    I made this tonight! Amazingly tasty sauce that’s super-simple. My roommate told me they were the best wings in New York. In addition to the written recipe, I browned the wings using coconut oil on the stovetop before I threw them in the oven to bake.

    Reply

    • Judy Purcell says

      Hi Stephen, thanks so much for taking time to let me know how much you enjoyed the wings — best in New York is a real compliment! It is pretty amazing how easy it is to have great wings at home without a lot of fuss. Hope you stop by again soon. 🙂

      Reply

  22. Gourmantine says

    Great recipe and even better that they are oven baked vs fried; and all looks absolutely delicious in photos, I usually go for drumettes, but I’d have everything here!

    Reply

  23. john@kitchenriffs says

    Great dish! I love wings, but I really prefer the oven baked rather than the fried. These look fabulous! The sauce looks terrific. I’d have a pile of bones in front of me in no time, I’m embarrassed to say. But I’d be full and happy. 😉 Good stuff – thanks.

    Reply

  26. David says

    WOW! Made the wings with Thai Pineapple Fried Rice. The wings were FLYING off the plate! lol My family loved them, as well as the rice. We like it spicier, so I added about 3-4 TBS of Sambal Olek red pepper paste/sauce and spiced it up a bit. Rice was a great compliment to the wings.

    Have a pic but no clue how to post it!

    Great Recipe! Will be making this again soon.

    Reply

  27. Eric says

    Very Good!!! Made 9 lbs and nothing was left. Friends raved about them. Did not change anything while making them. Came out with just the right spicy flavor. Not to hot and not too sweet. Thanks for sharing with us.

    Reply

  28. MonieLove says

    I made these last week and let’s just say my Bae ate them all. They were absolutely delicious!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply

  29. Colleen says

    These look so scrumptious and sticky. My mouth is watering. Makes it so much better that these are baked in the oven. A lot easier (and healthier) than frying them up!

    Reply
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