Sometimes you just want some chicken wings. Chinese Salt and Pepper Wings. Not the Buffalo kind. My favorite wings are from Asian restaurants, doused with loads of crispy garlic and kissed with salt and pepper seasoning. They are crispy, salty, garlicky, and so satisfying.
How to Make Restaurant Style Chinese Salt and Pepper Wings
1. Coat your chicken wings with corn starch for a crispy coating
2. Deep fry chicken
3. Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper. Add MSG (if desired)
4. Garnish with lots of fried garlic, sauteed green onion, and green chile (jalapeno or serrano)
Should I add MSG to my Chinese Salt and Pepper Wings?
When it comes to the health of any food, there are always people who will argue for or against its health qualities. I definitely do not argue that MSG is a health food, but I feel that it has been unfairly villainized. Should we eat MSG in every meal? Probably not. But can you have it once in a while as part of a special recipe? Probably. Everything in moderation. The choice is yours. I typically do not have MSG in my pantry, but if I did, I probably would have used it in this recipe. I did notice that this dish was missing that extra umami without it, but adding the sugar to the seasoning helped to round out its flavor and it was still delicious.
How to Season Chinese Salt and Pepper Wings
Allow your chicken to marinate in lots of salt and pepper for as long as possible for best results. If not, then marinate for at least 30 minutes.
For other craveable bar food recipes, check out my Southwestern Cheesy Corn Dip.
Chinese Salt and Pepper Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken wings
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 bunch green onion chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 serrano pepper or jalapeno sliced
- 2 cups oil for frying
- 1 tsp salt or MSG
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Marinate chicken wings in salt, sugar, and pepper. Allow to sit at least 30 minutes. Overnight for best results.
- Heat a large pan on high heat. When the pan is about to smoke, add 2 tbsp oil. When oil becomes shimmery, lower pan to medium heat. Place in chopped garlic. Fry for 5-7 minutes until garlic is golden brown, but not burnt. Take garlic out of oil and set aside.
- Add in green onion and sliced green chiles into the oil to saute for 3-5 minutes until slightly softened. Set aside.
- Heat a pot of oil on high. When the temperature reaches 375 degrees, drop chicken in to fry. You may have to do it in batches to avoid crowding the pot and dropping the temperature of the oil. If you do not own a thermometer, look to make sure that the oil bubbles vigorously when you drop the chicken it into the oil. If the oil bubbles too much, then reduce the heat to medium. If the oil is not bubbling enough, wait a few minutes before dropping in the rest of the chicken.Allow chicken to fry for 10-15 minutes, until the outside is crispy and the juices run clear when the chicken is cut.
- Remove fried chicken from heat and immediately toss well in sugar, salt or MSG, and pepper mixture.
- Toss chicken wings with sauteed green onion, green chiles, and fried garlic. Serve immediately.
Happy cooking! Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary if you’ve made this dish! Would love to see how it turned out.
