These air fryer soy garlic chicken wings have crispy golden skin coated in a sticky Korean-style garlic sauce with soy sauce, honey, and sesame flavor. They’re crunchy, glossy, and seriously addictive without deep frying.
Love Korean-style chicken wings? This recipe brings those same sweet-savory garlic flavors right into your own kitchen.
The sauce has the perfect balance of savory, garlicky, sweet, and rich flavors, while the air fryer gives the wings crispy skins without all the extra oil and mess from deep frying.
These wings work perfectly for game day, parties, late-night cravings, or even dinner with rice. Once that glossy sauce hits the crispy wings, they disappear fast.
Why You’ll Love These Soy Garlic Chicken Wings
These wings hit that perfect balance between savory, sweet, garlicky, and crispy. The sauce clings to every piece without turning the coating soggy, and the air fryer gives the wings an incredible crunch with way less mess than deep frying.
I also love how straightforward this recipe is. The sauce comes together in minutes, and the air fryer handles the hard part while the kitchen stays relatively clean.
What Soy Garlic Chicken Wings Taste Like
The sauce has deep savory flavor from soy sauce and mirin, balanced with honey and brown sugar for sweetness. Garlic sits front and center here, while sesame oil and ginger bring that classic Korean-style wing flavor.
The wings themselves have a light crispy coating that holds up beautifully once tossed in the sauce. Every bite has sticky glaze, crispy edges, and plenty of garlic.
Key Ingredients
For the Chicken
- Party wings: Pat them very dry before seasoning so the skin crisps up better in the air fryer. For the seasoning, use a simple blend of salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch creates a light crispy coating around the wings.
- Baking powder: Baking powder helps the skin crisp up beautifully in the air fryer.
For the Soy Garlic Sauce
A few of these ingredients come from Asian cooking, but they are very easy to find nowadays. Most grocery stores carry them in the international aisle, and any Asian grocery store definitely will. You can also order them online if needed.
- Soy sauce
- Garlic
- Brown sugar
- Mirin
- Honey
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Ginger powder
- Black pepper
- Cornstarch
How to Make Soy Garlic Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
1. Pat dry and season the wings
Pat the chicken wings very dry with paper towels. Season them with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, then let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Prepare the soy garlic sauce mixture
Whisk together soy sauce, mirin, honey, rice vinegar, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger powder, black pepper, and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth.
3. Cook the garlic and simmer the sauce
Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the sauce mixture and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and slightly thickened. Set aside.
4. Coat the chicken wings
In a bowl, combine cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Dredge the wings until lightly coated all over, then let them rest for 10 minutes so the coating hydrates and sticks better.
5. Air fry the wings
Spray the air fryer basket with oil. Arrange the wings in a single layer, then spray the tops with oil.
Air fry at 370°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
6. Crisp the wings at high heat
Increase the temperature to 410°F and air fry for another 3 to 5 minutes until the wings are deeply golden and crispy.
7. Toss the wings in sauce
Transfer the hot wings to a large bowl and toss them in the soy garlic sauce until fully coated. Serve immediately.
How Long to Cook Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer
For this recipe, the wings cook at 370°F for 20 minutes followed by another 3 to 5 minutes at 410°F for extra crispiness.
The exact timing depends on the size of the wings and the air fryer itself. Larger wings usually need another minute or two at the end.
Tips for Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Pat the wings very dry before seasoning. Excess moisture works against crispy skin.
- Do not skip the baking powder. That ingredient helps the coating develop those craggy crispy edges.
- Give the coated wings a 10-minute rest before air frying. That short resting time helps the coating stick better during cooking.
- Avoid overcrowding the basket. Air circulation makes a huge difference with air fryer wings.
Variations and Substitutions
- Spicy soy garlic wings. A spoonful of gochujang or a drizzle of sriracha adds heat and extra depth to the sauce.
- Extra crispy wings. A little potato starch mixed into the coating gives the wings even crispier edges.
- Oven method: Bake the wings on a wire rack at 425°F until crispy, then toss them in the sauce.
What to Serve With Soy Garlic Chicken Wings
These wings pair perfectly with steamed rice, pickled radish, kimchi, or crispy fries. A cold cucumber salad or simple cabbage slaw also balances the rich sticky sauce nicely.
For dips, ranch adds cool creamy contrast, while spicy mayo works especially well with the sweet-savory soy garlic glaze. A simple garlic aioli also pairs well with these wings.
How to Store and Reheat
To Store: Store leftover wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: Air fry at 375°F for a few minutes until hot and crispy again. The microwave works in a pinch, but the wings lose a lot of their crispiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are soy garlic chicken wings Korean?
Yes, soy garlic chicken wings are inspired by Korean fried chicken, which is called “yangnyeom chicken” when coated in sauce. Soy garlic wings are one of the most popular variations, especially at Korean chicken chains like Bonchon.
Can I use potato starch instead of cornstarch?
Yes. Potato starch gives the coating a slightly lighter and crispier texture.
What is the best temperature for air fryer chicken wings?
Start the wings at 370°F to cook them through, then increase the temperature to 410°F for the last few minutes to crisp up the skin.
Should I flip chicken wings in the air fryer?
Yes. Flipping halfway through helps both sides brown evenly.
Are soy garlic wings spicy?
This version leans sweet, savory, and garlicky without much heat. Adding gochujang or chili flakes gives the sauce a spicy kick.
More Air Fryer Wing Recipes
Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings
Air Fryer Wings with Kare Kare Sauce
Mango Habanero Wings in the Air Fryer
Air Fryer Soy Garlic Chicken Wings (Korean-Style Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 pound party wings
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons mirin
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Oil spray
Instructions
- Pat the chicken wings very dry with paper towels. Season with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, then let them sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together soy sauce, mirin, honey, rice vinegar, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger powder, black pepper, and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the sauce mixture and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and slightly thickened. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Dredge the wings until lightly coated all over, then let them rest for 10 minutes so the coating can hydrate and stick better.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil. Arrange the wings in a single layer, then spray the tops with oil. Air fry at 370°F for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Increase the temperature to 410°F and air fry for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the wings are golden and crispy.
- Toss the hot wings in the soy garlic sauce until fully coated. Serve immediately and enjoy.
