These Sesame Oil Chicken Wings are the perfect blend of aromatic spices like ginger, succulent chicken, and the deep, nutty essence of sesame oil; all coated in an amazing sweet savory sauce that goes perfect with rice! Sesame oil chicken is a popular dish for women on confinement, due to the belief that sesame oil and ginger can warm up the body to aid in recovery. Nonetheless, anyone can eat this dish, and I’m sure both kids and adults will absolutely love these delicious chicken wings!
At the heart of this dish is the marinade. The mid joint chicken wings are marinated in light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, white pepper, and sesame oil. To improve absorption of the sauces into the skin, cornstarch is added at the end. This step is crucial as it infuses the wings with a savory foundation, ensuring each bite is a burst of taste that lingers.
The sauce is the unifying element for these Sesame Oil Chicken Wings, with a harmonious blend of light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and chicken stock. This mixture adds depth to the dish and enhances the overall flavor profile.
As the sesame oil sizzles in the pan, its intense aroma and nutty undertones will start to make you hungry, followed by the fragrant aromas from ginger, spring onions and star anise. After adding the chicken wings, they are seared to golden-brown for that lovely seared taste, before being braised to allow the meat to become tender and succulent. The sauce is then reduced to allow further absorption into the chicken and skin, intensifying the taste and bringing it to the next level.
For garnishing these Sesame Oil Chicken Wings, a sprinkling of sesame seeds provides a delightful crunch, while fresh cilantro adds a burst of freshness. If you like a hint of heat, a touch of chili garnish will give your dish that extra kick.
In every bite of these Sesame Oil Chicken Wings, you’ll experience an amazing explosion of flavors, from the initial umami from the soy sauces, the nuttiness of sesame oil, to the wonderful heat of ginger. So let’s get to it!
Watch How To Make It
Sesame Oil Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 12 mid joint chicken wings
- 1 thumb ginger julienned
- 2 spring onions cut into 2" length
- 2 star anise
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Chili for garnish
Marinade
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (or cornflour)
Sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Marinade the mid joint chicken wings with the wet ingredients first. Mix well and add the cornflour at the end. Mix again and set it aside
- Prepare the sauce in a bowl and set it aside.
- Heat up sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ginger and spring onions (white part) and sauté until fragrant.
- Add star anise and let it sear for 15 seconds before adding the chicken. Sear the chicken for 7 minutes, before flipping them to allow the chicken skin to crisp. Then, pour in the sauce, turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn down the heat to medium and let it simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on.
- After 15 minutes, remove the lid and increase the heat to let the sauce thicken. This takes about 5 minutes. Coat the chicken evenly, garnish with sesame seeds, cilantro and chili, then serve!