Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings (Healthy & CRISPY)

Who says healthy food can’t taste good? My wedding is just around the corner, and I am inspired to make healthy dishes that also taste amazing!

My favorite restaurant in Vancouver is Phnom Penh, and their Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings is the best out there!

Today, I share my healthy version of air-fried CRISPY chicken wings tossed in a sour and savory garlic sauce. You NEED to give these refreshing and crispy Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings a try; they are perfect for the summer! 

Everyone’s definition of “HEALTHY” is different; for me, healthy means less sugar, more whole foods, and no deep-frying.

You can adjust my recipes based on your dietary restrictions. For example, if you are cutting out sugar, I recommend using monk sugar, and if you are cutting out gluten, I recommend using rice flour.

These Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings pair perfectly with a side of rice, salad, or steamed veggies. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing alot of fun, delicious and healthy recipes to incorporate into your diet. 

These Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings are EXTRA crispy and tossed in a flavourful sauce.

All you need is fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, ALOT of garlic, chicken powder, chili flakes, and cilantro. If you never worked with fish sauce before and are intimidated by the smell, don’t worry! The sugar cuts out the saltiness of the fish sauce, and the garlic and lime juice gives it a refreshing kick. Fish sauce provides the dish with the ultimate umami flavor that will get you craving for more! 

I am using baking powder today to give these Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings an extra crunch.

Baking powder has Alkaline, which helps the chicken, brown and crisps up faster. A little bit goes a long way, but when I am not deep frying, I always add a pinch of baking powder to give the wings an extra crunch. 

Make it a MEAL with some delicious and HEALTHY sides that I promise you will love, 

• Two Types of Asian Cucumber Salad (Spicy Garlic, Sweet and Sour)
• Air Fryer Lemongrass Chicken with THE BEST Scallion Oil
• Lemon Honey Syrup – Daily Detox or Friday Night Cocktails
• Pan-Fried Mackeral (Healthy 10 Minute Recipe)
• Shrimp and Egg Stir-fry (10 Minutes ONLY!)

Ingredients 

• 1.5 lb of Chicken Wings and Drumettes 
• 1 tsp of Baking Powder
• 0.5 tbsp of Garlic Powder 
• Salt and Pepper (to season) 
• 1/2 cup of CORN STARCH
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
• 2 tablespoon oil

Sauce 

• 6 cloves of Garlic (minced) 
• 3 tbsp of Fish Sauce 
• 2 tbsp of Sugar 
• 1 tbsp of Red Pepper Flakes 
• 0.5 tbsp of Chicken Powder 
• 1 tsp of White Pepper (optional) 
• 2 Lime’s Juice 
• Cilantro 

1. Mix chicken wings, baking powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, fish sauce, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Make sure that every piece of chicken is coated in rice flour; add more if needed. 
2. Preheat the air-fryer to 350F for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, spray the air fryer to prevent the chicken from sticking, and add in the chicken. Spray oil on top of the chicken (optional), and fry at 350F for 12 minutes. 

Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in batches. Leave space between the chicken so it can be crispy up easier. 

3. After 12 minutes, toss the chicken around, spray a little more oil (optional) and bring the temperature up to 400F to fry for another 10-15 minutes. Every air fryer is slightly different, so keep an eye out to prevent it from burning. 
4. Add minced garlic, fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, chicken powder, white pepper (optional), and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Mix and taste; if you find the fish sauce too salty, add in a little bit more sugar. 
5. Once the chicken is fried, add the chicken to the sauce and toss with chopped cilantro. 

Print

5 from 1 vote

Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings

Who says healthy food can’t taste good? My wedding is just around the corner, and I am inspired to make healthy dishes that also taste amazing! My favorite restaurant in Vancouver is Phnom Penh, and their Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings is the best out there! Today, I share my healthy version of air-fried CRISPY chicken wings tossed in a sour and savory garlic sauce. You NEED to give these refreshing and crispy Vietnamese Inspired Chicken Wings a try; they are perfect for the summer!

Prep Time5 mins

Active Time30 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese

Keyword: Air Fryer, Asian Food, Asian Recipes, Easy, Easy Recipes, Fried Chicken, Healthy

Yield: 4 People

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Materials

• 1.5 lb of Chicken Wings and Drumettes
• 1 tsp of Baking Powder
• 0.5 tbsp of Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper to season
• 1/2 cup Corn Starch
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp oil

Sauce

• 6 cloves of Garlic minced
• 3 tbsp of Fish Sauce
• 2 tbsp of Sugar
• 1 tbsp of Red Pepper Flakes
• 0.5 tbsp of Chicken Powder
• 1 tsp of White Pepper optional
• 2 Lime’s Juice
• Cilantro

Instructions

• Mix chicken wings, baking powder, garlic powder, ¼ cup of rice flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Make sure that every piece of chicken is coated in rice flour; add more if needed.
• Preheat the air-fryer to 350F for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, spray the air fryer to prevent the chicken from sticking, and add in the chicken. Spray on some oil on top of the chicken (optional), and fry at 350F for 12 minutes.
• Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in batches. Leave some space in between the chicken so it can be crispy up easier.
• After 12 minutes, toss the chicken around, spray a little more oil (optional) and bring the temperature up to 400F to fry for another 10-15 minutes. Every air fryer is slightly different, so keep an eye out to prevent it from burning.
• Add minced garlic, fish sauce, sugar, red pepper flakes, chicken powder, white pepper (optional), and lime juice in a large mixing bowl. Mix and taste; if you find the fish sauce too salty, add in a little bit more sugar.
• Once the chicken is fried, add the chicken to the sauce and toss with chopped cilantro.

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