I know! Coca Cola Chicken Wings might sound strange! But give this recipe a go. A few basic ingredients transforms into one of the nicest sticky glazes you’ll have tasted in a long while.
Coke chicken wings have been around for many years. They’re often described as a Chinese home-style dish, though I’ve also read they’ve been popular in America for a long time. My Australian version adds a splash of BBQ sauce ( because Aussies love BBQ sauce) along with pantry staples you probably already have: soy sauce, ginger, garlic, coca cola and a homemade cornflour slurry. The cola reduces down into a sticky, glossy glaze that’s sweet, salty and seriously moreish. You really should try this recipe.
Why You’ll Love Coca Cola chicken wings Recipe
- Pantry Staples: Soy sauce, garlic, ginger, BBQ sauce and a can of Coke are probably already in your kitchen.
- A glaze that looks fancy but isn’t: Reducing the Coke and thickening it with a little cornflour slurry gives you a glossy, sticky coating with no complicated steps.
- An Aussie twist: A splash of BBQ sauce adds smoky depth and sets these apart from other Coke wings.
- No marinating: There’s no overnight wait. The flavour comes from the glaze, so it works for a weeknight dinner.
- Crowd-pleaser: Sweet, salty and sticky,so it’s suits family dinners, game days and don’t forget party platters.
- Chef-tested: This comes from nearly 30 years of cooking with coke, from my apprentice days to my own kitchen at home.
Cooking with Coke goes back a long way with me. My first experience was nearly 30 years ago, when I was an apprentice chef on placement at a pilot training airport. We marinated beef ribs in regular Coke (not Diet or Zero) for a graduation celebration before the trainee pilots headed home, either here in Australia or overseas. Once cooked, the meat fell right off the bone.
While my version of Coca Cola chicken wings don’t marinate in Coke. Instead, I reduce the coca cola by half, then add a little cornflour slurry to thicken it into a glaze.
Lets look at how I made Coca Cola Chicken Wings
Prep the wings: Cut the wings into thirds. I only use the drumettes and wingettes, and freeze the tips for homemade chicken stock. Most supermarkets sell wings already cut into drumettes and wingettes. They cost a little more but save you this step.
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C or 350°F [160 fan-forced].
Add chicken wings to large bowl and toss through 2 tablespoons of soy sauce while your pan heats up.
Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok on a medium high-heat.
Place the wings in the hot oil, skin side down and brown for a few minutes. Turn and brown the other side.
Transfer the browned wings to a lined oven tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked all the way through. (75°C/ 165°F on a meat thermometer).
While the wings bake, pour off the leftover oil from the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and BBQ sauce and stir for 20 seconds to release the aromas.
Pour 375ml (one standard can) of Coca Cola. Bring to the boil and reduce buy half.
Meanwhile, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water to make the slurry.
Once the Coke has reduced, stir in the slurry a little at a time until sauce thickens to a shiny glaze. You may not need all of it.
Add the cooked wings to the pan and toss until every piece is coated in the sweet sticky glaze.
Serve with steamed rice or my cheap and easy fried rice.
Enjoy!
Tips for the best coke chicken wings
- Use regular Coke. The sugar is what reduces into a glaze. Diet or Zero won’t thicken the same way.
- Pat wings dry before browning for a crispier skin.
- Add the slurry gradually. The glaze thickens further as it cools.
- Make it gluten-free by swapping the soy sauce for tamari and checking your BBQ sauce label.
- No BBQ sauce? Tomato sauce works in a pinch, though you’ll lose some of the smoky depth.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer so the skin doesn’t go soggy.
Like this recipe? Try these recipes of mine:
Sticky Garlic Lemon Chicken – Better and quicker than take away!
Cheap and Easy Fried Rice – Basic and easy just the way we like a weeknight meal.
Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup – Ready in 20 minutes!
Hokkien Noodles Recipe – Quick Saucy Noodles ready in 25 minutes.
Coca Cola Chicken Wings (Sticky Aussie-Style Glaze)
Description
Sticky Coca Cola chicken wings with an Aussie twist. The wings are browned, baked, then tossed in a glossy glaze made by reducing Coke with garlic, ginger, soy sauce and BBQ sauce. Made with pantry staples and easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Cornflour Slurry
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 180°C or 350°F [160 fan-forced].
-
Add chicken wings to large bowl and toss through 2 tablespoons of soy sauce while your pan heats up.
-
Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a frying pan or wok on a medium high-heat.
-
Place the wings in the hot oil, skin side down and brown for a few minutes. Turn and brown the other side.
-
Transfer the browned wings to a lined oven tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked all the way through. (75°C/ 165°F on a meat thermometer).
-
While the wings bake, pour off the leftover oil from the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and BBQ sauce and stir for 20 seconds to release the aromas.
-
Pour 375ml (one standard can) of Coca Cola. Bring to the boil and reduce buy half.
-
Meanwhile, mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water to make the slurry.
-
Once the Coke has reduced, stir in the slurry a little at a time until sauce thickens to a shiny glaze. You may not need all of it.
-
Add the cooked wings to the pan and toss until every piece is coated in the sweet sticky glaze.
-
Serve with steamed rice or my cheap and easy fried rice.
Enjoy!
Note
Tips for the best Coke chicken wings
Use regular Coke. The sugar is what reduces into a glaze. Diet or Zero won't thicken the same way.
Pat wings dry before browning for a crispier skin.
Add the slurry gradually. The glaze thickens further as it cools.
Make it gluten-free by swapping the soy sauce for tamari and checking your BBQ sauce label.
No BBQ sauce? Tomato sauce works in a pinch, though you'll lose some of the smoky depth.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer so the skin doesn't go soggy.
