Growing up in Australia, the chicken wings served throughout North America were foreign to me until I visited the US in 1999 – I might add, I’ve since learned to master the American-style of chicken wing – Buffalo wings, with a little Aussie twist of course. However, these Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings that my father, John made on repeat have always been a favorite. Not just my fave, but anyone who has tried them, loved them. And with good reason: they make the perfect little appetizer – albeit messy, they’re salty, sweet, sticky and succulent – all the good ‘S’ words! Flavored with ginger, garlic, a little sherry or Chinese wine, soy and honey, not only are these morsels addictively good, but they’re as easy AF to make using only a handful of ingredients.
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John found the recipe in Asian food guru, Charmaine Solomon‘s ‘The Complete Asian Cookbook‘. The cookbook became like a bible to him. (On a side note, it was the second in her 31 titles of cookbooks she wrote.) He’s cooked countless recipes from it and I’ve been lucky enough to have tried them all. Including these sticky little chicken wings. You can buy the book new on Amazon for about 35 bucks but I buy a lot of books used, and I got my copy used from Thrift Books for about eight bucks with free shipping.



Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings – ‘Mut Jup Mun Gai Yik’ – their Cantonese name, I think hold universal appeal for both their taste and that they’re the work of lazy moments, taking little to no time to make. For me they also hold much nostalgia and enjoying them now in my home halfway around the world from my homeland and those I love who I used to enjoy these with, heralds bittersweet moments. That’s just one of the many wonders of food: the ability to transport you back in time and stir-up all sort of feels. Until we meet again, much love, Lovoni xo
STICKY HONEY SOY CHICKEN WINGS
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- 1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil
- 1/3 cup soy sauce I use Kikkoman reduced salt or regular
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons Chinese wine or dry sherry
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
Instructions
- Segment each wing into 3 sections, cutting through at each joint. Reserve the wing tips for stock.
- Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the wing pieces and cook, stir-frying, for 4 minutes or until the wings are starting to brown. Drain any excess oil from the wok.
- Add soy, honey, wine, water, garlic and ginger. Cook, stir-frying for a minute until the wings are coated. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently towards the end of the cooking time to ensure the wings don’t burn. To allow the wings to become sticky and any residual juices and sauce to evaporate, remove the cover and cook, stirring occasionally. The wings should be very tender. Add a splash more water if needed. Serve hot as an appetizer. (Or as a main with rice and steamed broccoli.)