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Let’s talk wings.
You guys know how my family is full of picky eaters, right?
Well, they say they don’t do wings, but really they do. I mean they order them at restaurants all the time, so why do they tell me they don’t like wings?
See, I have tried, tried to make wings at home and I think they turned out fine. Maybe not as good as some of our favorite Cleveland restaurant (seriously Cleveland has some good food), like The Rush Inn and Around the Corner (both awesome), but still good.
I honestly do not know what my family’s deal is.
They are just weird and picky.
It’s my life, welcome to it!
So I made boneless wings. Those will usually pass over their picky palettes.
Everyone just seems to like them better and they are a lot healthier, so I guess that’s a bonus!
Normally I just do buffalo wings.
But I kind of feel like I have enough buffalo recipes lined up to show you guys. So I went the complete other direction. Sweet, sour and sticky Thai!
It’s so good. The sauce alone is amazing.
I served these for dinner with a side of rice.
Rice is my go to side. For everything. It always works. Picky eaters love rice.
I actually got the very picky boys to eat these. At first they thought is was some kind of orange chicken and they like orange chicken, so they ate it. After a bite or two they realized it was not orange chicken, but they still ate it.
Yes!
Of course it was minus the green stuff and the cashews. Typical.
Oh and about all that beer in the pictures? Yeah, I have no idea what I was thinking. I do not even drink a lick of any kind of alcohol , but I was cooking the day I made these and I guess I just thought the photo needed some beer and by some I guess I meant a lot.
The last photo has three bottles!
Again, I have no idea what was going through my mind. I almost didn’t post some of the photos, but I liked them.
But hey, I guess it works since I was going for “football food” and typically football, beer and wings go hand in hand. Literally. Beer in one hand, wings in the other and football on the TV.
Oh and these are great because you can totally make them in advance (even freeze them) and just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes before you are ready to serve. So easy and so perfect.
Sweet and Sour Sticky Thai Boneless Oven Baked Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken tenderloins or breasts, cut into nugget-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups panko
- 2 tablespoon whole wheat flour or conrmeal
Sauce
- 1 cup sweet thai chili sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce, this is optional, but it adds great flavor
- 2 coves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water, optional
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
- cashews, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray or brush it with the olive oil.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl and pour the buttermilk overtop. Mix well and set aside.
- In a shallow pie dish or large bowl add the panko, whole wheat flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, and dredge through the crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the chicken has been used. Make sure not to crowd your pan, if necessary use two baking sheets. Spray each chicken "wing" with non-stick spray or a mist of olive oil.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then gently flip using kitchen tongs and spray the other side. Bake for 10-12 minutes more, then remove from oven. Reduce the oven to 400 degrees F.
- While the chicken is baking combine the sweet thai chili sauce, soy sauce, dark brown sugar, peanut butter, tomato paste, apple juice, rice vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper and pepper in a medium sauce pot. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly. If the sauce does not thicken add in the cornstarch mixture and boil 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
- Gently toss each piece of chicken in the sauce, draining the excess sauce back in to the pot. Place the chicken back on the pan and repeat until all the chicken is coated in the sauce. When ready to serve place the pan of chicken back in the oven for 5 minutes to warm through and to help the sauce coat the chicken.
- Serve with fresh cilantro, chopped cashews and any extra sauce for dipping.
- The chicken "wings" can be made ahead and coated in the sauce. To reheat the "wings" preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until hot. Serve as directed.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Ah and so stickin good!
I came across your website not that long ago, and I saw this recipe for the Thai chicken wings, and I knew I just had to make them! I made them a few days ago, and they turned out fantastic! I actually used regular chicken wings with the bone, and everyone loved them! Great flavour, and I will definitely be making these again! I love your recipes on your site, and I’ll have to try more of them. 🙂
YAY!! Thanks so much, Deb! So glad you loved these!
Hi! Great recipe. Is there a way to marinate the chicken for a prolonged period to let the flavours really infuse without making the panko all soggy? Maybe marinate, bread, bake,then coat?
Yup! You said it perfectly! Marinate, bread, bake,then coat. Should work awesome! Let me know the results and if you have any questions!
I made these tonight for dinner and they were a home run! I had to make a few substitutions/tweaks given what I had on hand: chili paste for the chili sauce, nixed the red pepper flakes, (homemade) apple cider for the juice and I added a tablespoon of honey to sweeten it up a bit more to my taste. I served them over brown rice and it reminded me of a dish I usually order at Pei Wei.
I may make the sauce again and serve it with some chicken meatballs as a party appetizer.
Great job!
SO happy you love this!! Isn’t the sauce just the best?!? So good!! Thanks so much for making this and the meatball idea sounds awesome!
I just wanted to let you know I made these tonight and they were AMAZING!! I served them with rice and the extra sauce came in handy. I love your recipes and they are always such big hits. Your easy butter chicken is on the menu for later in the week :). Thanks for sharing these great recipes.
Yes!! So incredibly happy you guys loved these! Isn’t that sauce awesome?!
Thanks again!
Oooh, my hubby would love these. I’m pinning! Love your recipes, Teighan, always so tempting!
Awe, thank you so much!! You are so sweet, Allie!
My sauce did not thicken. Any idea what I did wrong 🙁
Hi Rashmi,
Sorry your sauce did not thicken up for you! How long did you let if simmer on the stove? Next time I would add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to 1 tablespoon cold water. Then mix that mixture in with the simmering sauce. It should thicken within 1-2 minutes.
Hope this helps and sorry again for the trouble! Hope you were still able to enjoy the chicken!
Hello hello – I wrote the above question a little too soon …. I let the sauce simmer for another 15 mins and it was ready. We had the chicken with quinoa on side for lunch today and LOVED it. It is so similar to orange chicken with so much less fat. Thank you – this recipe will go into my make often box 🙂
Oh yay! So happy you loved it!!
Wow! I love when classic dishes are given a spin. I love thai spices and chicken in thai sauce so I bet these are amazing!
Thanks Chelsea!
oh this dish is so scrumptious,lip smacking good 🙂
Thanks so much!
These look too good to share!!
Thanks Julie!
Making these ahead of time and popping them in the freezer is brilliant!! Love these flavors!!
Thanks so much, Gaby! I thought they would be perfect for game day!!
Ya know, I am just in awe of you! Such quality and quantity you churn out… it’s impressive, my love! xo
Awe, thank you!! That means so much!!
I love sweet and sour chicken, so I’m sure these were amaaazing! And who doesn’t think they like homemade wings!? Crazy.
One question- when you freeze them, do you toss them in the sauce first, and then just defrost? Or is the sauce frozen separately to the wings and then you defrost them both together before tossing?
I toss them with the sauce and then just let them sit out for 30 minutes to an hour before popping back in the oven! Works awesome!
Thanks so much, Ruthy!
I am loving the sound of this sauce! I need to try it out with some tempeh!
Thanks Hannah! The sauce is incredible!
these look finger lick’n good. i would like a straw with that sauce please!! Great photos too!
Thanks so much! The sauce is awesome!
Oh my gosh these wings look amazing!! I wonder how they would be in a slow cooker…. YUM!
Thanks Jamie!! Not sure about the slow cooker though. The breading might fall off, but I guess you could skip the breading all together and just bath the chicken in the sauce! LOL!
Thanks!