Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings (Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm)

5 from 8 votes

Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings (Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm) are a must-have at any party! Perfectly crispy, golden wings are coated in a sweet and savory fish sauce glaze that's absolutely irresistible. The ebd result: an addicting appetizer that's finger lickin' good!

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 370

Author Jessica Kwon

Ingredients

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 lbs chicken wings split with tips removed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ shallot minced; about 2 tbsp
3-4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon fish sauce Red Boat recommended
3 tablespoon white granulated sugar
¼ cup water
Oil for frying
Lime wedges

Optional Garnishes

Green onion thinly sliced
Cilantro
Red chili peppers thinly sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper. Add chicken wings and toss until evenly coated. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add fish sauce, sugar, and water to the pan. Let simmer until reduced by half, stirring frequently, about 5-6 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high if needed - there should constantly be small bubbles. Then set aside.
Set up your frying station. Heat 2-3 inches of oil in a heavy bottomed pot to 350°F. Also line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a cooling rack inside.
Once the wings are ready, fry them in batches until internal temperature is 180°F or juices run clear, about 6-8 minutes. It'll depend on the size of your wings - the flats usually cook faster than the drumettes as well. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pot and let the oil temperature come up to 350°F in between each batch. Transfer cooked chicken wings to the cooling rack in a single layer.
Then add sauce and warm chicken wings to a large bowl. Toss until coated. Transfer to a serving plate and squeeze fresh lime juice over the wings. Garnish with green onion, cilantro, and chili, if desired.

Notes

This recipe serves 4-6 as an appetizer or 2-3 as an entree.
Use a candy/frying thermometer so you can monitor the temperature of the oil. During the fry, try to maintain the oil temperature around 325-350ºF.
Use a meat thermometer for best results. There's a large variation in sizing for wings. Chicken is safe to eat at 165ºF but I prefer cooking dark meat to 180ºF because there's more connective tissue that needs time to break down.

Nutrition