Sous vide chicken wings are moist and tender and a great way to make these sweet, spicy, umami Korean style wings.

Is the extra time for sous vide cooking worth it? Check out the pros and cons.

3 chicken wings over rice on plate with chop sticks

Ultimately, this is a recipe for sous vide chicken wings. We finished them with a delicious Korean-style sauce of gochujang, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil and soy sauce.

You can, of course, choose many other sauces instead. Go ahead, miss out on this one! 🤣

What is sous vide?

Sous vide cooks food (placed in a plastic bag) in a precisely controlled water bath to the exact temperature you choose, edge to edge.

Are chicken wings sous vide worth it?

You will have to decide this for yourself. In a well controlled environment, there is not a lot of difference between sous vide wings and conventional wings. But, as we all know, wings are easy to overcook (dry) or undercook (raw). So here’s my take.

Pros

Zero stress – my favorite part – plunge the chicken wings into a water bath and walk away. No worries about over cooking or under cooking.
Prep is super easy – salt and pepper the wings and throw them into a ziploc bag.
Great for make ahead – you can sous vide the wings, chill and refrigerate them for a couple of days, then finish them off with a sauce in 10 minutes when you need them. A big advantage if you are serving a larger group.
Cook from frozen – sous vide is a perfect method for this. Just add an extra 45 minutes or so.

Cons

Time: Sous vide wings take much longer than wings cooked with other methods e.g. 2 hours vs 30-45 minutes.
Steps: The sous vide method for most things has an extra step. First, the sous vide cook. Then the finish – typically by grill, broil, pan sear etc.

Time and Temperature

Most sous vide recipes show a wide range of times and temperatures which will all have an effect on the doneness, how well fat renders (melts) and texture of the food. So you will have to do some experimenting to find your sweet spot.

Range: If you google different sous vide wing recipes, you will see there are fewer ranges for chicken wings. Temps range from 156F/69C to 176F/80C. Times from 1-3 hours.

I like 156F/69C for 1 1/2 hours. Or 165F/74C for 1 hour.

How to make Korean chicken wings

raw split chicken wings in bowl with small bowls of salt pepper garlic powder — **Ingredients**: split chicken wings, salt, black pepper, garlic powder (sauce ingredients are below)

seasoned wings in plastic bag — Season wings and place them in a zipper lock plastic bag in a single layer.

bagged chicken wings in water bath — Heat water bath to **156F/69C**. Submerge wings in sous vide water bath and seal bag using water displacement method. Cook for about **1 1/2 hours.**

gojuchang, maple syrup, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce — _{Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing together gochujang (or substitute), maple syrup, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar and cornstarch.}

glaze ingredients mixed in measuring cup — _{Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing together gochujang (or substitute), maple syrup, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar and cornstarch.}

cooked wings dried on paper towels — When cooking time is up, remove wings from water bath and bag. Dry well with paper towels.

cooked wings in bowl with sauce — Combine half of sauce with wings in a large bowl. Leave some for basting at the end.

wings with sauce on grill — Grill wings for 3-4 minutes….OR

wings with sauce on grate after broiling — Grill wings for 3-4 minutes….OR

finished wings with salad and asparagus — Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions if you like.

chicken wings on plate with sesame seeds and green onions p

Tailor to Your Taste

Here are a few variations and substitutes you can try.

Substitutes

Gochujang paste is a spicy savory paste used in Korean cooking, made from red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, rice, and salt -Oxford dictionary). Here are several substitutes for gochujang. I use garlic chili paste or Thai red curry paste if I don’t have any on hand.
Fresh garlic and ginger can be substituted with powder or frozen cubes (I love those)
Maple syrup can be substituted with apricot or peach preserves, brown sugar or honey.
Apple cider vinegar can be substituted with lemon or rice vinegar

Finishing options

Broiling -my preference for these wings
Grilling – usually my favorite method, but you have to make sure your grill is well greased for no sticking.
Deep frying – great if you want crispy wings. The downsides are smelly oil, an extra step of drying out the wings overnight in the fridge and a longer finish time as you have to fry in batches.
instructions are in the recipe notes for all methods.

Shortcut

Buy a jarred sauce at the grocery store e.g. teriyaki, Korean kalbi marinade (thickened with cornstarch), sweet chili sauce, etc.

Make ahead

A few days ahead: chill sous vide wings in bag, place in fridge for up to 3 days. Finish them off when before serving.
To freeze: chill wings in ice bath or at room temperature. Place in freezer. Thaw wings when ready to use, then finish them on grill or broiler.
How to reheat chicken wings: To store, place leftover finished wings in the fridge in an airtight container. To reheat, warm the wings in a 350F/177C oven for 5 -7 minutes or in the microwave for a minute or two.

Best sides for chicken wings

So hard to choose – almost anything goes. Here are a few recommendations. These wings can be served as a main course or appetizer.

How many chicken wings in a serving: Figure about 1 pound/450 grams per person – give or take for smaller and bigger eaters.

Sous Vide Chicken Wings (Korean-style)