American Chinese Recipe

Chinese Fried Chicken Wings

Chinese restaurant fried chicken wings are marinated wings fried until crisp and usually served plain, with salt-pepper seasoning, or with a light sauce.

Recipe at a glance

PurposeHigh-frequency Chinese restaurant menu dish
Cuisine or formatAmerican Chinese
Menu variation ruleProtein may be adjusted without creating a separate recipe family.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb chicken wings
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine, optional
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder or minced garlic
  • White pepper
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • Oil for frying
  • Salt or salt-pepper seasoning

Method

  1. Marinate wings with soy sauce, wine, garlic, and white pepper.
  2. Coat lightly with cornstarch.
  3. Fry until cooked through and crisp.
  4. Drain well.
  5. Season with salt or salt-pepper mixture.
  6. Serve hot.

Menu-literacy notes

  • Fried wings may be a Chinese restaurant side even when not regional Chinese cuisine.
  • Shared fryer risk is important.
  • Salt-pepper versions overlap with Cantonese fried seafood and tofu logic.

Variations and substitutions

  • For chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, tofu, or mixed seafood variants, keep the same sauce logic and adjust the cooking time for the protein.
  • For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
  • For takeout-style dishes, sauce texture matters: the sauce should coat the food rather than become a thin soup.

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