Air Fried Char Siu Chicken Wings (Canh Ga Xa Xiu)

What is Char Siu

Char siu is a popular Chinese, but more specifically, Cantonese barbecue meat. In Mandarin, it is known as Cha Shao. In Vietnamese, it is known as Xá Xíu. This dish typically uses pork shoulder that is marinated in a sweet and savory sauce and then roasted.

Char Siu is enjoyed in various ways. Slice them up thin and serve them with steamed rice. Add them to noodle soups, fried rice or stuff them into Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches and fluffy baos.

Char Siu Chicken Wings

For this recipe, instead of the typical char siu pork, we are making char siu chicken wings for a quick and tasty side dish and appetizer. We are using an air fryer instead of the oven, and a little bit of help from a spice mix. These chicken wings have a sweet and savory sticky glaze outside, and tender and flavorful inside. It has the wonderful flavor of char siu but in chicken form and takes up much less time.

Ingredients for Char Siu Chicken Wings

Chicken wings

Chicken wings are an excellent choice for parties or get-togethers. Not only are they delicious with succulent dark meat, but they are also small, portable and quick to cook.

In Asian countries, we always wash our chicken meat. In fact, we wash everything, if possible. I give it a good rub down with coarse sea salt to get rid of the slimy yuckiness on the skin and to remove any lingering feathers and unwanted odor. The sink gets a good washing and disinfected afterward.

In the United States, we are discouraged from cleaning poultry of any kind out of fear of spreading bacteria. I’ll leave the choice of washing and cleaning your chicken up to you.

Soy Sauce — Soy sauce is used as the base of the marinade and provides the main salty umami flavor.

Oyster Sauce — Oyster sauce is also used in the marinade to provide a secondary salty umami flavor.

Hoisin Sauce — Hoisin sauce adds the last salty flavor to the marinade but with a sweeter note. When all three salty seasonings are combined, it provides the perfect blend.

Honey & Sugar — Honey and sugar are needed for the balance of the three salty ingredients above. Sugar will be used in the marinade. Honey will be used to brush on the chicken at the end of cooking for that characteristic sweet and sticky glaze.

Five-Spice Powder — This is a blend of spices that typically includes cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, and ginger. Sometimes Szechuan peppercorns are used, which I’m not a big fan of because of their numbing effect. Five-spice powder gives char siu its distinct flavor and aroma.

Garlic Powder — Because who doesn’t love garlic?

Ground Black Pepper — Provides a tiny bit of kick.

Sesame Oil — Provides a nutty aroma.

Chicken Bouillon Powder — My Vietnamese ultimate cheat.

Red Coloring — The red color of char siu traditionally comes from red fermented bean curd, which I’m not a fan of, as well. It has a weird smell and it only provides a dull red color. Modern recipes rely on red food coloring that gives the char siu its characteristically bright red color. For this recipe, my red color will come from a spice packet (more info below) that you can find just about anywhere.

NOH Chinese Barbecue Char Siu Spice Packet

The NOH Chinese Barbecue Char Siu Spice Packet contains a blend of more of the spices and seasonings already mentioned above that adds more to signature aroma and flavor. More importantly, it contains the red coloring, which is an absolute must for me.

The ingredients in the spice packet include sugar, sugar, soy sauce powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and red #3.

If you can’t find this specific brand, you can also use Lobo Roast Red Pork Seasoning Mix, which is also widely available in Asian grocery stores.

Commonly Asked Questions

The most commonly asked question when I make char siu with the spice packet is,

“Can I make char siu without the spice packet?”

The answer is, of course you can. But it will be lacking in flavor and missing the red color. So no.

The other common question I get asked is,

“Can I just use the spice packet solely because it says so in the back of the packet? Why all the extra stuff?”

The answer is no. It tastes horrible if using the spice packet alone. You need the extra ingredients to make it flavorful.

The extra ingredients and the spice packet combined make for wonderfully delicious char siu that will come pretty close to restaurant quality.

How to Make Char Siu Chicken Wings in the Air Fryer

Step 1: Prepare your marinade. In a large bowl, whisk together all the marinade ingredients.

Step 2: Marinate the chicken wings. Place your chicken wings in a large resealable plastic bag or large mixing bowl and pour the marinade over them, making sure that they are evenly coated. Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least one hour, but preferably overnight.

Step 3: Cook the Chicken. Preheat your air fryer to 300°F or just throw it straight into the air fryer like I do because I don’t have a preheat button. Air fry the chicken wings for 20 minutes. Flipping halfway.

Step 4: Baste the chicken. Mix together honey and water until combined and use a pastry brush to brush onto the chicken wings. Air fry again until you get caramelization and a bit of charring on the outside.

Oven Instructions

For oven use, you would generally increase the temperature and cook longer. For this recipe, preheat your oven to 350°F. Place aluminum foil or parchment paper over a large baking sheet to reduce clean-up. Place a wire rack on top. Add the chicken on a single layer. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Flip. Then cook the other side for an additional 10-12 minutes. Baste the chicken with the honey mixture and continue cooking until caramelized.

Other Air Fryer Recipes You Might Enjoy

• Crispy Roast Pork Belly with Air Fryer
• Air Fried Quails with Five Spice & Butter

Instant Pot Recipes You Might Enjoy

• Authentic Quick and Easy Vietnamese Instant Pot Beef Noodle Soup
• 30-Minute Pressure Cooker Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

Print