Home-styleEasy 30 min serves 3

Soy-Braised Chicken Wings (酱油鸡翅)

Name: Soy-Braised Chicken Wings (酱油鸡翅)
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Home-style
Ingredients: chicken wings (mid-joint + drumette); ginger, sliced; scallions; light soy sauce; dark soy sauce; sugar; Shaoxing wine; star anise (optional); sesame oil

酱油鸡翅 · jiàng yóu jī chì

家庭快手版 · Home version: The soy-braise method (jiangyou jian): wings simmered in a soy, sugar, and ginger broth until the sauce turns dark and lacquered. The family version is one pot, no marinating. Cantonese restaurants add star anise and a piece of dried tangerine peel for extra depth.

Soy-braised chicken wings are the dish that taught a generation of Chinese kids that soy sauce is a superpower. Four ingredients — wings, soy, sugar, ginger — and thirty minutes later you have glossy, dark, finger-licking wings that taste like they came from a restaurant. It's the older, less famous sibling of coke chicken wings, and many would argue it's better.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More chicken recipes →Quick & Easy One-Pot Kid-Friendly

Ingredients

chicken wings (mid-joint + drumette)鸡翅中🛒 local500 g
ginger, sliced姜片🛒 local5 slices
scallions小葱🛒 local2 stalks
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian3 tbsp
dark soy sauce老抽🏮 asian1/2 tsp
sugar白糖🛒 local1 tbsp
Shaoxing wine料酒🏮 asian1 tbsp
star anise (optional)八角（可选）🏮 asian1 whole
sesame oil香油🏮 asian1/2 tsp

chicken wings (mid-joint + drumette): Pat dry. Score each wing once on both sides so the soy penetrates.

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Pat wings dry and score. Have the sauce ready: soy, dark soy, sugar, Shaoxing, and 1 cup warm water mixed.
备料调汁
🔍 Look for
Visual: 酱汁呈均匀深棕色；糖已融化Sauce is a uniform deep brown; sugar dissolved
You know it's right when: 杯底没有糖粒No sugar grains at the bottom
2Heat a wide pan over medium-high. Sear the wings skin-side down in one layer until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Don't crowd.
煎鸡翅
🔍 Look for Medium-high 每面 3 分钟 · 3 minutes per side
Visual: 鸡皮金黄、边缘微棕；逼出部分油脂Skin is golden with brown edges; renders some fat
You know it's right when: 鸡翅轻松脱离锅底Wings release easily from the pan
3Add ginger, scallions, and star anise (if using). Stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
爆香
🔍 Look for Medium-high 30 秒 · 30 seconds
Visual: 香料滋滋作响，油里渗入香气Aromatics sizzle and perfume the oil
You know it's right when: 姜香温暖辛辣Ginger smells warm and pungent
4Pour in the sauce. It should come about halfway up the wings. Boil, then reduce to medium-low, cover, and simmer 12 minutes.
焖煮入味
🔍 Look for Medium-low 12 分钟 · 12 minutes
Visual: 汤汁轻轻冒泡；鸡翅开始上色Liquid bubbles gently; wings absorb the color
You know it's right when: 汤汁明显变少；鸡翅呈古铜色The sauce has reduced visibly; wings look bronzed
5Uncover, turn the wings, and simmer uncovered 8 minutes, spooning sauce over them, until the sauce is glossy and clings.
开盖收汁
🔍 Look for Medium heat 8 分钟 · 8 minutes
Visual: 酱汁浓稠深色，像漆一样挂在鸡翅上Sauce is thick, dark, and lacquered on the wings
You know it's right when: 锅铲划过酱汁，划痕保持 2 秒A spatula trail in the sauce holds for 2 seconds
6Off heat, drizzle sesame oil and toss once. Serve hot with rice — spoon the remaining sauce over.
淋香油上桌
🔍 Look for
Visual: 鸡翅深红棕、油亮，看起来甜糯Wings are deep mahogany, glossy, sticky-sweet looking
You know it's right when: 酱汁挂在鸡翅上，浇在饭上很好看Sauce coats the wings and the rice beautifully

Tips

· Dry wings + hot pan = golden skin. Wet wings steam instead.
· Dark soy is for color, light soy for flavor — don't swap them.
· The sauce reduces fast at the end; stay near the pan.
· Double the wings and sauce — leftovers make the best cold snack.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Ingredient swaps

Can't find an Asian-market staple? Use these.

Swap: light soy sauce
→ regular soy sauce
Ratio: 1:1 · Slightly saltier — dial salt back by a pinch.
Swap: dark soy sauce
→ light soy + ½ tsp sugar + drop of molasses
Ratio: 1:1 · Gets the color without the bottle.
Swap: Shaoxing wine
→ dry sherry or mirin (less sweet)
Ratio: 1:1 · Both add the same warm fermented depth.

Don't make these mistakes

The traps every home cook hits — and how to avoid them.

✗ Crowding the pan — ingredients steam instead of sear.
✓ Fix: Cook in batches; give each piece room to brown.
✗ Adding sauce too early — the wok cools and flavors dull.
✓ Fix: Push food up the wok wall, add sauce to the hot center, toss fast.