If Joe and I see "ginger" on a menu, there's a good chance that one or both of us will order that plate.  We are crazy for ginger combined with Asian flavors like soy sauce, sesame, and fish sauce.  We like to make these wings at home because they come together really quickly once the sauce is mixed, and of course, everyone enjoys wings.  Serves 2 – can easily be doubled.

Ingredients

Wings
1 dozen chicken wings / drummies
2 Tablespoons canola oil
Salt & Pepper
4 scallions, thinly sliced (whites and greens, garnish)
Toasted sesame seeds (garnish)

Orange Ginger Sauce
½ cup orange juice (bottled without pulp is fine)
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup packed brown sugar
2 ½ Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
Splash of fish sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 to 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
2 teaspoons of arrowroot (for use later – keep separate)

Mix the sauce first, so that it has time to come together.  Combine all of the sauce ingredients EXCEPT the arrowroot.  Whisk the mixture, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for an hour or even a day.  

The sauce finishes in 5 minutes or less.  You can heat it while the chicken is cooking.

Cooking the Wings – Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss chicken in a bowl with the canola oil, salt and pepper.  Put the chicken on a baking rack (optional) and / or sheet tray, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is 165 degrees.  When the chicken reaches temperature, put it in a clean bowl and toss with half of the orange ginger sauce.  

Note:  I use a convection oven that speeds up cooking times.  If you’re not using convection, it may take a little longer than 25 minutes for the chicken to reach the 165 degrees.  Tip:  If you let the wings / drummies air dry in the refrigerator for a few hours or up to a day, it helps to draw out moisture and create a crispier skin.

Cooking the Orange Ginger Sauce – Heat while the wings are baking.

Pour the sauce into a non-stick sauce pan or skillet.  While the mixture is still cool, gently whisk in the arrowroot.  Arrowroot is a natural thickener and you can find it in the spice aisle.  The sauce needs to be cool or room temperature when you do this, or else the arrowroot will clump.  Whisk gently and distribute the arrowroot throughout the sauce.

Warm the sauce over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Whisk gently and continuously.  The sauce will bubble and thicken.  Turn down the heat if the sauce gets too smoky.  The sauce is done when it’s soupy enough to coat the chicken but still thin enough to pour.  Wait for the bubbles – that’s when the sauce tightens up.  You’ll know when it’s good.  Use half of the sauce  for dipping.  The other half is tossed in the bowl with the wings.

Sprinkle the scallions and sesame seeds on top of the coated chicken.  Grab some napkins!  Dunk and enjoy!  

First published by Judy on December 16, 20​14

Orange Ginger chicken wings are a great appetizer or dinner.  Juicy, tangy, a little bit sticky.  Put lots of napkins on the table, roll up your sleeves, and dive in. Plus, these wings are baked, not fried, so you can feel good about indulging! 

Orange Ginger Wings