These Turmeric Chicken Wings are a flavorful change of pace from traditional buffalo wings. Fresh ginger, scallions, ground turmeric, and mild curry powder create a savory marinade with a gentle warmth and a tangy finish from rice wine and sherry vinegar. Baking the wings in the oven makes this a convenient recipe for game day, parties, or a casual meal at home.
The secret to getting the most flavor is giving the chicken enough time to marinate. The wings rest in the turmeric mixture for about eight hours, allowing the ginger, spices, and vinegar to season the meat before cooking. For the best results, mix the marinade and refrigerate the wings overnight so they are ready to bake when you need them.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400°F. Remove the wings from the marinade, reserving the liquid for the sauce, and arrange the chicken on a sturdy baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning the wings once and basting them with the reserved marinade as directed. The wings should be cooked through and lightly browned.
While the chicken rests, strain the remaining marinade into a saucepan and simmer it with the remaining rice wine. Thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry, then season with salt and crushed red chile flakes to taste. Spoon the finished sauce over the wings or serve it alongside for dipping. Because the marinade has contacted raw chicken, it must be thoroughly cooked before serving.
These turmeric chicken wings make a great addition to an appetizer spread alongside crunchy vegetables, dipping sauces, and other party favorites. You can also serve them as part of a casual dinner with rice or your favorite vegetable side dish. Remember to allow time for marinating when planning your menu—the hands-on preparation is straightforward, but the flavor develops during the long rest.
If you enjoy savory, aromatic chicken recipes, add these oven-baked turmeric wings to your collection. They offer something a little different for your next gathering while keeping the preparation manageable.
Not what you are looking for? Try these other wing variations: Cranberry Plum Glazed Chicken Wings, Ree’s Classic Hot Wings Recipe or Shanghai Chicken Wings.
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Turmeric Chicken Wings
- Total Time: 8:40
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced thin
- 3 scallions, cut in 1-inch pieces and smashed
- ¾ cup rice wine
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
- Salt
- 2 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints with tips discarded
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- Crushed red chile flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Place ginger, scallions, 1/2 cup rice wine, curry powder, turmeric, vinegar and salt to taste in a bowl. Mix. Place chicken wings in a heavy resealable plastic bag. Add sauce mixture, seal bag and refrigerate 8 hours.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove chicken from the bag, reserving as much sauce as possible. Spread chicken on a baking sheet and bake, turning once and basting with marinade, until chicken is cooked and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and wrap loosely in foil to keep warm.
- Strain leftover marinade into a small saucepan, add remaining rice wine and simmer about 10 minutes. Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and whisk in. Season to taste with salt and chile flakes. Baste the chicken with thickened sauce and serve, or set sauce aside for basting when the chicken is reheated.
- Prep Time: 8:00
- Cook Time: :40
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Oven