🇰🇷 Korean
Korean Sesame Chicken Wings
⏱ 50 min
🍞 ~6g
🍽 4 servings
⭐ 5/5
⚠️ Estimates only — not medical advice. Carb counts vary by brand and portion. Always verify with your endo or CDCES.
🌍 Cultural note
Korean fried chicken (KFC — yes, that's what we really call it!) took over the world for a reason. Crispy, sticky, garlicky, sesame-y goodness. Traditional versions are double-fried and dunked in a sugar-bomb glaze; this oven-baked version with a low-sugar sauce gives you the magic without the BG mountain.
Why this recipe is T1D-friendly
- Oven-baked instead of fried = predictable fat content
- Glaze uses just 1 tbsp maple syrup total (vs. typical 1/4 cup honey or sugar)
- Wings are almost all protein and fat — basically zero-carb without the glaze
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken wings, split into flats and drums (0g)
- 1 tbsp baking powder, aluminum-free (0g) — secret to extra crispy skin
- 1/2 tsp salt (0g)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (0g)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (0g)
Sticky sesame glaze
- 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (2g)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (13g total — only ~3g per serving) OR 1 tbsp monk fruit syrup (0g) for tightest math
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (0g)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil (0g)
- 2 cloves garlic, grated (1g)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger (0g)
- 1 tsp gochujang, optional (3g — skip for kid wings)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, plus more for finishing (0g)
- 1 scallion, sliced (1g)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Set a wire rack on a foil-lined sheet pan and spray with oil.
- Pat wings VERY dry with paper towels (this is the difference between soggy and crispy).
- Toss wings with baking powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until evenly coated.
- Arrange wings skin-side up on the wire rack, leaving space between each.
- Bake 40 minutes, flipping once at 25 min, until deep golden and crispy.
- While wings bake, whisk all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer 2-3 min until slightly thickened.
- Transfer hot wings to a big bowl. Pour glaze over and toss to coat.
- Sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately.
Dash's kid tips 🐆
- Dash says: divide the wings BEFORE saucing — keep some plain salt-and-pepper for the smallest palates
- For mess-free eating, drum-only orders are easier for tiny hands
- Pair with cucumber sticks or a quick pickled radish — the crunch + cool balances the sticky-sweet