Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings

This recipe for salt and pepper chicken wings is a unique twist on the classic chicken recipe. With flavorful ingredients like Chinese five spice powder and white pepper powder, this chicken wing recipe will make your tastebuds dance!

This salt and pepper chicken wings recipe is actually extremely near and dear to me because I grew up eating Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken at night markets in Taipei, Taiwan. Chinese salt and pepper chicken is highly nostalgic for me and I crave it all the time. Thankfully, with the Taiwanese and Chinese cultural prevalence in the area I live, salt and pepper chicken is fairly easy to find — but finding the place that makes it just like Taiwan is a bit more difficult.

My recipe for salt and pepper chicken is the wings version. This is obviously a little more difficult to eat walking around than the traditional salt and pepper chicken cubes. It is still very delicious, though, and a new way to make chicken wings! Serve these wings with scallion pancakes for a filling meal that the whole family will love.

And, for more Asian-inspired dinner recipes that are always crowd-pleasers, try sweet and sour chicken or chicken katsu!

Why You’ll Love These Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings

Allow me to share a few more reasons about why this salt and pepper chicken recipe belongs in your life!

• Crispy and juicy. The meat on these chicken wings is so juicy and tender, but the crust has a delightful crunch to it!
• Lots of flavor. The crust for this chicken is made with sweet brown sugar, warm grated ginger, spicy white pepper powder, and more!
• Easy to make. It only takes 10 minutes to prep this recipe – the rest of the time is simply spent waiting for the chicken to marinate and bake.

What is Salt and Pepper Chicken?

To clarify, salt and pepper chicken originated in Taiwan. Most people call it “Chinese” because they associate Taiwanese as Chinese and I’d just like to say we are not one in the same. Similar, but not the same. That’s like saying New Zealanders are Australian.

Whatever you call it, Chinese salt and pepper chicken or Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken, the concept is the same. It’s a traditional street food that consists of dark meat chicken chunks coated in a crunchy crust and tossed in a salt and pepper mixture. They typically serve it in a newspaper or parchment paper funnel and give you a long toothpick for it. The idea is that you can walk around (typically the night market) while snacking on it.

Also, the salt and pepper mixture here is not just salt and ground black pepper. The name is deceiving, but the pepper in Asian salt and pepper chicken is white pepper powder. More on that below.

Recipe Ingredients

There are just a handful of ingredients to round up today! For exact measurements, scroll down to the bottom of the post for the recipe card.

• Chicken Wings – I like to use both drums and flats when I make this recipe. That said, you can definitely use all drums or all flats if you prefer.
• Fresh Minced Garlic – Store-bought minced garlic also works, but with fresh, the flavor is stronger!
• Grated Ginger – Ground ginger can be substituted in a pinch.
• Brown Sugar – I like to use dark brown sugar for its rich, molasses-like flavor.
• Cornstarch – This gives the crust on the chicken wings an extraordinary crunch and texture.
• Chinese Five Spice Powder – This spice is heavily complex and savory in flavor, and it is what gives salt and pepper chicken its unique taste. If you can’t find Chinese five spice powder, Amazon sells it, or you can make your own!
• White Pepper Powder – The star of the show is white pepper powder! Different than ground black pepper, white pepper powder is more earthy and has a tiny bit more heat. It gives a slow burn in the back of your throat and is predominantly used in Asian/Chinese cooking as opposed to black pepper.
• Salt – You can use sea salt, kosher salt, tables salt, etc.

Can I Substitute Black Pepper for White Pepper Powder?

I really do not recommend making this substitution. It makes this dish inauthentic and the flavor is just off and not traditional. White pepper powder is a lot easier to find these days in the Asian section of your local grocery store, or Amazon always has it.

How to Make Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings

This Taiwanese/Chinese chicken wings recipe comes together in a snap. For the full set of instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the recipe card.

• Dry rub and marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, add your chicken wings, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar. Using your hands, disperse and massage the mixture together. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight.
• Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two large baking sheets. Line the bottoms with foil, then place a metal baking rack on top. This encourages air flow which will give your chicken wings so much extra crunch! You can lightly spray the metal baking rack with a bit of cooking spray to prevent sticking.

• Coat your chicken wings. To get that amazing exterior crunch and texture, you’ll want to toss the chicken wings with cornstarch. No need to rinse the dry rub off!
• Line up the chicken wings. Take the chicken wings and gently shake off the excess cornstarch. Line the chicken wings on the prepared baking sheets, evenly spaced about 2 inches apart, ensuring they do not touch.
• Bake. Bake the chicken wings for 30-35 minutes.
• Make the seasoning mix. While the chicken is baking, mix together the Chinese five spice powder, white pepper, and salt.
• Toss in the seasoning mix. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes. Using tongs, place your chicken wings in a large bowl, sprinkle the seasoning mix on top, and toss to coat.

Tips for Success

There you have it – pretty easy, right? I just have a few more tips and tricks to share with you before you begin:

• If you want to use regular chicken for this recipe instead of wings. You can cut boneless, skinless chicken thighs into cubes and follow the same instructions, if you like. I caution against using chicken breasts as they will be too dry and not juicy.
• Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes, but try to go longer. You can definitely marinate the chicken for a shorter period of time, but the longer it marinates, the more flavor it develops from the garlic and ginger.
• How to know if the chicken is done cooking. The best way to tell that the chicken is done is to use a meat thermometer. When the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165F, it is safe to pull it out of the oven.

Serving Suggestions

I associate salt and pepper chicken with snacking because that’s what it is traditionally meant to be. But, you can definitely turn it into a meal if you like:

• Add some other appetizers. You can serve these salt and pepper chicken wings with a spread of Taiwanese appetizers such as Scallion Pancakes (蔥油餅) (linked above!), Spicy Chinese Cucumber Salad, and Taiwanese Tea Eggs.
• Add an entree. Or, pair the chicken wings with a Taiwanese main entree such as Instant Pot Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉面) or Taiwanese Braised Minced Pork (滷肉飯).

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

These baked chicken wings can absolutely be stored for later if you have leftovers. This is the best way to do that:

• To store. Keep your leftover chicken wings in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• To reheat. The best way to reheat chicken wings is to do so in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes. With the crust on these salt and pepper chicken wings, you’re going to want to do that instead of the microwave.

Can I Freeze These?

Sure! Once the chicken wings have cooled completely, put them in an airtight container and freeze for 3-4 months. Let the wings thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating again!

More Chicken Wing Recipes

There are so many ways to flavor a juicy, tender chicken wing! Here are a few more of my favorite recipes:

• Sticky Korean-Style Chicken Wings
• Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings
• Lemon Pepper Wings
• Air Fryer Sweet Chili Chicken Wings