Oven-Baked Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings

When I think of Sriracha hot sauce, I typically think of Pho Bo or Pho Ga, the famous Vietnamese Noodle Soups that I add Sriracha to. Now, Sriracha is everywhere, appearing in the dishes themselves. They are not just a condiment alongside a dish anymore. Asians have been eating Sriracha forever, but now it's finally getting the attention it so highly deserves. It even has its own cult following! How cool and creepy is that?!

Oven-Baked Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings

What is this magical sauce? Srirarcha is an Asian hot sauce made up of chili, garlic, vinegar, salt and sugar. Aside from Pho, Sriracha is an absolute must in my dipping sauce in Vietnamese Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls and Jicama and Carrot Spring Rolls. Recently I had them as a marinade on baked chicken (jumping on the Sriracha bandwagon here) and to my pleasant surprise, the fusion was incredibly tasty and the aroma was amazing! It lured the family downstairs to the kitchen to see what was cooking ... in a good way this time!

Oven-Baked Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings

For my Sriracha Honey chicken recipe below, I like to use wings or drumettes. The bite-sized portions of poultry goodness is great for entertaining. For this Vietnamese-American fusion appetizer, I base it on a more traditional Vietnamese recipe. I use a traditional Vietnamese Five-Spice marinade as the base. Then I brush the wings with the Honey Sriracha mixture towards the end of cooking to highlight the sexy sauce. The result was packed full of flavor, and I truly love that sticky sweet and spicy glaze. Recipe below. Happy eating!

Oven-Baked Sriracha Honey Chicken Wings

Oven-Baked Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Serves 5-7

Ingredients

Five-Spice Chicken Marinade:

• 1/2 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
• 1/2 teaspoon MSG (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon minced lemon grass
• 7 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon cooking wine
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon tapioca starch
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce


• 40 small chicken wings
• 1/3 cup Sriracha hot sauce
• 1/2 cup honey

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients in the Five-Spice Marinade. Add chicken and toss to evenly coat. Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes.
3. Spread the chicken in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Then flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, mix Sriracha and honey until combined. Brush wings with Sriracha and Honey mixture, switch oven to broil. Bake until golden brown. Flip and repeat.

Grass Jelly Milk Tea with Sea Salt Cream Top (Tra Sua Suong Sao)

I once told my husband, "If you cut me open, I'll bleed milk tea." He asked, "Why are you so morbid?" I don't know. At the time, it was the only way to accurately express my love for milk tea. What can I say? The love is real and strong.

Lately, I have a thing for grass jelly in my milk tea. Milk tea and grass jelly with a cream top and a sprinkle of sea salt? Oh God. Yes, please!

Grass Jelly Milk Tea with Sea Salt Cream Top (Tra Sua Suong Sao)

You are probably wondering what is grass jelly?

Grass jelly, or Sương Sáo, is a black gelatin that begins with boiling the leaves and stalks of the Chinese Mesona plant, a mint family member. The deep dark black tea is then filtered and a bit of starch is added to gelatinize. Once the mixture is cooled, it is cut into cubes and used in many desserts and drinks in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Grass jelly is served as the one of the many toppings in Bubble Tea/Boba shops. Having a cold sweet drink with grass jelly is a great way to cool yourself off during the hot Summer days.

Grass jelly has many health benefits. It relieves digestive problems. It cures cancer, diabetes, mental illness, and it gives you wings. Its flavor is earthy with a slightly bitter and herbal undertone. For us silly Asians, this makes it a perfect contrasting component in desserts and drinks.

Trà sữa sương sáo

Here in the States, grass jelly is found in canned or powdered form. The canned form is already made. The jelly slides out like canned cranberry sauce. Simply dice it up and add it straight to the dessert or drink. The powder form is for those who want to make it fresh or for those who want to adjust the sweetness. The package comes with grass jelly powder, sugar and gelatin. Heat up the powder with water, add the sugar and gelatin, and allow it to set before use.

When I return to Vietnam in the near future, I would like to hike the hillside of the Vietnam countryside, pick and dry my own grass jelly plant, and bring it home with me to the States. Until then, the canned version in my local Asian grocery store will do just fine.

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Grass Jelly Milk Tea with Sea Salt Cream Top (Tra Sua Suong Sao)

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup hot water
• 2 bags black tea (I love Red Rose and Ten Ren brand teas)
• 1 can grass jelly(cut into tiny cubes and soak in simple syrup, overnight in fridge for best results)
• 4 tablespoons brown-sugar simple syrup (1-part water dissolved with 1-part sugar)
• 3/4 cups ice
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (whip or shake until frothy but still runny)
• Sprinkle of sea salt

Instructions

1. Steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 3-5 minutes (the longer the better). Refrigerate until cool.
2. Add grass jelly (about 1/4 cup grass jelly), syrup and ice.
3. Top with whipping cream and sea salt.

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