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These Baked Sticky General Tso’s Chicken Wings are the perfect balance of crispy, sticky, sweet, and spicy—all without deep frying! Readers call them: “Seriously delicious!! Best wings ever and sooooo flavorful!!” Follow along for my expert method that ensures extra crispy wings on the outside while staying juicy inside, tossed in to-LIVE-FOR sauce.
These sticky wings have readers raving:
“They were gone in minutes! Everyone said they were the best wings they had ever had.”
“This was the bomb! YUM.”
“These are my new favorite wings.“
“A WINNER in our home!”
“This is by far the BEST recipe and cooking method I have ever used. We loved them!“
Why You’ll Love this Sticky Wings Recipe
I’ve experimented and perfected this recipe to bring you an easy-to-follow recipe, tips, and tricks for foolproof results every time! Here’s why you’ll love this baked wings recipe:
Your Favorite Chinese Chicken in WINGS Form! The first chicken recipe I ever shared on Carlsbad Cravings was General Tso’s Chicken. And when something is your favorite chicken ever, you want to eat it ALL THE TIME. Enter these sticky wings! Every bit as irresistibly delicious!
INTOXICATING Sauce. The crispy chicken enveloped in sweet caramel-like sauce balanced by zingy ginger, Sriracha, garlic, and toasted sesame seed oil is the perfect balance of sweet heat that I can’t seem to get enough of.
Crispy Texture Without Frying: The wings achieve a crispy exterior through baking (thanks to my tips), eliminating the need for frying and resulting in a healthier yet still satisfying crunch.
Flavorful Spice Rub: A blend of ground ginger, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and cayenne pepper season the wings, ensuring they are flavorful even before the sauce is added.
Customizable: Crafting these wings at home allows for control over sweetness and spiciness!
Ingredients for General Tsos
Let’s take a closer look at what you need to make this recipe (measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
Wings
Chicken: Select packages that are labeled “wing and/or drumstick” OR “1st and/or 2nd parts/segments.”
Baking powder: This secret ingredient helps achieve golden, crispy skin.
The simplified science is that baking powder is composed of an acid which raises the pH level in the chicken, which draws moisture to the surface of the chicken skin where it evaporates. The heightened pH level also causes the peptide bonds in the skin to break down which accelerates the browning process so your chicken can get nice and crispy!
Spices: Ground ginger, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper and cayenne coat the chicken wings to make them independently flavorful.
SAUCE
Soy sauce: Use reduced-sodium soy sauce so the sauce isn’t too salty and has wiggle room for salt to taste.
The best substitute for rice wine is pale dry sherry. Do NOT substitute with rice vinegar; they are NOT the same.
Toasted sesame seed oil: This must-have flavor boost is located in the Asian section of the grocery store or on Amazon. Take care to use toasted sesame oil for its strong, nutty aroma and flavor. Please don’t use light/plain sesame oil, which isn’t nearly as flavorful.
Garlic: Three garlic cloves for aromatic depth and a pungent kick or substitute with ¾ teaspoon ground in a bind.
Ginger: Freshly grated ginger paired with the sweet caramel-infused sauce adds a zesty kick needed to cut through the sweetness. You may substitute with 1 teaspoon ground if needed-but fresh is best!
Caramel Sauce: Water and granulated sugar are simmered together, then combined with some of the reserved sauce to create flavor fireworks!
Cornstarch: This thickens the sauce.
How to make General Tso’s Sticky Wings
Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
Step 1: Prep. Line baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Top a baking sheet with a baking rack and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: Spice Rub. In a medium bowl, mix the Rub ingredients together. Add half of the Rub to a large freezer bag. Add half of the wings and shake until coated evenly. Line wings on prepared baking rack so they are not touching. Add remaining Rub ingredients and wings to freezer bag and repeat.
Step 3: Bake. Bake on upper middle rack for 45-50 minutes or until golden. Move oven rack approximately 6-8″ from broiler and broil to desired crispiness, watching closely so wings don’t burn. Flip chicken wings over and broil the other side until crispy.
Step 4: Combine Sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients (not Caramel Sauce).
Step 5: Make Caramel Sauce. Add 2 tablespoons water and ½ cup sugar to large skillet and boil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the reserved sauce and simmer the sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Step 6:Combine. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool down slightly. Add cooked chicken to a large bowl and add sauce. Toss until evenly coated with a spatula. Enjoy!
How to air Fry Sticky Wings
The air fryer works great to create crispy wings, but the only down side is you can’t cook all of the wings at once. I usually reserve the air fryer for reheating the wings, but you are welcome to air fry them to cook as well.
1. Grease the basket with nonstick cooking spray. Add the wings in a single layer so they aren’t touching. You will need to cook in multiple batches. 2. Cook for 15 minutes at 250 degrees F. 3. Flip the wings over, increase temperature to 450 degrees (or the highest your air fryer goes). Air fry for 15- 20 minutes or until the chicken are wings cooked through and crispy.
TIPS for making baked chicken wings
Don’t wash chicken wings: Washing chicken wings before baking can spread harmful bacteria around your kitchen, increasing the risk of cross-contamination. Instead, simply pat them dry with paper towels, as the high baking temperatures will effectively kill any bacteria while helping to achieve a crispy finish.
Dry chicken wings. Don’t just pat the wings dry with paper towels, but squeeze them VERY DRY (this is dry from the packaging not from washing). The drier the wings, the crispier they will get. Dry skin also helps the rub stick.
Prep Ahead: You can refrigerate your wings for up to 6 hours on a baking rack for the skin to dry out even more. If you do refrigerate the wings, be sure to bring them to room temperature before baking. This should only take about 15 minutes on the counter.
Broil chicken. After baking, the wings will be fairly crispy for even crispier skin, you can move the oven rack 6-8″ from broiler and broil away to desired crispiness. Just watch closely so they don’t burn!
General Tso’s chicken is typically savory and slightly spicy with a soy-based sauce, while orange chicken has a sweeter, tangier sauce made with orange juice and zest. Both dishes are deep-fried, but the flavors differ in spice level and citrus notes. for a few seconds
General Tso’s chicken features a tangy, slightly spicy sauce with notes of garlic, ginger, and chili, while orange chicken boasts a sweeter, citrus-forward sauce centered on the flavor of orange juice or zest, typically with less heat.
General Tso’s chicken is known for its sweet, tangy sauce with just a hint of spiciness. The dish is predominantly sweet, with the heat serving as a subtle, complementary kick rather than an overpowering element.
Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. Top baking sheet with baking rack/oven proof cooling rack and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix Rub ingredients together. Add half of the Rub to a large freezer bag. Add half of the wings and shake until coated evenly. Line wings on prepared baking rack so they are not touching. Add remaining Rub ingredients and wings to freezer bag and repeat.
Bake on upper middle rack for 45-50 minutes or until golden. Move oven rack approximately 6-8″ from broiler and broil to desired crispiness, watching closely so wings don’t burn. Flip chicken wings over and broil the other side until crispy.
In a medium bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients (not Caramel Sauce). Set aside.
To make the Caramel Sauce, add 2 tablespoons water and ½ cup sugar to large skillet and boil over medium heat for 1 minute – don’t overcook or it will harden! Add reserved sauce and simmer the sauce until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool down slightly. Add cooked chicken to a large bowl and add sauce. Toss until evenly coated with a spatula. There will be a little extra sauce which is amazing on rice. Enjoy!
I made these for our Bachelor’s girl’s night and they were gone in minutes! Everyone said they were the best wings they had ever had. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Hi Karyl, thank you for sharing my recipe on your Round Up! As soon as I made wings for the first time, there was no going back! I think you will be shocked at how easy they actually are! Thanks again!
These wings look delicious! I plan to make them, but I have a question. Can you make a suggestion for an oil substitute? I know my son will love them, but he has an allergy to sesame oil.
These wings look and sound amazing! I make homemade baked chicken wings but I usually go traditional wing sauce or barbecue for the kids. However, now I must make these! General’s chicken has always been my favorite Asian dish. To combo it with wings sounds so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
YUM!!! First time trying this & can’t wait to try it with chicken breasts for my husband. Recipe worked perfectly. Will definitely be cooking this one again. No alterations to recipe required.
I have made so many different versions of wings. All cooked different ways with different sauces. This is by far the BEST recipe and cooking method I have ever used. We loved them!
I found your recipe for New Years and my family is thrilled every time I make it. I’m not usually the kind of person to leave review/comments on personal food blogs but this recipe is so fantastic from start to finish that I couldn’t not say something. I usually refuse to make oven fried chicken because it’s messy and can be complicated with many steps and we are a family of 8. I’m sure you can imagine the work it would take to make oven fried chicken nuggets for 8 people 😀 This baking powder and ginger breading for the chicken is brilliant, I never would have thought of it. I appreciate the simplicity as well. As I mentioned, my family is ecstatic every time it’s on the menu. It’s a crowd pleaser for our entire age range, 42-2. (Wife bonus, my husband absolutely loves anything ginger so the level of gingeryness was perfect for him) Thank you for your hard work and for sharing this recipe.
Only modification made was that I used chicken drumsticks instead of wings, baking time was the same from what I recall.
Hi Danielle, thank you so much for taking the time to leave your awesome comment! I’m thrilled your entire family loves these wings/drumsticks and that their easy to make! Thanks for making my day!
Super great! I added a little garlic hoisin to the sauce since I had it on hand, and crushed sichuan peppercorns to the dry rub/baking powder mix on the wings. I also baked with the sauce on afterwards, which isn’t necessasry I just like the flavour and texture that way!
Allison says
I made these for our Bachelor’s girl’s night and they were gone in minutes! Everyone said they were the best wings they had ever had. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Jen says
You are most welcome! What a fun appetizer for girl’s night. I am so happy everyone loved them!!
Joy says
When do you add the caramel sauce?
Jen says
Hi Joy! It is in step 5. Enjoy!
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hi Jen!
I’d love to include your baked sticky chicken wings recipe in a chicken roundup I’m doing for Parade Magazine.
If that’s fine with you, could I use one of your lovely photos with a link back to this original post (https://carlsbadcravings.com/baked-sticky-general-tsos-chicken-wings/)?
Let me know,
thanks so much!
Jen says
Thank you so much Felicia! That is fine with me to use one of my photos and I SO appreciate you including me in your roundup!
karyl henry says
I only ever get wings at restaurants. I really need to buy some plain ones and try this recipe because these look divine!!
Also, I’ve shared this on my Super Bowl Recipe Roundup: http://karylskulinarykrusade.com/recipe-roundup-super-bowl/
Jen says
Hi Karyl, thank you for sharing my recipe on your Round Up! As soon as I made wings for the first time, there was no going back! I think you will be shocked at how easy they actually are! Thanks again!
annie says
So glad I ran across this recipe!! Wanted something interesting to do with chicken wings besides my usual. This was the bomb! YUM. Thanks
Jen says
Awesome, so happy you loved these Annie, thank you so much!
Lisa Watson says
These wings look delicious! I plan to make them, but I have a question. Can you make a suggestion for an oil substitute? I know my son will love them, but he has an allergy to sesame oil.
Jen says
Thank you Lisa! You can just leave it out and they will still taste great! Enjoy!
Jennifer @ Because Food Is Love says
These wings look and sound amazing! I make homemade baked chicken wings but I usually go traditional wing sauce or barbecue for the kids. However, now I must make these! General’s chicken has always been my favorite Asian dish. To combo it with wings sounds so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Jen says
You are so welcome Jennifer, I hope you love these wings! Can’t go wrong combining two favorites!
Christine says
This recipe sounds amazing. Instead of sugar for the caramel sauce, can honey or maple syrup be substituted?
Jen says
Hi Christine, unfortunately caramel has to be made with sugar.
angelica says
hello. i do not have rice wine vinegar. an i use regular white vinegar
Jen says
Hi Angelica, the best substitute would be apple cider vinegar, hope that helps!
Cyndi says
Is there a place to get the nutritional info for this recipe?
Jen says
Hi Cyndi! You can calculate it at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator
Cheryl says
These are my new favorite wings. Made them exactly like the recipe and they were perfectly spicy we love spicy. Thanks for a wonderful new wing.
Jen says
yay! I’m so happy they are your new favorite wing recipe!!! Thanks Cheryl!
Pia says
As with many of your recipes, this one is a WINNER in our home! Thank you!
Jen says
You are so welcome Pia, I’m so happy it was a hit, thank you!
Kim says
YUM!!! First time trying this & can’t wait to try it with chicken breasts for my husband. Recipe worked perfectly. Will definitely be cooking this one again. No alterations to recipe required.
Jen says
Awesome! I am so happy you loved the chicken and I hope your husband loves it too! Thanks Kim!
Bethany says
I have made so many different versions of wings. All cooked different ways with different sauces. This is by far the BEST recipe and cooking method I have ever used. We loved them!
Jen says
You made my day, thank you so so much Bethany!
cecilia says
Would like to take to potl;uck, its going to b in shade for 1 hr before eaten. Is that safe, any suggestions would b appreciated.
Jen says
Hi Cecilia, according to this article: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-long-can-you-leave-cooked-foods-unrefrigerated-kitchen-facts-218225 Cooked chicken shouldn’t be left out more than two hours so it sounds like you are safe. Enjoy!
Danielle says
I found your recipe for New Years and my family is thrilled every time I make it. I’m not usually the kind of person to leave review/comments on personal food blogs but this recipe is so fantastic from start to finish that I couldn’t not say something. I usually refuse to make oven fried chicken because it’s messy and can be complicated with many steps and we are a family of 8. I’m sure you can imagine the work it would take to make oven fried chicken nuggets for 8 people 😀 This baking powder and ginger breading for the chicken is brilliant, I never would have thought of it. I appreciate the simplicity as well. As I mentioned, my family is ecstatic every time it’s on the menu. It’s a crowd pleaser for our entire age range, 42-2. (Wife bonus, my husband absolutely loves anything ginger so the level of gingeryness was perfect for him) Thank you for your hard work and for sharing this recipe.
Only modification made was that I used chicken drumsticks instead of wings, baking time was the same from what I recall.
Jen says
Hi Danielle, thank you so much for taking the time to leave your awesome comment! I’m thrilled your entire family loves these wings/drumsticks and that their easy to make! Thanks for making my day!
Robyn Martinez says
Made these tonight and seriously delicious!! Best wings ever and sooooo flavorful!! I did add scallions after. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!!
Jen says
Thank you for your awesome comment Robyn! I’m thrilled these were the best wings!
Alex says
Super great! I added a little garlic hoisin to the sauce since I had it on hand, and crushed sichuan peppercorns to the dry rub/baking powder mix on the wings. I also baked with the sauce on afterwards, which isn’t necessasry I just like the flavour and texture that way!
Jen says
Mmmmmm, I am loving your additions Alex, especially the crushed sichuan peppercorns, I’m going to have to try that next time!
Tom says
I thought the recipe called for rice wine not vinegar????
Jen says
That’s correct, it is rice wine in the ingredients.
cheryl says
Where do you use vinegar?
Jen says
There is no vinegar in this recipe, just Japanese rice wine.
cheryl says
Thats what I thought, I used sherry and it was great! Thanks
Jen says
So happy you enjoyed them!
Kimberly Clarke Turner says
These are my go-to wings! So delicious! There are a number of your recipes that I consider favorites and are on repeat in our house!
Jen says
Hi Kimberly! That is so great to hear! Thanks so much for your sweet comment! I’m so glad that you love them!