America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated LogoAmerica's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo

Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on February 11, 2013

Time

3 to 4 hours on low

Yield

Serves 12

Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings

Ingredients

1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped4 garlic cloves, peeled¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, divided¼ cup soy sauce, divided½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided4 pounds chicken wings, halved at joint and wingtips removed¼ cup water ¼ cup tomato paste

Before You Begin

In step 3, the oven rack should be 10 to 12 inches from the broiler element. Don’t wander off while the wings are in the oven.

Instructions

  1. MAKE RUB Pulse ginger, garlic, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in food processor until finely ground. Add mixture to slow cooker insert. Add chicken and toss until combined.
  2. COOK AND COOL Cover and cook on low until fat renders and chicken is tender, 3 to 4 hours. Using slotted spoon, remove wings from slow cooker and transfer to clean large bowl (discard liquid in slow cooker). Let wings cool for 20 minutes (or let cool briefly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours).
  3. SAUCE AND BROIL Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray. Whisk water, tomato paste, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in bowl. Add half of sauce to bowl with cooled wings and toss gently to coat. Arrange wings, skin side up, on prepared rack. Broil until wings are lightly charred and crisp around edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip wings, brush with remaining sauce, and continue to broil until well caramelized, about 3 minutes. Serve.
Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings

Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
Save

Time

3 to 4 hours on low

Yield

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
¼ cup soy sauce, divided
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
4 pounds chicken wings, halved at joint and wingtips removed
¼ cup water
¼ cup tomato paste

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
¼ cup soy sauce, divided
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
4 pounds chicken wings, halved at joint and wingtips removed
¼ cup water
¼ cup tomato paste

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
¼ cup soy sauce, divided
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided
4 pounds chicken wings, halved at joint and wingtips removed
¼ cup water
¼ cup tomato paste

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

When we tried adding the sauce for our Slow-Cooker Sticky Wings to the slow cooker, the juices from the wings drowned it out. Instead, we cooked the wings bare. A sauce of soy sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne won out over more complex options. For through-and-through flavor, we borrowed an idea from barbecue pit masters and coated the wings with a spicy paste before cooking. Achieving an acceptable level of stickiness wasn’t possible with a slow cooker alone. To give the wings their requisite “stick," we painted the cooked wings with sauce and set them under the broiler.

Before You Begin

In step 3, the oven rack should be 10 to 12 inches from the broiler element. Don’t wander off while the wings are in the oven.

Instructions

  1. MAKE RUB Pulse ginger, garlic, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in food processor until finely ground. Add mixture to slow cooker insert. Add chicken and toss until combined.
  2. COOK AND COOL Cover and cook on low until fat renders and chicken is tender, 3 to 4 hours. Using slotted spoon, remove wings from slow cooker and transfer to clean large bowl (discard liquid in slow cooker). Let wings cool for 20 minutes (or let cool briefly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours).
  3. SAUCE AND BROIL Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and spray rack with vegetable oil spray. Whisk water, tomato paste, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in bowl. Add half of sauce to bowl with cooled wings and toss gently to coat. Arrange wings, skin side up, on prepared rack. Broil until wings are lightly charred and crisp around edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip wings, brush with remaining sauce, and continue to broil until well caramelized, about 3 minutes. Serve.

Gift This Recipe

Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.

This is a members' feature.