Hunan Beer-Braised Chicken Wings
Tender chicken wings braised in a spicy, savory Hunan-style sauce with beer, chilies, and fermented black beans. Sticky, bold, and perfect for sharing.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 48g
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken wings (drumettes and flats separated)
- ¾ cup beer (any lager or pilsner)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed
- 3 whole dried red chilies, seeds removed
- 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 2 stalks scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken wings dry with paper towels, rubbing each piece firmly to remove all moisture — this helps them brown better in the hot pan.
- 2
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about the size of pencil-tip dots — you should have about 1 tablespoon.
- 3
Mince the ginger the same way as the garlic, producing pieces about pencil-tip size — you should have about 1 tablespoon.
- 4
Using kitchen scissors or a knife, cut each dried red chili lengthwise in half and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife, discarding the seeds — seeds make the sauce too hot.
- 5
Heat the 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute until the bottom feels hot when you hold your hand 2 inches above it.
- 6
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the hot skillet — it will shimmer and slide quickly across the pan — then immediately add half the chicken wings in a single layer.
- 7
Let the wings sit untouched for 3 minutes without stirring until the bottoms turn the color of warm honey with darker edges, then transfer to a clean plate.
- 8
Add the remaining wings to the empty skillet and cook the same way for 3 minutes until the bottoms are golden, then transfer to the plate with the first batch.
- 9
Reduce the heat to medium, then add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the skillet — wait 30 seconds until it shimmers.
- 10
Add the minced garlic and minced ginger to the hot oil, then stir continuously for 30 seconds until the mixture smells strongly fragrant.
- 11
Add the fermented black beans and the seeded dried chilies to the pan, stirring for 20 seconds until coated in oil and fragrant.
- 12
Pour the beer into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any stuck-on brown bits from the bottom — you should hear sizzling.
- 13
Add the soy sauce, stir once to combine, then slide all the browned wings back into the pan with any accumulated juices.
- 14
Bring the liquid to a gentle boil — you will see small bubbles breaking the surface steadily — then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- 15
Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer for 18 minutes, stirring once every 6 minutes to coat the wings evenly in sauce.
- 16
Remove the lid and continue simmering for 4 more minutes uncovered until the sauce reduces by about half and coats the wings thickly.
- 17
Turn off the heat and let the wings rest in the skillet for 2 minutes — they will continue to absorb flavor as they cool slightly.
- 18
Scatter the scallion pieces over the top of the wings in the skillet.
- 19
Transfer the wings and sauce to a serving platter or divide between two bowls, pouring all the sauce and solids from the skillet on top.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet with lid
- paper towels
- knife and cutting board
- kitchen scissors
- wooden spoon
- measuring spoons
- measuring cup
- plate
- serving platter or bowls
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