Of all my chicken wing recipes, cola wings is probably one of the most interesting and unique. The sweetness and flavour from the cola, combined with the savoury goodness of the chicken, makes for a delicious and addictive entree.

The dish is all the hype in some parts of Asia, and after listening to many of my friends rave about it, I finally got a chance to try it out recently. Immediately, I figured it was something that I needed to add to my repertoire of recipes, and now, this is my version!

The recipe is easy and quick to make, with only a few ingredients and minimal cook time. It’s something that can be made as a treat even on a weeknight. The end result is a beautiful dish that is sure to impress, with its tender meat coated with a sweet and sticky cola glaze. Enjoy!

Ingredients (makes 3 servings)

• 1lb chicken wings
• 2 tbsp cooking wine
• Ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 500ml cola wings
• 1 green onion (garnish)

Directions

1. Begin by parboiling the chicken wings as a means of cleaning them. Place room temperature chicken wings into cold water and turn the stove to high. Optionally add a tsp of Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) to the wings to better rid the meat of any unpleasant aromas. Once the water boils, let the wings remain there for about a minute so that a whitish brown foam develops, and then remove the wings from the boiling water.
2. Rinse the wings with cold water to remove the remainder of the foam and blood that came out in the previous step. Using cold water also helps shock the meat and preserve a more crisp and tender texture.
3. Cut a few slices of ginger, slice 2 cloves of garlic. Place into the wings and then add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1tbsp cooking wine. Mix thoroughly and then add in around 500ml of cola or enough to just cover the top of the wings. Marinate in this solution for at least 1 hour in the fridge.
4. Dice a green onion on a clean cutting board into thin slices, cover, and set aside for garnish at the end. Alternatively, you may prepare this near the end so that it’s more fresh.
5. After marinating, remove the wings from the liquid and set aside. Cook the marinade and reduce it on high heat until there’s only about a half cup left. Watch and stir as necessary to prevent drying out and burning. Set aside when done.
6. Add around 1 tbsp oil to a hot pan and add in the wings. Pan fry for ~10m on medium high heat, moving the wings often to prevent burning. When the wings are cooked, turn the heat to high and pour in the reduced marinade. You can check that the wings are cooked by finding a thick section of meat and poking into it with a fork or chopstick. If any juices that come out are clear, as opposed to pink, then the meat is cooked.
7. Stir and fold constantly to get the wings covered with the marinade. When the sauce thickens, turn off the flame and plate. Pour the sauce from the bottom of the pan onto the wings and garnish with some fresh green onion.