These Asian Sticky Wings are the best wings I have ever eaten! That’s saying a lot, because I’m very picky. If wings aren’t crispy, they are not worth eating, in my book. It’s almost unbelievable that these wings were made in the Ninja Foodi! No oil. Not a drop.
These Asian Sticky Wings are the best wings I have ever eaten! That’s saying a lot, because I’m very picky. If wings aren’t crispy, they are not worth eating, in my book. It’s almost unbelievable that these wings were made in the Ninja Foodi! No oil. Not a drop.This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a small commission. Thank you for your support!
What is the Ninja Foodi?
Only the greatest kitchen appliance in the land. It’s true. The Ninja Foodi is the KING of my kitchen right now. Seriously. I might be in love. Okay, okay… I know I’m in love. There, I’ve said it. I’m in love with a kitchen appliance. Whew… I’m lucky to have you to confide in. Not everyone would understand.
I almost didn’t even meet King Ninja Foodi. I didn’t know he was out there in appliance land. I was looking at getting another Instant Pot. I still do love my Instant Pot, by the way. I know I’m a two-timer. I can’t help it; both are so wonderful!
So… while I was trying to decide if I even needed a second Instant Pot; my friend, Robin, started posting about her new Ninja Foodi. Her what? To be completely honest, I wasn’t even that interested. A Ninja Foodi? I chuckled to myself, “What in the world can that do better than my Instant Pot?” Then, I looked it up. And my eyes got very big and my bank account got a little smaller. It was worth it! Robin is my HERO! Thank you, Robin!
Basically, the Ninja Foodi is a pressure cooker that air fries… but it also sautes, sears, bakes, dehydrates, and more! WOW! I’m imaging all the recipes I could make with that. Wings weren’t one of them. Why? Because there is no way an air fryer is going to get wings crispy like I like them. I was a doubter. And to be honest, I probably would not have even attempted this Ninja Foodi recipe for Asian Sticky Wings if it wasn’t for starting a Facebook Group called Ninja Foodi 101.
It seems almost all new Ninja Foodi owners get their feet wet with wings and if I’m going to be the head of the newbie group, Ninja Foodi 101… I’d better, at least, have attempted to air fry some wings. So, I did. I was shocked. They were the crispiest, best tasting wings I have ever had. No joke. To put this in perspective, I’m the girl who will drive over a hundred miles just to stop at a place that has good wings.
If you don’t have a Ninja Foodi yet and want to see what you can expect when it arrives, check out my unboxing video on YouTube. Then… buy one! You will not regret it!
Before you cook with the Ninja Foodi for the first time, be sure to do a pressure test. It’s easy and takes just a few minutes. Watch the video below to see how it is done.
Making Crispy Wings in the Ninja Foodi
There are a few tips I want to share on making the crispiest wings in the Ninja Foodi.
- Pressure cook the wings for a few minutes before using the Tender Crisp function- this softens the skin and releases some moisture for a crispy skin.
- After pressure cooking, remove the wings and dry them as much as you can. Removing the moisture from the skin will result in a crispy wing.
- Dump the water from the pot before air frying (Tender Crisp), even if you aren’t making the sauce in this recipe. The increased steam and humidity from air frying with water in the pot reduces the crispiness.
How to make Asian Sticky Wings in the Ninja Foodi
I have a full video on making this recipe for Asian Sticky Wings in the Ninja Foodi on my YouTube Channel; The Salted Pepper or you can scroll down to the recipe and it’s posted there as well.
I can hardly believe how easy it is to make wings that taste like they are fried without one drop of oil. Not one single drop. I have tested this recipe several times and each time I felt like I was eating the best fried wings I’ve ever had. Here is how you do it.
Step One:
I used fresh chicken wings that I got in a pack from my local grocery store. If you are starting out with frozen wings, you will want to increase the pressure cook time to 3-4 minutes. If your wings are whole like mine were, use a very sharp knife to separate the wing at the joint like shown in the picture. Also cut the tip off of the wing. No need to season at this point.
Add 2 cups of water to the inner pot and place the rack in the low position inside the pot. Place wings on a single layer on the rack that came with your Ninja Foodi on the low position. Place the pressure lid on and turn the valve to seal. Set pressure on High and the time for 2 minutes. When the time is up, immediately release the pressure and remove the lid when all the pressure has been released.
Step Two:
While the wings are pressure cooking, make the sauce. In a bowl, combine rice vinegar, zest & juice from a small orange or tangelo, red pepper paste, freshly grated ginger, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp fine grind sea salt, honey. I make my own red chili pepper paste by pressure cooking 1 1/2 lbs of Fresno chili peppers with 2 cups of water and 1Tbsp lemon juice for 10 minutes on high pressure, natural release x 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure. Then I puree in a blender and add 1/2 tsp of salt and about 1 tsp of xanthan gum to thicken. You don’t have to do that if you don’t want to, you can usually find Gourmet Garden chili pepper paste in the produce department of many grocery stores.
Step Three:
Remove the chicken wings from the rack and place on paper towels. Pat dry until as much moisture has been removed as possible. Salt wings with remaining 1/2 tsp fine grind sea salt. It is not necessary to use the entire 1/2 tsp, just sprinkle the salt over the wings. Dump the water out of the inner Ninja Foodi pot and rinse.
Step Four:
Put the Asian sauce in the inner pot of the Ninja Foodi. Place the rack in the low position into the inner pot. Put the dried wings in a single layer on the rack. Set the Tender Crisp function to 390° F. for 30 minutes. Flip the wings every 10 minutes until desired color is reached.
I let mine go the entire 30 minutes, but if you want to go longer, you will want to remove the sauce. At 30 minutes the Asian sauce will be thick and starting to brown cooking longer may burn the sauce. If the sauce is not thick enough, turn the pot to saute and cook until bubbly and thick. Using pot holders, lift the rack and dump the wings into the pot. Stir to coat with sauce. I sprinkled mine with crushed peanuts and green onions. Allow to cool just a few minutes. Serve and Enjoy!
More Recipes you can make in the Ninja Foodi
I have been super busy creating new and delicious recipes in the Ninja Foodi and am putting out new videos every week, so be sure to subscribe to The Salted Pepper’s YouTube channel.
One of our favorites has been this recipe for Stuffed Chicken Breasts. While I don’t have an official post on this yet, I did make a video and the recipe is listed in the description section.
Here are some of the tools I love using with the Ninja Foodi
Silicone Finger Grips make it so easy to lift things out of your Ninja Foodi.
The Mix N Chop is great for breaking up ground meats when sauteing.
The mini spatula is the perfect size for getting food out of the Ninja Foodi pot.
I use this silicone basting brush all the time for lightly coating food with oil before air frying. It is also great for greasing pans before baking.
*I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking these links. Please know that I only recommend products that I love and use in my own kitchen.
Most Instant Pot recipes can be made in the Ninja Foodi, here are some you may enjoy. Make sure to pin them for later!
Ninja Foodi Asian Sticky Wings
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of water to the inner pot and place the rack in the low position inside the pot. Place wings on a single layer on the rack that came with your Ninja Foodi on the low position. Place the pressure lid on and turn the valve to seal. Set pressure on High and the time for 2 minutes. When the time is up, immediately release the pressure and remove the lid when all the pressure has been released.
- In a bowl, combine rice vinegar, zest & juice from a small orange or tangelo, red pepper paste, freshly grated ginger, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tsp fine grind sea salt, honey.
- Remove the chicken wings from the rack and place on paper towels. Pat dry until as much moisture has been removed as possible. Salt wings with remaining 1/2 tsp fine grind sea salt.
- Put the Asian sauce in the inner pot of the Ninja Foodi. Place the rack in the low position into the inner pot. Put the dried wings in a single layer on the rack. Set the Tender Crisp function to 390° F. for 30 minutes. Flip the wings every 10 minutes until desired color is reached. See post for timing and color chart.
- Dump wings into pot and stir to coat with sauce. Remove from pot and allow to cool slightly before eating. Enjoy!
Optional Toppings
- Sprinkle wings with crushed peanuts, chopped cilantro, and / or chopped green onions.
Michael Press
Hey, Louise, this recipe served two purposes for me! Delicious wings AND I finally figured out where your reference to the silicone basting brush was! I’m gonna buy it now! I hate my paintbrush style brush, the little hairs bother me and I remember one of your recipes referred to a silicone one!
Ani Bovenzi
My husband is allergic to chicken. The sauce sounds amazing though. would you recommend baby back or spare ribs? If so, what would be the cook time?
Thanks,
AB
Louise
The sauce is delicious and would be great on ribs, especially short ribs! Cook time really depends on which meat you select. If you choose spare ribs, you can use my recipe for ribs as a guide.
Lisa Martin
The wings were perfect…everyone loved them! The cripsiness of the wings and their spiciness were perfect!! I used a tablespoon of Chili Garlic Sauce by TUONG OT TOI VIETNAM, instead of making her homemade garden chili sauce….it truly came out perfect!!
Louise
That is wonderful! Thanks for letting me know your substitution. I have been having a hard time finding peppers to make that paste and I’ve been using that chili garlic sauce a lot instead!
Delores
If I wanted to prepare more then one pound how long would the cooking time be?
Louise
Same cooking time, but you might need to AC in batches. I would use the basket and make sure to toss them frequently for even browning.
Jeff
Hey Louise,
I don’t know if you have answered this or not but, when doing chicken breast or wings would you get better results with thawed meat as opposed to frozen? I think in some of the videos I have seen the demo is with frozen meats. Obviously thawed would cook faster. I believe the HSN demo they show them starting with 4#s of frozen wings.
Also, when I first started looking into buying a foodie I was curious about how large of a whole chicken could be done. I think it was like 5-6 lbs, so if your doing a turkey, you would have to break it down and do the breast and then the legs and wings later.
I doubt the foodie could do a souffle from the air moving in the cooker. What about Angel food cakes. I’m trying to think of delicate and light dishes that would have a hard time in the cooker.
Thanks
Jeff
Louise
I haven’t done frozen wings, but honestly, I would probably do them the same way. They are so small that it won’t take much more time even if frozen. I’ve done a large turkey and have a post on it, I think 8 pounds was the max. PC’ing isn’t the issue, it’s making sure the TenderCrisp lid can close. Angel food cakes that I’ve seen have been baked in the NF, not sure how PC’ing would work. Souffles are on my list to try, so I don’t have any info on those yet.
Jill Snow
Oh my Goodness!!! These wings did not disappoint. Thank you for this recipe and the YT video. I am in love with this appliance and YOUR recipes. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Louise
Thank you! I love this recipe!
LaVonne Klucking
Hi I see your recipe for the red pepper paste? also can you make a mild batch of it?
Louise
Sure, to make a mild batch of it, I would mix half of fresno chili peppers (they are on the mild side) with half red bell pepper. You can also use 3/4 fresno peppers to 1/4 red bell pepper.
Linda Gray
I just made these and they were wonderful. Best chicken wings I have ever tasted. I used Sambal Oelek ground fresh chili paste which I found in the Asian section of either Kroger or Walmart. Also in your recipe you didn’t list the garlic but you do show in your video. So mine didn’t have the garlic because I watched again after making them. I also put the chicken in with the sauce during the entire air crisping cooking time and turned every 10 minutes. It didn’t take the full 30 minutes but I think my wings were smaller than yours. All in all they were delicious!!! Loved the orange flavor it gave them!
Louise
I’m so glad you enjoyed them and thanks for letting me know about the garlic, I will revise the recipe.
Abigail
What type of orange juice did you use for this recipe?
Louise
I used a small orange that I juiced. You can use any type of orange juice though, just use about 2-3 Tablespoons.
Nikki Becraft
Can you make this recipe for boneless wings? Or with skinless chicken breasts??
Louise
You will not believe this, but boneless wings are in the Foodi right now being tested! As soon as they are perfect, I will do a recipe and a video.
Kathy McCracken
Any update about this as boneless? Interested in making my first ninja foodie recipe and these looks amazing, but both my husband and I do not like bone in meats.
Louise
I haven’t perfected the boneless wings yet, sorry. My husband doesn’t like bones in his meat either, so although he will eat these, he is anxiously awaiting the boneless version!
Kathy McCracken
Thanks for the info! One last question-do you think chicken drumsticks (fresh) instead of wings would also work for this?
Louise
Yep! I might increase the PC time by 1 minute, but that probably isn’t even necessary really.
Kim Beal
Keep an eye on the sauce in the bottom of the pot while you are air crisping. 30 minutes is too long to have that sauce in that pot when you are air crisping the wings. Next time I think I will add the sauce like the last 10 mins or so of air crisping. It should be perfection then I think. The flavor of the sauce is really awesome.
Louise
I’m sorry you had an issue with the sauce. I think that is probably because of the amount of orange juice, I must have had a little more because it took the entire time for my sauce to thicken. I hope you liked the wings and thanks for the heads up, so other people can adjust the time if they need to. I’ll make them again soon and test the timing too.
Sandra
I did my first pot roast in my Ninja Foodie today. It turned out perfect and good too.
Louise
That’s great!
Wayne
Went to get red chili peppers at the store and they don’t have them. Checked a few stores. Are they seasonal? Any substitutes? Looking to make it myself to keep it gluten free. thx!
Louise
I have had the same issue here lately. I am not sure why they seem to be so elusive when I can usually find them at any grocery store. There is a Red chili pepper paste made by Gourmet Garden that some stores carry in the produce section where the herbs are. It is a refrigerated product, but I am not sure if it is gluten free or not. As far as a substitution for the Asian Wing recipe, you could add some red pepper flakes to get the heat or reconstitute dry chili peppers and make a paste from that. Hope that helps.
Wayne
Will give that a try. I spoke with a guy at the produce section of the grocery store. He said they get them everyone once in awhile, but he said people just don’t buy them. That could explain why the shortage. I also checked into the Gourmet Garden…and of course they had every flavors except the red chili pepper paste. Think I’ll check on the red pepper flakes. Also saw that Costco has Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili sauce. Not sure if that could be used either…thx!
Louise
Wayne, thanks for letting me know that! I will be planting tons of them this year for sure, thankfully they are super easy to grow. Someone used the Thai Kitchen Sweet Red Chili sauce in my recipe for Thai Curry Chili and said it turned out great. I have not used that sauce, but I bet it would work. If it is on the sweeter side, decrease the honey and add a few red pepper flakes to get that perfect balance. Can’t wait to hear how they turn out!
Judy
Ebay has dehydrated red chilies, couldn’t find them in a store anywhere
Louise
I have been having the hardest time finding them as well. I’ll have to find a similar substitute to recommend. They used to be easy to find.
Jeff
You had me at crispy. Then I saw how deliciously sticky they are. And so easy to make. Thank you.
Louise
These wings are the best! Thanks!
Cheryl
I missed the boat on these, I will share a picture of how mine looked.
But I didn’t dry them that I remember, so they lacked the crisp
But when I put them in my mouth and could pull the bone from them without a problem
I was hooked, we ate 4 bags of those in a few nights
We couldn’t get enough!!