Chinese BBQ Plum Wings
From the Snacks & Share section of SkinnyAsia 2.
Our Chinese BBQ Plum Wings are cooked until golden and crispy, tossed through a glossy homemade sauce packed with plum, ginger, garlic, hoisin and Chinese five spice, then cooked for another few minutes until beautifully sticky and caramelised.
They’re perfect for entertaining, fakeaway night, Friday night dinner or piling onto the table as part of an Asian-inspired feast.
What ingredients you will need
The complete recipe, quantities and methods are in SkinnyAsia 2, but here’s a look at some of the key ingredients.
For the crispy wings:
- Chicken wings or nibbles
- Baking powder
- Salt
- White pepper
For the Chinese BBQ Plum Sauce:
- Preserved plums in plum juice (or syrup works) – if you can’t find canned plums, apricots or peaches work well too.
- Fresh ginger
- Garlic
- Honey
- Hoisin sauce – you can make your own Healthy Hoisin Sauce (Low carb, paleo)
- Tomato sauce
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar
- Soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos
- Chinese black vinegar or rice wine vinegar – Chinese black vinegar is not gluten-free. See our Tips for Cooking Gluten-Free Asian Food.
- Oyster sauce – you can make your own vegetarian oyster sauce if needed for dietary needs.
- Chinese five spice
How to cut Chicken Wings
How Do You Get Chicken Wings Crispy?
The first step is simple but important: pat those wings dry.
They’re then tossed with a small amount of baking powder, salt and white pepper before cooking. This helps the outside become beautifully golden and crispy.
You can cook them in either the air fryer or oven, depending on what you have and how many wings you’re making.
Once they’re crisp, they’re tossed through the plum BBQ sauce and returned to the heat for another 5 minutes to get sticky and caramelised.
Air Fryer or Oven?
We’ve included instructions for both.
The air fryer is the fastest option, with the wings cooking for around 18–22 minutes before saucing.
For a bigger batch, the oven is a great option. Cook the wings on a greased wire rack over a lined baking tray if you have one, which allows the hot air to circulate around the wings and helps them crisp up.
That Sticky Chinese Plum BBQ Sauce
This sauce is where all the magic happens.
Preserved plums give it sweetness and fruitiness, balanced with ginger, garlic, hoisin, soy, oyster sauce, Chinese black vinegar and five spice.
It’s cooked down until thick, glossy and perfect for coating crispy chicken wings.
And because extra sauce is always a good idea, we recommend setting some aside before tossing through the chicken to serve as a dipping sauce.
Can’t Find Preserved Plums?
No problem.
If you can’t find canned or preserved plums in juice, you can substitute canned apricots in juice.
It’s a handy alternative that still gives the sauce that fruity sweetness.
Dietary & Recipe Variations
There are plenty of ways to adapt the Chinese BBQ Plum Wings.
LOW CARB
We’ve included a variation that omits the plums and brown sugar, uses sugar-free maple syrup and our Healthy Hoisin Sauce from the website.
SUPER SKINNY
Swap the wings for chicken tenderloins, lightly baste them with sauce and cook until they reach an internal temperature of 74°C.
PALEO
Use compliant baking powder or tapioca, apple cider vinegar and compliant sauces. Our Healthy Hoisin Sauce and Vegetarian Oyster Sauce recipes on the website can help with the swaps.
VEGETARIAN
Swap the chicken for extra-firm tofu and use vegetarian oyster sauce.
LOW FODMAP
We’ve included alternatives for the garlic and sauces, with pineapple and pineapple juice replacing the plums.
HALVED / DOUBLED
The recipe can be halved with an adjustment to the sauce cooking time. For a double batch, use the conventional method to avoid boil-overs.
How to Serve Chinese BBQ Plum Wings
Pile the hot, sticky wings onto a platter and finish with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onion.
Serve with the reserved plum BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.
And maybe put some napkins on the table. You’re going to need them.
Get the Recipe
The complete Chinese BBQ Plum Wings recipe, including Thermo cooker and conventional methods, air fryer and oven cooking instructions, homemade plum BBQ sauce and all dietary variations, is available in SkinnyAsia 2.
From the Testing Team
- Veronica B. – Tested the low carb today using the Healthy Hoisin Sauce from the website, these are absolutely delicious yummmmm
- Nancy P. – I’m a bit late to the wing party but these were SO good!! Might be my favourite wing recipe yet and I’ve made all the skinny ones. Delish!
- Linda B. – Oh yes
I used preserved home-grown plums and the syrup was very thick and delicious. - Veronica – Just tested these and wow these are delicious!! The recipe was easy to follow and that sauce has so much flavour, the wings were juicy just perfect yum!! 10/10
- Leia S. – Chicken tenders! Cooked in oven for 20 should have only done 15. Honestly delicious
. Next time I’ll dice the chicken cook in wok toss the sauce in the pan. Everyone absolutely loved it. Wings or tenders this is a winning recipe. - Val W. – Oooh! My favourite so far! Steve and I ate a kilo of wings between us tonight. That definitely was a scrumptious meal. I had a lot of sauce left over, and it is away in the freezer for another day. I am so glad I had a tin of SPC whole plums in juice in the grocery stash as our local Coles didn’t have any anymore.
- Amanda E. – Ohhhhhh yummmmm!!! New fave wing!!! Love these! I kept sauce for dipping, and there was still heaps in the bowl after tossing the wings through the sauce. Could do 2kg easily (if not more) . I always prep wings the day before and leave u covered in the fridge .
- Kaz M. – I made nearly 2kg of wings with one batch of the sauce and Jacob ate the whole lot except for 4 wings! He said “Oh wow, these are the best” absolutely delicious!!
- Leia S. – INCREDIBLE
Hands down my favourite wing marinade by far. My wings crisped up perfectly & that sauce was delicious. Everyone absolutely loves them. Mr 19 “you have outdone yourself mum” I can’t wait to make it again but use chicken tenders. My fam love wings but. No more masterfoods plum sauce marinades from now on.
Some other Thermomix Wings recipes you might love:
Want to know more about SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook?
SkinnyAsia 2 is a collection of Thermomix & Conventional cooking recipes. All of our cookbooks have a strong focus on Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Egg Free, Low Carb, Paleo, Vegetarian and Low FODMAP.
Instructions
- This recipe is exclusive to the SkinnyAsia 2 cookbook.
FAQs
Can I cook Chinese BBQ Plum Wings in the air fryer?
Yes. Air fry the wings at 200°C for 18–22 minutes, turning halfway, before tossing them through the plum BBQ sauce and cooking for another 5 minutes.
What can I use if I can’t find canned plums?
Use canned apricots in juice instead. They’ll give the sauce a similar fruity sweetness and work well with the Chinese-style BBQ flavours.