Five Spice Chicken Wings Recipe – Sticky, Orange-Glazed and Oven-Baked

Sticky, golden five spice chicken wings baked in a sweet-savoury glaze of Chinese five spice, honey, soy and fresh orange. Bold, aromatic and ready for the oven after a simple overnight marinade.

Five spice chicken wings are oven-baked in a sticky orange-and-honey glaze built on warming Chinese five spice, dark soy, fresh ginger and a little brown sugar. The wings marinate for a few hours or overnight, then bake in a single layer until the glaze caramelises and the edges turn deep golden. There's no frying and no special kit — just one bowl, a tray and an oven.

They're cheap to make from cupboard staples, easy enough for a first attempt, and they work as a party platter or a midweek dinner with rice.

Ingredients for Five Spice Chicken Wings

Most of what goes into these five spice chicken wings is everyday cupboard and fridge stuff. Here's what each part does:

• Chicken wings – The base of the dish; chilled or frozen both work, just thaw frozen ones fully first. Whole or split into drumettes and flats, the choice is yours.
• Chinese five spice powder – The backbone flavour, a blend of star anise, cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan pepper and fennel that gives deep, warming aroma.
• Ketchup – Adds a tangy, slightly acidic base that balances the honey and sugar.
• Fresh ginger – Grated in for heat and brightness; ground ginger works at a push.
• Garlic powder – Brings a savoury note without the faff of peeling and grating fresh cloves.
• Dark soy sauce – For salty, umami depth and a richer colour. Reduced-salt soy works if you're watching salt.
• Runny honey – Sticky sweetness that caramelises beautifully in the oven.
• Sesame oil – A nutty undertone that carries the spices through the glaze.
• Fresh orange juice and orange peel – The juice adds acidity and sweetness; the leftover peels release citrus oils into the marinade.
• Soft light brown sugar – Helps the glaze thicken and caramelise; light brown browns better than white here.
• White pepper – A subtle, earthy heat that complements the five spice rather than fighting it.

How to Make Five Spice Chicken Wings

This recipe is straightforward enough for a complete beginner. The steps are simple and built to get the most flavour without any fuss.

1. Step 1: Start by sorting your chicken wings. Use them whole or cut them into smaller pieces — it's entirely your call. I personally like cutting off the smallest wing tip and keeping the rest of the wing intact, but any cut will work fine here.

2. Step 2: Put the wings into a large mixing bowl. Tip in all the marinade ingredients: ketchup, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, grated ginger, five spice powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, the juice from the oranges and the leftover orange peels.

3. Step 3: Mix everything well so each wing is fully covered. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight if you can. You can bake them straight away, but the flavour deepens the longer they sit.

4. Step 4: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. Lay the marinated wings out in a single layer so they don't touch. Bake for 35–40 minutes, turning halfway through for an even, caramelised finish.

Extra Cooking Tips:

• Don’t overcrowd the tray. If the wings touch, they’ll steam rather than bake. Use two trays if needed.
• Don’t skip turning the wings halfway through baking. This ensures an even glaze and helps both sides caramelise without burning.

How to Serve and Store Five Spice Chicken Wings

These five spice chicken wings are best served hot, straight from the oven while the glaze is still sticky and bubbling. Scatter over chopped spring onions, sesame seeds or a little extra orange zest if you fancy. They go brilliantly with steamed jasmine rice, a crunchy slaw, a sharp green salad, or just a cold beer on the side.

If you've got leftovers — rare in my house — keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 180°C (350°F) to crisp them back up, and avoid the microwave, which softens the skin. Baked wings also freeze well; reheat from frozen at 160°C (320°F) until piping hot through.

You can also freeze them raw, before baking. Drop the wings into a freezer bag, pour in all the marinade ingredients, shake to combine and freeze flat. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bake as usual — a genuinely useful make-ahead trick.

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What Five Spice Chicken Wings Cost Around the World

One of the best things about five spice chicken wings is how cheap they are to make, since wings are one of the most affordable cuts going.

• In the UK, a kilo of wings runs around £2.50–£3.50, and with store-cupboard spices, honey and a couple of oranges the whole dish lands near £5.50–£6.50, or roughly £1.40–£1.65 per serving across four. Pick up wings and five spice powder from Tesco, Aldi or Lidl.
• In Ireland, wings cost a little more at about €4–€5 a kilo; the full dish comes to around €8–€9.50, or €2–€2.40 per serving, with everything available at Tesco, Dunnes or Aldi.
• In the USA, wings sit around $3–$4 a pound, putting the dish near $9–$11 total, or about $2.50 per serving, with five spice easy to find at Walmart or Kroger.
• In Australia, wings are roughly AU$7–$9 a kilo and the dish comes to around AU$14–$16, or AU$3.75 per serving, with ingredients from Woolworths or Coles.
• And in China, the spiritual home of five spice, wings and aromatics are cheaper still — often the equivalent of £4 or less for the whole tray from a local wet market or supermarket. Wherever you shop, these five spice chicken wings stay a budget-friendly crowd-pleaser.

Top Tips for the Best Five Spice Chicken Wings

• Marinate for as long as you sensibly can, because this is where most of the flavour is won. A minimum of 3 hours works, but overnight lets the five spice, soy and citrus soak properly into the meat. The wings come out far more aromatic and the glaze clings better after a longer sit. If you're short on time, even an hour beats nothing, but plan ahead where you can.
• Keep the orange peels in the marinade rather than binning them after juicing. The peels carry citrus oils in the skin that slowly release as the wings sit, adding a fragrant depth the juice alone can't give. Tuck them right in among the wings so they're in direct contact. Lift them out before baking, as they'll char on the tray.
• Line your tray properly with foil or parchment, because this glaze gets seriously sticky. The honey and brown sugar caramelise hard, and without a liner you'll be scrubbing baked-on sugar for ages. Foil also lets you lift everything off in one go. It's a tiny step that saves a real headache at the sink.
• Watch your sweetness and adjust to taste before baking. If your honey is very floral or your oranges are especially ripe and sweet, pull the brown sugar back by half. An overly sweet glaze can tip from sticky into cloying and may catch faster in the oven. Taste a little of the raw marinade and balance it with a splash more soy if needed.
• Add heat if you like your wings with a kick. A teaspoon of chilli flakes or a squeeze of sriracha stirred into the marinade lifts these nicely without burying the five spice. The warming spice blend still comes through clearly underneath. Start small, as you can always serve more chilli on the side rather than overdoing the batch.
• Turn the wings once, halfway through baking, and don't be tempted to skip it. The glaze pools on the underside and the upper side dries, so flipping evens out the colour and stickiness. It also stops one face catching while the other stays pale. A pair of tongs makes the job quick and mess-free.
• Pat the wings dry before they go into the marinade if you want a touch more colour. Excess surface water dilutes the marinade and slows browning in the oven. A quick blot with kitchen paper helps the glaze grip and caramelise. It's a small habit that makes a visible difference to the finish.
• Finish with fresh orange zest and a few herbs once the wings are out of the oven. A scatter of zest lifts the citrus note that mellows during baking and makes the plate look sharp. Fresh coriander or parsley adds colour and a clean contrast to the rich glaze. Do this just before serving so the zest stays bright and fragrant.

Five Spice Chicken Wings FAQ

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Five Spice Chicken Wings

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Five spice chicken wings are sticky, tender, oven-baked wings glazed with Chinese five spice, fresh orange, soy and honey. An easy, budget-friendly recipe for midweek dinners or weekend gatherings, ready for the oven after a simple marinade.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Additional Time 3 hours

Total Time 3 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2.2 lb) chicken wings, chilled or thawed if frozen
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice powder
• 3 tablespoon ketchup
• Thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, grated (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 3 tablespoon runny honey
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• Juice of 2 large oranges, plus the leftover peels
• 2 tablespoon soft light brown sugar
• White pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper or foil.
2. If needed, cut the chicken wings into pieces, or leave them whole, then add them to a large bowl.
3. Add the ketchup, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, grated ginger, garlic powder, five spice powder, brown sugar, orange juice and orange peels to the bowl. Mix thoroughly so every wing is evenly coated.
4. Cover the bowl with cling film and marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight for the best flavour.
5. Arrange the marinated wings on the prepared tray in a single layer, making sure they don't touch. Bake for 35–40 minutes, turning halfway through, until sticky and golden. Lift out the orange peels before serving and finish with fresh orange zest if you like.

Notes

• Marinate for longer if you can — overnight lets the five spice and citrus fully infuse the meat for a richer result.
• Don't bin the orange peels; tucked into the marinade they release citrus oils that deepen the flavour during baking.
• Line your tray well, as this glaze is sticky and caramelises hard during baking, making clean-up much easier.
• Don't stack the wings — give them room in a single layer so they roast and caramelise rather than steam.
• Turn them once during baking for an even glaze and colour on both sides, and check they reach 75°C (165°F) at the thickest point.