Five Spice Chicken Wings Recipe

This bold Five Spice Chicken Wings recipe combines Chinese five spice, ginger, soy, and orange for a punchy, sweet-savoury glaze.

Five Spice Chicken Wings are a flavour-packed game-changer if you're after something beyond the usual hot sauce or BBQ glaze. These wings come with a tangy-sweet marinade built around Chinese five spice, honey, soy, ginger, and fresh orange juice — and let me tell you, the flavour sticks to every bite.
While Five Spice Chicken Wings work year-round, I love making them in autumn and winter when you crave deeper, warming spices. The orange and honey glaze makes them particularly festive, so they’re also ideal for holiday appetisers, Chinese New Year spreads, or even summer barbecues where you want something unexpected and bold. They're bold, balanced, and so moreish — ideal when you're bored of buffalo wings.

Ingredients for Five Spice Chicken Wings

The ingredients for this Five Spice Chicken Wings dish are basic ones, so you probably have them already in your fridge or cupboard. This is what I’m using:

• Chicken Wings: You can use chilled or frozen (just thaw first). Whether you cut them into drumettes and wingettes or leave them whole, it’s up to you. The cut doesn't change the flavour.
• Chinese Five Spice Powder: This is the backbone of the dish, giving it a deep warmth and complex aroma. It’s a classic blend of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel.
• Ketchup: Adds a tangy base and some acidity to balance the sweetness.
• Ginger: Freshly grated ginger brings heat and brightness. You can also use ground ginger in a pinch.
• Garlic Powder: Deepens the savoury note without overpowering the other flavours. I prefer to use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic here, just because I am lazy to peel and grate the garlic. But you can if you want 🙂
• Dark Soy Sauce: For that salty umami kick. It gives a richer, deeper taste. If you are fighting with salt in your diet, then use the Reduced-Salt soy sauce.
• Runny Honey: Adds a sticky sweetness that caramelises beautifully in the oven.
• Sesame Oil: Adds a nutty undertone and helps carry the spices.
• Fresh Orange Juice + Orange Peels: The juice adds acidity and sweetness; the peels infuse extra citrusy oils during marination.
• Soft Light Brown Sugar: It helps the glaze thicken. I prefer to use light brown sugar because it caramelises better in the oven. You can buy it from Lidl, or for example from Tescos.
• White Pepper Powder: For a subtle, earthy heat that complements the five spice.

Instructions How to Make 5-Spice Chicken Wings

This recipe is incredibly straightforward and ideal even for kitchen beginners. The steps are simple and designed to maximise flavour without overcomplicating things.

1. Step 1: Start by prepping your chicken wings. You can use whole wings or cut them into smaller pieces — it’s completely your choice. 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: Place the wings into a large mixing bowl. Add all the marinade ingredients directly into the bowl: ketchup, honey, sesame oil, light soy sauce, grated ginger, five spice powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, juice from the oranges, and the leftover orange peels.

3. Step 3: Mix everything well, making sure each wing is fully coated. Cover the bowl with cling film and let it marinate for at least 3 hours, or ideally overnight. While you can bake them straight away, the flavour deepens the longer they sit.

4. Step 4: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. Lay the marinated wings in a single layer, making sure they don’t touch. Bake for 35–40 minutes, flipping them halfway through to ensure 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 How to Store Five Spice Chicken Wings

These Five Spice Chicken Wings are best served hot, straight out of the oven when the glaze is still sticky and bubbling. Garnish with chopped spring onions or sesame seeds if you like. They go great with steamed jasmine rice, a crunchy slaw, green salad, or just a cold beer on the side.

If you have leftovers (which is rare), store 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 — avoid microwaving, as it softens the skin. You can also freeze them after baking and reheat from frozen at 160°C (320°F) until hot through.

One more thing - you can also freeze them raw BEFORE baking. Just put the chicken wings into freezer bag, pour in all ingredients for marinade, shake well to combine and put into the freezer.

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Five Spice Chicken Wings

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Five Spice Chicken Wings are sticky, tender, oven-baked wings with bold flavours of Chinese five spice, orange, soy, and honey. A delicious and easy recipe for midweek dinners or weekend gatherings.

Ingredients

• 1 kg 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 light soy sauce
• 3 tablespoon runny honey
• 2 tablespoon sesame oil
• Juice of 2 large oranges + leftover orange peels
• 2 tablespoon soft light brown sugar
• White pepper powder, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper or foil.
2. If needed, cut the chicken wings into pieces, or leave them whole. Add them to a large bowl.
3. Add the ketchup, honey, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, five spice powder, brown sugar, orange juice, and orange peels to the bowl. Mix thoroughly to coat the wings evenly.
4. Cover the bowl with cling film and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight for 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.

Notes

• Marinate for longer if possible — overnight is ideal to let the spices fully infuse.
• Don’t skip the orange peels — they add subtle citrus oils that enhance flavour.
• Line your tray well — this glaze is sticky and caramelises during baking.
• Avoid stacking the wings — give them room to roast for best texture.
• Turn them once during baking to get an even glaze and caramelisation.