Cola Glazed Wings (可樂雞翼)
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While some eat to live, others live to eat. I like to think myself as an adventurous eater, someone who likes to embrace different cuisines from rudimentary to refined, someone who likes to try new ingredients and flavors, and most importantly someone who loves food of all kind.
With that said, it is really hard to image that I was a picky eater when I was little. I would refuse to eat any meat that had bone in it. Now, it would not be a problem had I grown up in the States. But in China, most of the meat is prepared and served with bones in it. As a result I missed out a lot of meat dishes and the issue became a health concern.
Like every caring parent, my parents started to dress up the meat dishes with the stuff I liked in hope I’d change my preference on meat. Guess what, one day I was told the name of this new dish they just learned and I was so curious that I had to give it a try. Like a magic medicine, I was instantly “sold” on this piece of bony meat that I had detested. Since then, I have been a rather “normal” meat eater happily ever after…..
The magic dish is popular Chinese dish called Cola Glazed Wings. The name might sound odd but it was irresistible to me because at the time I was all too crazy about cola and soda beverage that I gave the fateful try (and of course my affection towards that’ has long been part of the history).
And trust me, these cola wings are out of this world and they strike a great balance between sweet and savory. The wings are cooked in a cola and soy sauce based sauce until the they absorb the good flavor and form a nice shining glaze that resembles caramel coating.
What’s even better, this finger-licking good wing dish is incredibly easy to prepare. Definitely give it a try especially if you have a picky eater at home and you don’t have a ton of time to be creative in the kitchen.
Use these illustrations as a guide.
Boil the chicken wings first then make small cuts to allow quicker flavoring.
Brown both sides of the wings then add the sliced ginger.
Add cola of your choice and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil and simmer until done. Thicken the sauce to form the glaze.
Ingredients
- 12 Chicken Wings (mid-section)
- 1 can Cola of your choice
- 3 slice Ginger
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Cooking Wine
- 2 Bay Leaf
- Fresh Lemon (Juice)
- Salt
Instructions
- In a pot of boiling water, boil the chicken wings for about 5 minutes until the meat turns into lighter color. Rinse with cold water and drain in a colander.
- Make a few cuts on one side of each wing. The cuts help the wings to absorb more flavor from the sauce.
- In a frying pan or wok, brown the wings for a few minutes each side. Shake the pan frequently to avoid sticking. Keep the rendered fat.
- Add the Ginger and let it cook in the rendered fat for about 1 minute. Then mix with ginger with chicken wings.
- Add the cola, soy sauce, cooking wine, and the bay leaves to the chicken wings. Mix well and bring to boil. Add salt to your taste.
- Add 2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Alternatively you can add two slices of fresh lemon to the chicken. Lower the heat and over with a lid and simmer for about 25 minutes. Stir periodically to avoid sticking. To create a nice coating, thicken the sauce with a little corn starch before you serve the wings.
What are your killer dishes to make people eat things they hated?
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Yi, sorry for typo on my last post. I meant “overcooked”, not overlooked.
Yi,
Thank you for the recipe of using cola on chicken wings. They look so delicious. In your instruction, you used 25 minutes to cook the wings toward the end. Wouldn’t it be too much time? Wouldn’t they be overlooked and fell apart from the bones? I thought chicken wings did not require long cooking time. I also wonder if we can use this recipe for chicken legs, or even whole chicken.
Thank you again.
Hello Cindy,
I apologize for the late reply. You are right that the wings don’t need 25 minutes to cook but the longer cooking time makes these wings absorb more flavor. If you prefer the less cooked texture, you can adjust the sauce (add more soy sauce) and cook for about 15 mintues or so.
Yes, you can definitely use this recipe for drumsticks or whole legs. The trick is to get the larger piece of meat absorb the flavor. You might need to adjust the sauce to acomplish that. As for the whole chicken, it might be tough to cook unless you cut up the chicken to smaller pieces.
I hope this helps.
Great recipe. This is one of my favorite dish as well. Frankly, you’re not really that picky when you were little (compared to my little one)! My little boy dislike any meat! He’ll eat any kind of seafood, but not meat. 🙂 Oh well, guess I have to do some “tricks” and magic as well. hahaha….
Thanks Amy. I’d say your boy does have a great taste in food!
OMG !!! It’s the BEST chicken wing I ever have! Just all the right flavor. My family love to have it with rice. Can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for sharing. You’re awesome.
Hi Wabbit, I am so glad to hear that you and your family loved these wings. Thanks for your feedback!
OMG!!!!
I have to try these wings… My husband will be so happy if I make these!
You have a wonderful place here, I am so glad I found it.
Thanks for stopping by, now I am heading to explore your wonderful recipes!!!
Thanks for your visit Reem. It was my pleasure to discover your site!
This looks so impressive! And it sounds even more amazing!
Thanks for your visit Loverforfood!
I kinda forgotten if I was a picky eater when I was young. I don’t think I was as I recall myself enjoying bitter melon as a teenager.
Regarding meat with bones, I absolutely love it. In fact, chicken backs is one of my favorite chicken parts. Hahaha! Weird, isn’t it?
Yup I now enjoy meat on bones as much as you do! I think plain meat is just boring sometimes.
So interesting this cola wings…not only add color but flavor as well. Great finger food!
And yes, it is hard to picture you as a picky eater 😉
Hope you have a fabulous week ahead Yi!
haha yeah i am still somewhat amazed by how much my eating habit has changed in the past several years!
Hi Yi! I wasn’t a picky eater but I had trouble swallowing food if it’s a big chunk (and now my son has the same fear)…anyway… My family loves wings. I’m amazed how cleanly my kids eat off from the bone. =D My mom used to make cola chicken wings like this, but she didn’t add basil or lemon. Your version sounds a lot more refreshing than my moms, but I remember it was delicious! It”s easy and delicious – the caramel/sugar from soda goes well with wings!
Hi Nami, thanks for sharing your story! After all these deals the cola wings is still one of my fav dishes!
What a great recipe! Simple, and sounds delicious. And what a terrific blog you have. I’m glad I discovered it. Thanks so much.
thanks kitchenriffs!
The wings look delicious, esp. love the nice touch of lemon wedges around the chicken wings.
Thanks Health Bee!
Yi, I enjoyed your childhood story, I was also a picky eater, though probably not as bad as you were. Isn’t it funny we all grew up to be Foodies?
The wings look wonderful, I will need to give this a try soon, my husband and little girl love wings, and my husband had somewhat of a cola addiction, so I am sure this will be a crowd pleaser!
Thanks Jeno. I agree with you on how much one’s food preference can be influenced over time. Hope your daughter and husband will like these wings 🙂