Air Fryer Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings

Add variety to your air fryer chicken wings with these flavour-packed Vietnamese-style fish sauce chicken wings! These air fryer chicken wings are simple to make and will be an instant hit with family or for entertaining!

This fish sauce chicken marinade will create the perfect sweet and sticky wings.

This recipe was first published in July 2015 and updated in 2022.

While you’re here, check out these easy air fryer recipes for beginners if you are a new air fryer owner or are ready to try some new inspiration in the kitchen! These wings are definitely beginner-friendly!

On a family holiday to Vietnam last year, I braved a dish I may normally cringe at the thought of and it turned out to be one of my favourites amongst a lot of amazing food during our holiday.

The Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings sounded like a strange combo but upon returning home, I had to find a way to create this amazing dish!

So my friend Google helped find a deep-fried version of these chicken wings.

The crispy fried version hit popularity in the USA as Pok Pok chicken, at the restaurant of the same name.

Not being a huge fan of deep-fried food, I got to work creating a sweet fish sauce marinade. So instead, we recreated our own recipe for the air fryer.

The result – something wonderful! Let me share this delicious creation…

Air Fryer Fish Sauce Chicken Wings

These fish sauce chicken wings have a sweet flavour with a hint of garlic. They do not taste like fish, so don’t let the name put you off.

Even our kids love eating these wings… and they don’t even ask to put tomato sauce on them like they do most other things!

Don’t forget your sides! Get ideas for what to serve with chicken wings!

For more recipe ideas, check out these fish side dishes, pizza, taco and recipes for using leftover chicken.

Ingredients

Here are the essential ingredients you need to make these air fryer chicken wings:

• Vietnamese fish sauce – Don’t let the smell put you off when you are making your marinade. The end result is well worth the temporary wafting smell. My kids hate it when we cook with fish sauce. Makes it more fun!
• Superfine sugar – Dissolve the sugar into the fish sauce to create your sweet marinade.
• Crushed garlic cloves – Garlic makes everything better! We often cheat and use the crushed garlic in a jar instead. Shhh…
• Chicken wings – There wouldn’t be wings without the wings!

Optional extras: For spicy chicken wings, add some chilli flakes to your marinade mixture for sweet with a little heat.

To garnish: Chopped cilantro, mint or spring onions are perfect sprinkled on top.

How to make fish sauce chicken wings in the air fryer

STEP ONE – Combine the crushed garlic, fish sauce and sugar in a bowl and allow some of the sugar to dissolve.

STEP TWO – Place chicken wings into a marinating dish and pour over the fish sauce marinade. If you do not have a marinating dish, a sealed container that is large enough will work fine.

STEP THREE – Leave the chicken to marinate overnight or for at least a few hours minimum. This will allow your chicken to absorb the flavours. Shake or stir your marinating container every few hours to ensure full coverage.

STEP FOUR – Place the chicken in the air fryer basket and cook for approximately 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. We cook ours on 180 degrees Celsius. If you have a smaller air fryer, you may need to do this in batches to ensure they cook through easier, without drying out.

STEP FIVE – Garnish with chopped cilantro, mint or spring onion. Serve with a side salad or rice and enjoy!

For temperature and weight conversions, check out this recipe conversion guide.

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Oven Bake Instructions

If you don’t have an air fryer or you simply prefer oven-baked fish wings, you can follow the same steps up until step 4 and instead place in an oven dish and cook for approximately 35-40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, until golden brown.

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Trust me – you need to try these wings. The end result is a lovely sticky sweet marinade that goes right through the chicken wings. Not a hint of fish flavour to be found.

Although be warned, cooking with fish sauce is always a smelly experience and if you have cats… they may get excited!

Vietnamese Fish Sauce Chicken Wings are the best! Everyone in our household loves them so chances are you will too.

Try these air fryer recipes:

• Salt & pepper calamari
• Onion rings
• Garlic chicken balls
• Sweet potato fries
• Stuffed baked sweet potatoes
• Chicken Caesar wraps
• Crispy Coconut Prawns
• Steak gyros
• Sweet potato fries
• Tortilla chips

What is your favourite international dish?