One-pot crunch, zero deep-fryer mess
These wings are the ultimate Friday night drinks snack or Sunday arvo by-the-pool share plate — crispy, salty, a little tangy, and finished with a quick sesame capsicum stir-fry that makes them feel proper.
Best part? We do it all in the Ninja 11-in-1 so you get that crunchy, “salt & pepper shop” vibe without the deep-fryer danger or wok splatter.
Recipe
- Serves: Entrée for 2 (generous) or share plate for 4
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Marinate: 3 hours (overnight = better)
- Cook time: ~22 minutes (air fry) + 2 minutes (sauté)
- Equipment: Ninja 11-in-1 (Air Fry + Sauté), mixing bowl, tongs
Ingredients
Wings
- 500g chicken wings
- 1 tsp Saucy Wench Garlic & Eschallot Vinaigrette
- 1 tsp Saucy Wench Lemongrass & Tamarind Sauce
- 10g Spice Lab Asian Kitchen Salt & Pepper
- 40g potato starch
- Oil spray
Sesame capsicum finish
- 20ml sesame seed oil
- 50g red capsicum, diced small
- 8g Spice Lab Asian Kitchen Salt & Pepper
- 1 stalk spring onion, thinly sliced
Optional (for heat)
- Chilli flakes, chilli oil, or a drizzle of chilli sauce
Chef’s note: If you’re cooking for guests with allergies/intolerances, always check product labels (sauces and spice blends can vary by batch).
Method
1) Marinate (flavour first)
- Place wings into a bowl.
- Add both Saucy Wench sauces and 10g Asian Kitchen Salt & Pepper.
- Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Chef’s tip: Overnight gives noticeably better flavour.
2) Coat (this is the crunch step)
- Remove wings from the fridge for 10–15 minutes to take the chill off.
- Add 40g potato starch and mix thoroughly until every wing is lightly coated.
3) Air Fry in the Ninja (crispy, not steamy)
- Set Ninja to Air Fry — 200°C — 20 minutes.
- Lightly spray oil in the pot/crisper plate.
- Add wings in a single layer (no stacking), then spray wings lightly to coat.
- Cook for 10 minutes, then turn the wings and spray again.
- Cook for the remaining 10 minutes until crisp and golden.
Chef’s tip (the overcrowding rule): If you pile wings on top of each other, they steam instead of crisp. Cook in batches if needed.
4) Sesame capsicum finish (one-pot final hit)
- Remove wings and the crisper plate from the Ninja.
- Add 20ml sesame oil and switch to Sauté.
- Add diced capsicum and stir-fry for 60–90 seconds.
- Season with 8g Asian Kitchen Salt & Pepper, then add spring onion for the final 10–15 seconds.
- Serve wings topped with the capsicum/spring onion mix (or toss together quickly if you like them coated).
Chef Tips and Skills Video Ideas
Chef Tips
- Overnight marinate = next-level flavour.
- Potato starch is your crisping weapon — coat right before cooking for best results.
- If your wings aren’t crisp enough, add 2–4 extra minutes at the end (still at 200°C).
- Doing multiple batches? Keep cooked wings warm in a low oven (90°C) while you finish the rest.
Skills Video Ideas (quick KC clips)
- “How to coat wings properly” (dusty coat vs wet clumps)
- “The overcrowding rule” (show a crowded basket vs single layer)
- “The mid-cook flip” (why it matters for even colour and crunch)
- “Sauté finish” (capsicum + spring onion in 90 seconds)
Plating and Serving Notes
- Serve as an entrée for 2 with a cold drink — or as a share plate for 4.
- Perfect with Friday night drinks, or a Sunday arvo pool snack.
- Plate wings first, then spoon the sesame capsicum and spring onion over the top for that fresh, punchy finish.
Optional Variations
- Spicy version: add chilli flakes into the potato starch before coating, or finish with chilli oil.
- Extra tang: a tiny side drizzle of Lemongrass & Tamarind (keep it light so you don’t soften the crunch).
- More veg: add sliced onion or thin beans to the sauté finish (quick cook only).
Make-Ahead Hack
- Marinate up to 24 hours in advance.
- Dice capsicum and slice spring onion earlier in the day; store covered in the fridge.
- Don’t add potato starch until just before cooking — that’s how you keep the coating crisp.
Skill Focus
Crispy coating + air-fry batch control
- Even coating (no wet patches)
- Single-layer cooking for airflow
- Turning at halfway for uniform crunch
- Batch workflow when catering
Catering Notes (3–4kg wings)
If you’re feeding a crowd, pre-marinate the full 3–4kg and cook in batches.
As a rough guide, if you’re cooking ~500g per batch, that’s 6–8 batches — and it’s still easier (and cleaner) than deep frying.
Final Thought from Chef Ian
You don’t need a deep fryer to get proper crispy wings — you need the right coating, the right heat, and the discipline to not overcrowd. Do that, and these wings will disappear faster than you can plate them.
Chef Iam
