Halal-conscious recipe
Sichuan chicken wings, no Shaoxing wine
Elena Silcock's crisp baked Sichuan chicken wings with Halal wings and a sticky glaze of toasted Sichuan pepper, chilli, soy, sesame and palm sugar, made with water in place of the Shaoxing wine.
Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.
Why Halal checks matter here
The glaze has 3 tbsp of Shaoxing wine, a Chinese rice wine, the wings need Halal slaughter, and some soy sauces add alcohol.
These are baked Halal chicken wings, made crisp with baking powder and a two-stage bake, then tossed in a sticky Sichuan pepper glaze. The source's glaze includes 3 tbsp of Shaoxing wine, a Chinese rice wine; here it is 3 tbsp of water. That swap is ours.
It follows Elena Silcock's Sichuan chicken wings for BBC Good Food. The glaze also uses dark and light soy sauce, whose brewing alcohol many scholars accept, but some bottles add alcohol, so read the label.
The wings bake for 50 minutes in all before the glaze goes on for a final 5.
Halal-critical ingredients
- Shaoxing wine The published glaze uses 3 tbsp of Shaoxing wine, a Chinese rice wine. Wine is the khamr the Qur'an forbids, and on this site that includes wine cooked into food. Use the same amount of water, as here. See Wine.
- Soy sauce Brewed soy sauce's trace alcohol is accepted by many scholars, but some bottles add alcohol or mirin. Use soy sauces with no added alcohol on the label, or a certified one. See Soy sauce.
- Chicken wings Chicken is a Halal bird, but slaughter decides whether the meat is Halal. Buy from a Halal butcher or in a certified pack. See Chicken.
Safe substitutes
- 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine → 3 tbsp water (our swap)
Allergens
gluten (soy sauce), soy, peanuts, sesame
Ingredients
Wings
- 800 g Halal chicken wings
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Glaze
- 1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1½ tsp chilli flakes, plus extra to serve
- 3 tbsp water (our swap for 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine)
- 1½ tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, no added alcohol
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce, no added alcohol
- 1½ tsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp palm sugar
- to serve chopped peanuts, to serve
Method
- Bake the wings. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan, gas 3). Toss the Halal wings with a pinch of salt and the baking powder, then lay them on a wire rack over an oven tray. Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway, then turn the oven up to 220°C (200°C fan, gas 7) and bake for 20 minutes more.
- Toast the spices. Meanwhile, toast the Sichuan peppercorns and chilli flakes in a dry pan for about 2 minutes until fragrant, then grind them with a pestle and mortar.
- Cook the glaze. Tip the ground spices into a saucepan with the water, garlic and ginger paste, both soy sauces, the sesame oil and the palm sugar. Whisk together and cook over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until thick and bubbling.
- Glaze and serve. Take the wings off the rack, tip them onto the tray and coat them in the glaze. Return to the oven for 5 minutes until bubbling and sticky, then scatter with the peanuts and extra chilli flakes.
How this recipe was researched
Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Sichuan chicken wings' by Elena Silcock (serves 4: 800 g chicken wings tossed with a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp baking powder, baked on a wire rack 30 minutes at 160°C (140°C fan, gas 3), turned halfway, then 20 minutes at 220°C (200°C fan, gas 7); 1½ tsp Sichuan peppercorns and 1½ tsp chilli flakes toasted about 2 minutes and ground, then cooked 8 to 10 minutes over a medium heat with 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1½ tbsp garlic and ginger paste, 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 1½ tsp sesame oil and 3 tbsp palm sugar until thick; the wings tossed in the glaze and returned for 5 minutes; chopped peanuts and chilli flakes to serve). We specified Halal chicken wings and soy sauces with no added alcohol, and replaced the Shaoxing wine with 3 tbsp water; that swap is ours. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.
Technique and ingredient sources
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Sichuan chicken wings — BBC Good Food
Retrieved:
By Elena Silcock. Serves 4, prep 10 minutes, cook 55 minutes: 800 g wings tossed in baking powder, baked 30 minutes at 160°C and 20 at 220°C, then 5 minutes in a glaze of toasted Sichuan pepper and chilli, 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine, garlic and ginger paste, dark and light soy, sesame oil and palm sugar. We replaced the Shaoxing wine with water.
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Soy sauce analysis — isithalal.food
Retrieved:
Brewed soy sauce's trace alcohol, and when added alcohol or mirin changes the answer.