Thai Fried Chicken Wings (Peek Gai Tod)
Wings rubbed with a pounded paste of garlic, coriander root, white pepper and soy sauce, dusted with flour, fried golden and served with crisp fried lime leaves and sweet chili sauce.
Fried chicken is one of Thailand's best-loved street foods. The Tourism Authority of Thailand calls Hat Yai fried chicken (kai thot Hat Yai), from the southern city of Hat Yai, "the undisputed king of Thai street food", and says what sets it apart is a marinade of coriander root, garlic and white pepper, a mountain of crisp fried shallots on top and sticky rice on the side (TAT News, February 10, 2026:). Atlas Obscura, as quoted in search results (its page refused our requests), calls it one of southern Thailand's most famous dishes, sold from the deep south to villages in the far north. Garlic, coriander root and white pepper are the same three flavors in this wing recipe from the development chef of a UK Thai restaurant group. A story that Hat Yai's fried chicken began in the 1950s with a poultry seller and his wife reached us only through a travel piece in search results, so it is not told here as fact.
Why it works the kitchen science
A pounded paste
Crushing garlic, coriander root and white pepper releases their oils, so the flavor clings to the skin and fries into it, the same trio TAT credits for Hat Yai chicken.
Self-rising flour
A light dusting with built-in baking powder fries into a thin, blistered coat instead of a heavy crust.
Step by step
- Step 1
Pound the garlic, coriander roots, white pepper and soy sauce to a paste in a large mortar and pestle (or whiz them in a small food processor).
- Step 2
Toss the wings in the paste, then add the chicken powder and flour and toss again until coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes, or overnight.
- Step 3
Fill a wok one third full of oil and heat it to 340°F. Drop in the lime leaves and fry a few seconds, just until they curl and crisp but stay green. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
- Step 4
Fry the wings in batches 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until golden and the thickest drumette reads 165°F.
- Step 5
Drain on a wire rack and let the oil return to 340°F between batches.
- Step 6
Pile the wings on a plate, scatter the fried lime leaves over them and serve with sweet chili sauce, and sticky rice if you like.
Thai Fried Chicken Wings (Peek Gai Tod)
Serves 4 · about 20 wing pieces · 1 hr 10 min total
Paste
- 2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- Roots from a small bunch of cilantro (coriander), chopped (about 1 tbsp)
- 2 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Wings
- 2 1/4 lb (1 kg) chicken wings, tips removed, split at the joint
- 20 g chicken seasoning powder (about 2 tbsp; from Thai or Asian grocers)
- 1/3 cup (40 g) self-rising flour
Frying
- Sunflower or vegetable oil, to fill a wok one third full
- 15 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves
To serve
- Thai sweet chili sauce, for dipping
- Sticky rice (optional)
Method
- Pound the garlic, coriander roots, white pepper and soy sauce to a paste in a large mortar and pestle (or whiz them in a small food processor).
- Toss the wings in the paste, then add the chicken powder and flour and toss again until coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes, or overnight.
- Fill a wok one third full of oil and heat it to 340°F. Drop in the lime leaves and fry a few seconds, just until they curl and crisp but stay green. Lift them out with a slotted spoon.
- Fry the wings in batches 8 to 10 minutes, turning, until golden and the thickest drumette reads 165°F.
- Drain on a wire rack and let the oil return to 340°F between batches.
- Pile the wings on a plate, scatter the fried lime leaves over them and serve with sweet chili sauce, and sticky rice if you like.
Adapted from olive magazine, "Thai chicken wings (Peek gai tod)" (November 23, 2017), a recipe from Woody Leela, group development chef for the Thaikhun restaurants, as written for 4. Metric amounts are converted; olive's 170°C is 340°F. The 165°F check is from USDA FSIS. The fish sauce swap in Tips is our suggestion. olivemagazine.com. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- No coriander roots? Use the lower stems of a bunch of cilantro (our suggestion).
- No chicken seasoning powder? Swap in 1 tbsp fish sauce and a pinch of sugar (our suggestion); many Thai home cooks season wings with fish sauce.
- A wok uses less oil than a pot for the same depth at the center.
- Hat Yai style: top with a big handful of crisp fried shallots and serve with sticky rice (TAT).
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Hat Yai fried chicken began in the 1950s. Disputed: a travel story in search results says so; we found no independent source. Do not date it.
- The marinade is coriander root, garlic and white pepper. Documented for Hat Yai chicken (TAT News) and for this recipe (olive).
- Fried shallots are essential. Documented as TAT's description of Hat Yai chicken; not every Thai fried chicken uses them.
- Thai fried chicken comes with sticky rice. Documented for Hat Yai chicken (TAT News); common, not compulsory.
Every other wing
Buffalo Wings (Anchor Bar Style)
Unbreaded wings fried crisp and tossed in a buttery cayenne pepper sauce, served with celery, carrots and a chunky blue cheese dressing, the way Buffalo's Anchor Bar made them famous.
Atlanta Lemon Pepper Wet Wings
Crisp fried wings tossed in melted butter with a little hot sauce, lemon and honey, then showered with a homemade lemon pepper seasoning: Atlanta's favorite way to order wings.
DC Carryout Wings with Mambo Sauce
Whole wings dredged in seasoned flour and fried hard, then drenched in mambo sauce, the sweet, tangy, red carryout sauce Washington calls its own.
Garlic Parmesan Wings
Oven-baked wings with crackly skin, tossed in melted butter with fresh garlic, Parmesan and parsley and run under the broiler: the no-heat wing found on many American wing menus.
Hot Honey Wings
Wings in a light seasoned-flour coat, fried crisp and tossed in melted butter, chili-infused honey, cider vinegar and red pepper flakes: sweet first, heat second.
Nagoya Tebasaki (Sweet Soy Chicken Wings)
Wings dusted in potato starch, fried twice, coated in a sweet soy, mirin, garlic and ginger glaze and finished with sesame seeds and pepper, the bar snack Nagoya is famous for.
Korean Soy Garlic Wings (Double Fried)
Wings dusted in cornstarch, dipped in a thin, crackly batter and fried twice, then brushed with a glossy glaze of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and honey: Korean fried chicken that isn't red.
Chinese Coca-Cola Chicken Wings (Ke Le Ji Chi)
Wings browned with ginger in a skillet, then simmered in cola, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine until the liquid cooks down to a sticky, shiny glaze: a Chinese home-cooking classic.
Jamaican Jerk Wings
Wings marinated in a blended paste of scallions, Scotch bonnet, thyme, garlic, allspice and soy, grilled slowly on the cool side, then brushed with fresh paste and charred over the fire.
Filipino Adobo Chicken Wings
Wings marinated and simmered in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper and bay leaves, then tossed in the cooking liquid boiled down to a glaze with onions and served with sweet homemade banana ketchup.
Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings (Baking Powder Method)
No fryer and no fuss: wings tossed with baking powder and salt, roasted on a rack in a very hot oven, broiled for extra crunch and tossed in a quick hot sauce, butter and molasses sauce.
Creamy Parmesan Garlic Wings, Inspired by Buffalo Wild Wings
Inspired by, not official: plain fried wings tossed in a creamy sauce of roasted garlic, mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon and dried herbs, in the style of the sports-bar chain's Parmesan Garlic flavor.
Meatballs of the World
Italian-American Meatballs
Big, tender meatballs braised for an hour in red sauce over spaghetti. The one most Americans grew up with.
Pallottine (Abruzzo Meatballs)
Tiny meatballs, smaller than a marble, tossed right through square spaghetti alla chitarra. No bread at all.
Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
Small, soft meatballs browned in butter, in a cream sauce made from the same pan, with lingonberry jam on the plate.
Danish Frikadeller
Pork meatballs shaped with a spoon and fried slowly in butter, crusty outside and soft in the middle.
Königsberger Klopse
German meatballs that are never fried: poached, then served in a creamy white sauce with capers.
Spanish Albóndigas in Almond Saffron Sauce
The tapas bar classic: small meatballs in a golden sauce thickened with fried almonds and bread.
Mexican Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint
Soft meatballs with rice and fresh mint inside, simmered in a smoky tomato and chipotle broth.
Izgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)
Small, flat meatballs kneaded hard, rested cold, and charred on a hot grill pan.
Lion's Head Meatballs
Big, soft pork meatballs, stirred into a sticky paste, fried to set, then braised in a savory sauce.
Chicken Tsukune
Japan's chicken meatball: kneaded sticky, grilled on skewers, glazed with sweet soy tare, dipped in egg yolk.