The Fizzy Ingredient That Turns Chicken Into A Sweet And Savory Delight

If you're looking for a unique version of sweetened, glazed chicken, you might enjoy a recipe that combines ingredients from Eastern and Western cultures to form a profoundly satisfying meal. This chicken dish uses a common ingredient: Coca-Cola. 

Coca-Cola chicken wings have been popular in Asia for decades; the wings are served in a thick, sweetened glaze that has rich flavor from the boiled-down soda, with a savory note from soy sauce, ginger, scallions, white pepper, and an optional piece of star anise and a bay leaf. The process is similar to making a caramel sauce with Coke by cooking down the soda's sugar, but the added ingredients turn the sauce into a sweet and savory glaze. 

The trick to making Coca-Cola chicken wings is to first make a couple of slices on the skin side of the chicken pieces so they will absorb flavor. The recipe works really well with chicken thighs and drumsticks, too. Heat a wok or saute pan and cook the wings on medium for a couple of minutes on each side to brown them. The chicken is then ready for braising; add soy sauce, Coca-Cola, ginger pieces, scallions, and spices, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the ginger and spice pieces and turn up the heat to reduce the liquid until it's thick and shiny. 

Coca-Cola has existed in Hong Kong since around 1965, when a company became a bottling partner for Coca-Cola, manufacturing and distributing Coke to numerous countries in Asia. Some sources say the beverage arrived in Hong Kong kitchens sometime in the 1980s (at the latest) and was utilized as an effective sweetener. Recipes like Coca-Cola chicken wings were invented in people's homes and passed down for decades.

Many recipes use versions of a sweetened soy sauce to make recipes similar to Coca-Cola chicken wings. For example, teriyaki chicken uses a teriyaki sauce that can be made with just sugar and soy sauce, while a dish like sweet and spicy sesame chicken uses the sweetness of honey combined with soy sauce and other flavors to complete its flavor profile. For versatile Coca-Cola chicken wings, the glaze can be nuanced by savory or spicy notes. To add some heat to Coca-Cola chicken wings, simmer a few dried chilis with your spice blend, or add a dash of fish sauce for a blast of savory umami flavor. For a truly effective sauce, use classic Coca-Cola made with sugar, rather than diet sodas. Diet Coca-Cola contains an artificial sweetener, aspartame, which loses its sweetness when heated. 

Serve your chicken as an appetizer, or as a full meal by including rice and a vegetable stir-fry, which will round out the flavors. Coca-Cola's flavor profile, which includes hints of vanilla and other subtle spices, will enhance your braised chicken while giving you a taste of what diners in Asia have enjoyed for decades.