4.4 from 68 votes

Every summer growing up, my family would have a cookout in our backyard or at a nearby park. I always looked forward to it because it meant that I was going to be surrounded by friends, family, laughter, and, of course, delicious food! We always had short ribs, grilled oysters, corn on the cob, and chicken wings. My older brother Timmy usually took charge and was the grill master at our cookouts, and today we’re going to be making his Vietnamese BBQ Wings or Cánh Gà Nướng. It’s a straightforward recipe that comes together quickly, but how flavorful and juicy this canh ga nuong is, is nothing short of incredible.

What makes these wings Vietnamese?

Funny, you should ask that. Generally speaking, this canh ga nuong is marinated with seasonings like soy sauce and fish sauce, but what really makes them really Vietnamese is me. Yup, that’s right, a Vietnamese guy is making these wings. Therefore, they must be Vietnamese. LOL.

Making the marinade for canh ga nuong:

What makes these wings so great is that their marinade is incredibly simple and flavorful. You only need seven ingredients that you likely already have at home! Marinate the wings overnight for the best effect, but if you’re short on time, at least an hour is fine, too.

Four stalks of green onions (white part only)
One tablespoon of minced garlic
Four tablespoons of soy sauce
One tablespoon fish sauce (Three Crabs brand is my favorite!)
Three tablespoons brown sugar
One tablespoon oil
Salt and Pepper

Chicken wings marinating in soy sauce and fish sauce

Grilling the wings

I want to preface this by saying that a charcoal grill or a propane grill with a flame is going to be your best bet. I’m limited to using an electric Weber Lumin grill, as my apartment doesn’t allow the other grill types on my balcony. I’m a fan of the Lumin as an alternative because it gets to a hot enough temperature that I can still get good grill marks.

I have my grill set to its lowest setting because I don’t want the sugars in the marinade to burn too quickly before the chicken has a chance to cook through. On my grill, it takes about 10-11 minutes for the chicken’s internal temperature to reach a minimum of 165F, but for dark meat and wings, 175F is a better temp to allow the connective tissues in the muscles to break down and become more tender. The wings I used today were on the smaller side, so just make sure you use a thermometer to get the wings up to a safe temperature.

Cooking alternatives:

If you don’t have access to a grill, you can still make these wings in your oven or air fryer!

Baking:

Preheat your oven to 375F on convection mode. Place chicken wings on a wire rack on a baking tray to ensure proper airflow. Depending on the size of your wings and oven, these can take anywhere between 30 and 40 minutes. Make sure you flip the wings halfway through. Optionally, you can broil these on low for a minute or two to get the wings to brown. Again, make sure the wings get up to a safe internal temperature.

Air Frying:

Preheat your air fryer to 375F. Air fry for about 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway in between.