Tender, juicy fried chicken wings are such a treat – especially the Chinese version with their crispy stickiness.
The deliciously tender wings paired with a tasty blend of sauces are many families’ go-to dishes, especially when binge-watching a TV series or enjoying a football match with friends.
Chinese-style fried chicken wings are often a yellow or rusty color, and you may be wondering if this is okay and what ingredient makes them that color. You may be concerned that this is a sign that they are bad.
Asian fried chicken wings normally have this yellow color because of overnight marinating. However, there is more to it as well. This post will walk you through some reasons for Chinese fried chicken wings being a deep yellow and give you other useful information. Read on!
Is Eating Fried Chicken Wings Unhealthy?
No matter how much you love to eat bowls and bowls of fried chicken wings, you need to know that binge-eating a lot of deep-fried foods is never going to be a healthy choice.
They contain loads of saturated fats with high cholesterol and sodium combined in artery-wrenching doses. Also, chicken wings are probably the unhealthiest portion of the chicken because they consist of just skin, fat, and bone with very little protein-providing muscle tissue.
On top of that, many of the sauces served with Chinese chicken wings are high in sugar, fat, and MSG. So, question answered – fried chicken wings are not a healthy snack! They are delicious, though! Try to keep them for a special occasion treat.
Why Are Chinese Fried Chicken Wings Yellow?
Chinese-style deep-fried chicken wings are more yellow than chicken cooked in other ways. Have you ever stopped to wonder why? There are plenty of reasons for your Chinese fried chicken wings to look yellow. Some of the most common ones are here:
1. Oil Reusing
Oil reusing is one of the main reasons for fried chicken wings to present with that deep golden yellow color. This is another reason why consuming deep-fried wings is not a healthy food habit.
In many fast-food establishments, to cut costs, the oil in which food is fried is reused many times. This common kitchen practice might save the restaurant time and money, but it is bad news for your body. Toxic aldehydes are created when oil is reheated.
The reused oil increases the number of free radicals in the body, and that leads to inflammation. Inflammation is the root cause of many diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.
Food cooked in reused oil also increases your body’s levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, intensifying your risk of chest pain, heart attacks, and stroke. That said, you don’t have to give up your occasional Asian-style chicken treat. Why not make them at home in clean, new oil?
2. Sauce Tossing and Overnight Marinating
Before the chicken wings are deep-fried, they are tossed and marinated in sauces containing spices that might stain them yellowish. Sometimes they are marinated for the whole night, intensifying the flavor and color.
3. Butter Spreads
Chinese-style chicken fried wings are often marinated in a sauce that consists of butter or butter substitutes that lend a yellow tinge to the meat.
4. Deep Frying
Deep frying is another main reason for your chicken wings to have a yellowish hue. When the skin is fried, it turns golden yellow.
5. Honey
The honey on sticky fried chicken wings creates a little char. Many recipes call for the wings to be brushed with honey when they are almost cooked. This, too, will lend a golden color to the wings.
Final Thoughts
Please don’t be concerned about the yellow color of your Chinese chicken wings. It is not usually a bad sign. As long as the wings have been freshly bought from a reputable take-out place, the color does not mean that they are off.