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Recipe photo for Teba Shio (Japanese Salted Chicken Wings)

Teba Shio (Japanese Salted Chicken Wings)

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Teba Shio (Japanese Salted Chicken Wings)

Crisp, golden izakaya wings seasoned with nothing but salt, finished with a squeeze of lemon and a shake of shichimi togarashi on the side.

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🇯🇵 Japan ·Asia · $
Prep
Cook
Total
4 portions
Teba shio is a Japanese izakaya classic of whole chicken wings seasoned simply with salt, then cooked until the skin turns crisp and golden. It is grilled or pan-fried with no batter, so the result is light and crackly rather than heavy or breaded. The dish is not spicy on its own; warmth comes only from the shichimi togarashi served on the side, letting each person decide how much heat to add. A short soak in sake before cooking helps draw out any gaminess, which matters when salt is the only seasoning. Lemon wedges brighten the rich skin, and coarse black pepper rounds out the flavor. This salted style is distinct from the sweet, glazed Nagoya tebasaki, which is deep-fried and coated in a sticky soy and sugar sauce. With just a few ingredients, teba shio delivers the savory, hands-on appeal of Japanese pub food at home.

Ingredients

900 g chicken wings whole wings, skin on, about 16 pieces
240 ml sake for soaking to reduce gaminess (optional)
0 salt to taste, a generous amount; coarse or kosher works well
0 black pepper to taste, freshly ground (optional)
1 tsp vegetable oil only if pan-frying (optional)
1 piece lemon cut into wedges, to serve
0 shichimi togarashi Japanese seven-spice, served on the side (optional)

Ingredients

4 portions
900 gchicken wings whole wings, skin on, about 16 pieces
240 mlsake for soaking to reduce gaminess (optional)
salt to taste, a generous amount; coarse or kosher works well
black pepper to taste, freshly ground (optional)
1 tspvegetable oil only if pan-frying (optional)
1 piecelemon cut into wedges, to serve
shichimi togarashi Japanese seven-spice, served on the side (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the wings

  1. 1

    If using sake, place the chicken wings in a bowl and pour over the sake. Let them soak for 10 minutes, turning once so every wing is coated. This step mellows any gamey flavor before salting.

    ~10 min
  2. 2

    Drain the wings and pat them very dry on all sides with paper towels. Dry skin is the key to a crisp finish. For more even cooking, make a couple of shallow cuts between the bones on the underside of each wing.

    ~3 min
  3. 3

    Sprinkle the wings generously with salt on both sides, then add a little freshly ground black pepper if you like. Season just before cooking so the salt does not draw out moisture.

    ~2 min

Cook until crisp (pan-fried)

  1. 1

    Lightly oil a cold frying pan and arrange the wings skin-side down in a single layer. Set over medium heat, cover, and cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, until the skin is deeply browned and crisp.

    ~5 min
  2. 2

    Flip the wings, cover again, and cook for about 5 minutes on the second side over medium heat.

    ~5 min
  3. 3

    Turn the wings once more and cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing them down with tongs so the skin stays in contact with the pan, until cooked through and golden all over. Blot away excess rendered fat with a folded paper towel for the cleanest, crispiest result.

    ~3 min

Grill or broil (alternative method)

  1. 1

    To grill, heat a wire grill rack until very hot, then lower to medium and lay the seasoned wings on top. Grill, turning occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp. To broil, set the wings skin-side down on a rack over a foil-lined tray under a high broiler, cook 4 to 5 minutes, flip skin-side up, and broil another 4 to 5 minutes until the skin crackles. The wings are done when a skewer releases clear juices.

    ~10 min

Serve

  1. 1

    Pile the hot wings onto a plate with lemon wedges and a small mound of shichimi togarashi on the side. Squeeze the lemon over the wings and dust with shichimi to taste just before eating.

    ~1 min

Credits & Inspiration

  • Just One Cookbook

    Teba shio (salted chicken wings) with the sake soak and crisp-skin technique.

  • Kurashiru

    Japanese-language pan-fried salted chicken wings.

  • Lettuce Club

    Japanese-language salt-grilled chicken wings.

  • Sylvia Wakana

    Home recipe for teba shio salted chicken wings with lemon and shichimi.

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