Three cheers for these delicious homemade teriyaki chicken wings! It all started with a good sauce, then ideas started to churn in our heads about more options with some of our other sauce recipes. Things got a little carried away in the kitchen and we doused it on a batch of chicken wings. These were so good and it’s nice to have a different sauce on chicken wings beyond the classic buffalo sauce. This recipe was originally published in 2011 and we’ve updated the recipe to be much easier to make.

teriyaki chicken wings on plate

Homemade Teriyaki Chicken Wings and Sauce

A while back we shared a recipe for homemade teriyaki sauce for Good Bite. We enjoy developing fresh sauces and thinking outside the jar. Don’t get me wrong, we have a huge admiration for many quality bottled sauces and stock and champion those brands whole heartedly. But we’re rather sensitive to sauces that are too sweet. Our homemade teriyaki sauce is a great addition to chicken wings that’s unique and very umami flavorful.

drizzle of teriyaki chicken wings sauce

Origins of teriyaki sauce

The popularity of Japanese teriyaki sauce is well deserved. This umami-laden sauce is great on so many things, beyond the traditional beef, chicken or other proteins. Teriyaki sauce is so versatile. And best of all, it’s so simple to make. We adore it because it adds so much great, quick flavor to grilled dishes, burgers, vegetables. Even a simple, bowl of white steamed rice with a drizzle of good teriyaki sauce is a satisfying meal.

Video: Teriyaki Chicken Wings

Not Too Sweet Teriyaki Sauce

We wanted to create a teriyaki sauce that was less sweet than most that we’ve tried. So many bottled teriyaki sauces out there are sticky and overly sweet with all the unnecessary added sugar. We also wanted to have a teriyaki sauce that had pantry-ready ingredients. Not too sweet, still very fresh and better yet, very adaptable to your personal taste buds. Simply whip up this quick, fresh sauce and toss it on your chicken wings. These will be a hit at your next party and will be a trusted appetizer recipe in your archives!

How to cook the chicken wings

Chicken wings can be prepared in different ways to achieve their crispness: fried or baked, with flour or not. Visit this write up on different ways to prepare chicken wings with the pros and cons of each style of cooking the wings. This recipe shows a baked technique, but you can certainly fry or air-fry the wings to make them crispy.

garnishes on teriyaki chicken wings
teriyaki chicken wings on plate

Teriyaki Chicken Wings Recipe

Yield: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Traditional teriyaki sauce is frequently made with some sake. If you don't have sake, you can use dry vermouth or even just water if you don't want to use any alcohol (most of the alcohol will be cooked off when you simmer the sauce).
Feel free to cook the wings using your preferred method.  They can be prepared in different ways to achieve their crispness: fried or baked, with flour or not. To make them extra crisp, you can pre-poach (or pre-boil) them first to render off any excess fat. Visit this write up on different ways to prepare chicken wings. This recipe shows a baked technique, but you can certainly fry or air-fry the wings to make them crispy.
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Ingredients

For Chicken Wings

  • 2 pounds chicken wings , rinsed and patted dry
  • salt , for seasoning wings
  • black pepper , for seasoning wings
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour , optional
  • 2-3 green onions or scallions, sliced thin – for serving
  • 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame seeds – for serving

For Teriyaki Sauce

  • 1/4 soy sauce
  • 1/4 sake , or water
  • 1/4 brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar , or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger , or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C. Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
    Preheat oven
  • Season the chicken wings with salt and pepper.
    Seasoning wings with salt and pepper
  • Optional – Toss the wings with flour for a slightly crispier crust.
    Tossing wings in flour
  • On prepared baking sheet pan, spread chicken wings out in one even layer (we don't coat our wings with oil before baking, but you can if you want. We find that the oil just makes the wings greasier. The wings release enough fat already).
    Wings laid out on baking sheet pan
  • Bake at 425°F/220°C for about 30 minutes. Flip the wings.
    Flipping half baked wings
  • Continue to bake at 425°F/220°C for 10-20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
    Baked wings
  • While wings bake, make the sauce (can be done ahead of time too): Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan (soy sauce, sake or water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, corn starch, and ginger). Whisk to completely combine.
    Grating fresh ginger over sauce
  • Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
    Sauce simmering
  • Sauce should have the thickness to coat a spoon or to your desired thickness. If a thicker sauce is desired, continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until it reaches your desired thickness.
    Sauce pouring from spoon to show thickness
  • Toss chicken wings in teriyaki sauce and serve. Or serve chicken wings with teriyaki sauce on the side for dipping.
    Wings with sauce drizzled over them
  • Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds
    Teriyaki wings with sesame seeds and green onions on top

Notes

Crispy Wing Alternate Cooking Methods

Traditional Fry in Oil (uses about 1/2-3/4 cup of cornstarch to coat wings).
Toss the wings in cornstarch to coat, shaking off excess cornstarch. 
Heat about 2-inches of oil in a large pot to 375°F. Fry in batches for about 8 minutes per batch, or until golden and cooked through. Make sure to turn the wings a couple times while cooking so they cook evenly. Season with salt & pepper.
Air Fryer Chicken Wings (here’s our favorite Air Fryer)
Season wings with salt & pepper. 
Air Fry at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, flipping 2-3 times while cooking.
Toss with a little sauce, and then air fry for another 4 minutes. Different models and sizes of air fryers cook quicker than others. So adjust times accordingly. 

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 153kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 50mg, Potassium: 124mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 0.2g, Vitamin A: 150IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian, Japanese
Calories: 153

How to store leftover teriyaki chicken wings

If you happen to have any leftover, store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Try to enjoy it soon because it’s so much tastier than freezing them. But if you do have some that you can’t eat right away, then store the in airtight containers or plastic bags in the freezer for up to 2 months. And what about the leftover sauce? Bottle it and store it in the fridge for up to 2 months. But again, don’t wait too long to finish it because it does lose it’s freshness and quality after about 2 months. If you’re a fan of these Asian chicken wings, try our sweet chilli garlic crispy Asian chicken wings.

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