Nagoya's iconic crispy chicken wings, brushed with a sweet & savory soy glaze. Master the two-stage fry for wings that are light and crispy outside, juicy within.
Table of Contents
About This Recipe
Tebasaki, or Nagoya-style crispy chicken wings, is a beloved local dish from Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. Fried to a golden crisp, then brushed with a sweet and savory glaze and finished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds — this is the style that defines the dish, and a staple at izakaya and beer halls alike.
Pick up a wing straight from the fryer and take a bite. The skin shatters with a satisfying crunch, giving way to tender, juicy meat bursting with flavor. A rich glaze of soy sauce, sugar, and a hint of garlic coats every bite, leaving a deep, lingering taste that keeps you reaching for more.
In this recipe, a two-stage frying method — low heat to cook the wings through, followed by high heat to crisp the exterior — delivers wings that are light and crispy on the outside, and succulent on the inside. A straightforward technique that brings the authentic taste of Nagoya right to your kitchen.
Nagoya's Surprisingly Unique Food Culture
Nagoya is a city with a remarkably rich local food culture.
From tebasaki — the sweet and savory fried chicken wings at the heart of this recipe — to hitsumabushi, where finely chopped grilled eel is served over rice and enjoyed in multiple ways with dashi broth and wasabi, to miso katsu with its deep, rich sauce made from hatcho miso, a type of robust soybean miso, miso nikomi udon simmered in the same bold miso, and tenmusu, the iconic onigiri filled with shrimp tempura — Nagoya has an exceptional concentration of distinctive local dishes. Arguably no other city in Japan can claim as many widely recognized local specialties.
Nagoya also has its own deeply rooted café breakfast culture, known as "morning service." Order a coffee, and you'll typically receive toast, a boiled egg, and a small salad at no extra charge. If you're staying overnight, it's well worth starting your morning at a local kissaten.
As for why such a distinctive food culture developed here, the honest answer is that no one really knows. Some point to Aichi Prefecture's long history as a producer of hatcho miso and the local tradition of cooking with it. Others cite Nagoya's mercantile heritage and its well-developed dining-out culture. Still others suggest that the city's relatively conservative character kept outside influences at bay, allowing local traditions to take root. None of these explanations feels entirely convincing on its own.
What makes Nagoya particularly interesting is that on the surface, it looks like any other large Japanese city. But look a little closer, and its uniqueness reveals itself at every turn — nowhere more so than in its food.
If you're traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen, Nagoya is right along the way. It's well worth a stop.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
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Chicken wings 8
(Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and pat dry with paper towels.) - Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Katakuriko (potato starch) to taste
Sweet & Savory Glaze
- Soy sauce 2 tbsp
- Mirin 2 tbsp
- Sake 1 tbsp
- Sugar 2 tbsp
- Garlic, grated to taste
- White sesame seeds, toasted to taste
- Oil, for frying as needed
Instructions
| 1 |
 | Combine all glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. |
| 2 |
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Score the chicken wings between the bones with a knife, then season with salt and black pepper. Tip Scoring between the bones makes the meat easier to eat and helps it cook through more evenly. |
| 3 |
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Coat the chicken wings evenly with potato starch, shaking off any excess. Tip Too much starch makes the coating heavy, and you'll lose the characteristic lightness of Nagoya-style tebasaki. Dust just enough to cover the surface in a thin, even layer. |
| 4 |
 
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Heat oil to 160°C (320°F) and fry the wings for 3–4 minutes on one side, then flip and fry for another 3 minutes. Tips
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| 5 |
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Remove the wings and rest for 5 minutes, allowing the residual heat to finish cooking the centers. Tip Resting after the first fry allows the heat to penetrate to the center, keeping the meat juicy. Place the wings on a wire rack or tray — not a plate — so excess oil and steam can escape. This helps maintain a crispy coating. |
| 6 |
 
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Raise the oil temperature to 190°C (375°F) and fry for 1 minute on each side until deep golden and crispy. Tip At 190°C (375°F), larger bubbles should spread vigorously around a wooden chopstick. This second fry at high heat crisps the exterior to a light, golden finish. |
| 7 |
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Remove and drain briefly, then brush with the glaze while still hot. Finish with a sprinkle of toasted white sesame seeds. Tip Unlike many glazed wings, Nagoya-style tebasaki is brushed with the sauce rather than tossed in it. This keeps the coating crispy while still delivering the full sweet and savory flavor in every bite |
Top Spots in Japan We Recommend — Sekai no Yamachan 世界の山ちゃん
If you'd like to try Nagoya-style tebasaki without making the trip to Nagoya, Sekai no Yamachan is worth seeking out. This izakaya specializes in Nagoya-style chicken wings and is one of the very few — arguably the only — chain restaurants bringing Nagoya cuisine to locations across Japan. They also have outposts in Taiwan and Thailand.
The wings come in several flavor variations, and every one of them is excellent. The flavor is genuinely surprising on the first bite — in the best possible way.
Beyond the wings, the menu covers a solid range of Nagoya local dishes — doteni, miso katsu, tenmusu, and more. If getting to Nagoya isn't in the cards but you're curious about the food, this is a great place to start. It's a casual, welcoming izakaya, and the kind of place you'll want to linger.
Sekai no Yamachan 世界の山ちゃん
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