So apparently there’s going to be a football game during the Bad Bunny concert this weekend . While I’m sure you can deduce that the Super Bowl is not be my thing, tailgating certainly is. And what is more iconic at a tailgate than wings…but read more
Yes, yes, it’s January and we all know what means. Resolutions, clean eating, green juices, early morning workouts, stop skipping breakfast, get 10k steps a day, go to sleep at a reasonable hour, less screen time, eat more fiber, floss more, yadda yadda. But hear read more
This time of year always feels like a sprint—shopping, hosting, remembering to feed the people who live with you…. Between holiday errands, late-night gift wrapping, and prepping for houseguests, December cooking needs to be simple but still feel special. These Salt and Pepper Wings hit that sweet spot. They’re quick to throw together, deeply savory, and perfect for nibbling with a cocktail in hand.
And because everything feels a little extra this time of year—extra plans, extra people, extra chaos—there’s something nice about having a recipe that’s pared down to the essentials. No glaze, no complicated marinade, no deep-frying. Just simple, clean flavors and the kind of crispy skin that keeps everyone circling the kitchen island. Just a quick soak in sake, a sprinkle of seasoning, and either a blast in the air fryer or a few minutes under the broiler. Suddenly you’ve got a platter of crisp, juicy wings that disappear faster (seriously, make a double batch) than you can put them down, so let’s get into it.
You can leave your chicken wings whole if you want, but I like to break mine down. I find that people tend to either prefer the drumettes OR the flats and this way everyone can grab their favorite piece.
Start by cutting off the tip with a sharp knife:
Locate the joint between the drumette and the wingette and press down with your knife to separate the two:
My super simple Salt and Pepper Wings start with a super simple marinade. So simple that there’s just one ingredient: sake! In many Japanese kitchens, sake isn’t just for sipping or for splashing into sauces — it’s also used as a gentle, effective marinade that tenderizes proteins and keeps them juicy. But don’t worry, this isn’t an hours long bath, even a short 10–15 minutes works wonders. The sake lightly seasons the wings, helps remove any raw poultry aromas, and starts breaking down the fibers so you get incredible tenderness without any long wait.
Add the wings and the sake to a large zip lock bag. Take this time to pour everyone a drink, my Ginger Saketini perhaps? By the time that is done, the wings will be done marinating.
Once they’ve had their 15 minute sake bath, it’s time to dry the wings off. This is the secret to getting that beautiful crispiness from the air fryer or broiler without dredging or deep-frying. Moisture is the enemy of browning; the drier the surface, the crispier the salt and pepper wings.
Now you get to choose your culinary adventure; do you want to air fry these beauties or use your oven’s broiler? Both methods will produce gorgeous, bronzed crispy Salt and Pepper Wings. The broiler requires a bit more oversight to ensure they don’t burn. I give you directions for both methods on the recipe card.
Spray the baking pan with oil:
Lay the wings in a single layer. If you have a small air fryer you may have to cook them in multiple batches.
Season with salt:
And pepper:
Air fry (or broil) according to the instructions on the recipe card:
When they are finished you will gave gloriously browned wings:
These Salt and Pepper Wings will already absolutely phenomenal as is, but I like to serve them with lemon wedges and shichimi togarashi to take them to another level:
I hope these wings help you find some easy bliss in the middle of the holiday chaos, I know they’ve been a lifesaver in my home! Let me know what you think, leave a comment below, and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you.
Can’t get enough chicken wings? Try my Sriracha Honey Wings or these Smoked Wings!
For Serving:
Marinate the wings
Add the wings and sake to a gallon zip top bag, squeezing out all of the air. Marinate for 10-15 minutes.
Dry the wings
Remove and pat dry each wing with paper towels. Place the wings on a plate and lightly sprinkle with salt and ground pepper on both sides.
Airfry or Broil the wings
To Airfry:
If you do 2 trays, you should rotate the tray positions and flip the wings over to the other side half way through, for even cooking/browning. Airfry for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
To Broil:
Spray a rimmed baking sheet with oil and place the wings skin side up.
Preheat the oven broiler on high for 3 minutes before cooking. Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven, about 8 inches away from the heating element. Cook for 9–10 minutes, until nicely browned and crispy. Then, flip the wings to cook the other side (skin side) for another 9–10 minutes. Watch the chicken carefully so it does not burn; if your oven is small or strong, lower the heat to medium (if available) or on a lower rack.
Keywords: wings, cantonese, appetizers, starters, chicken, small plates, air fryer, quick, holiday, lunar new year,
If you’ve ever been to Japan, you know the country takes its convenience stores seriously. We’re talking spotless aisles, impeccably organized shelves, and food so good that tourists and locals alike treat them as legit dining destinations. The first order of business for many travelers read more
There’s something about roasted sweet potatoes that feels instantly cozy, right? In Japan, they’re a beloved autumn and winter snack, often sold straight from little trucks. Called yaki imo, these piping hot treats are simple, comforting, and naturally sweet. At home, I love making Slow read more
The mountains of end of season blueberries have been calling my name at the grocery store and I’m trying to gobble them down as quickly as possible. And what better way to answer than to make blueberry muffins? I wanted the perfect recipe — tender but not too cakey, buttery with a light crumb, and absolutely loaded with blueberries. Not so sweet that it could be mistaken for a cupcake, but sweet enough so that it felt special and indulgent.
So, there may have been… several rounds of “research” blueberry muffins in our kitchen before I finally landed on this version. (Let’s just say no one in this house was complaining.) The secret turned out to be a blend of butter and oil for flavor and moisture, buttermilk for tenderness, and a high-heat start so they bake up with bakery-style crowns for those that think a glorious muffin top is the best part. And that’s most of us, right?
Make them for brunch, school lunches, picnics, or just because it’s Tuesday and blueberry season, like summer, will soon be done. Once you try them, you’ll understand why I finally stopped tweaking — they’re perfect just as they are so let’s get into it.
I admit that I’m really picky about blueberry muffins because they are ubiquitous. Every bakery has one, grocery stores have them, and the web has a ton of recipes. But it’s hard to find one that has soft and not dense structure, because that’s how you get the firm very tall shape, which is amazing. But generally they are also kind of dry, especially the second day. Plus, you want the batter to be fragrant and delicious, not just overly sweet crumb that binds the berries. And let’s make sure we have a ton of berries. Am I right? That’s the whole point! Finally, a crackly top never hurts, it’s literally the icing on the top. Just know that the crackly top is less crispy, the second and third day-if they last that long.
So my wish is that everything about a mediocre blueberry muffin has been addressed and you will be free of bad blueberry muffins for life.
I start making my blueberry muffins by whisking together the dry ingredients. I always measure my flour by weight rather than volume — it’s the easiest way to get consistent results every time. If I can use my experience to help anyone who struggles with baking, the scale is your friend, it never lies. And for people who do not bake often, you need some experience and repetition to develop a sense of how the batter for cake should look or is the dough too dry or wet? A scale will give you the confidence to start baking like a pro. It’s really life changing-at least in the kitchen.
A cup of flour can vary by as much as 30% depending on how it’s scooped, which can make your muffins dense or dry. For this recipe, 2 cups of flour = 9 ounces on the scale, so you can measure it quickly and know you’ve nailed it. (No kitchen scale? No problem! Just use the scoop and level method: gently spoon the flour into your measuring cup without packing it down, then level it off with the back of a knife. This helps keep your flour measurement more accurate—key for tender muffins every time.)
Add the sugar to the flour:
Add the baking powder and baking soda:
Give it all a good whisk:
Once the dry ingredients are whisked together, it’s time to mix the wet ones. In a separate bowl add the melted butter to the eggs:
Pour in the oil:
Add the buttermilk. (If you don’t have buttermilk see my note below on how to substitute)
Add the vanilla. And yes it’s pricey, but nothing beats a real vanilla extract.
Whisk the wet ingredients together:
Now it’s time to combine the wet and dry ingredients for the blueberry muffins batter:
Gently mix until just combined, you don’t want to overmix.
It’s ok if small lumps or streaks of flour remain:
Then it’s time for the part we’ve all been waiting for- the blueberries! Add the star of the show, reserving some to top the blueberry muffins:
Then add the lemon zest:
Gently stir:
Now all that’s left to do is portion out the batter and bake the most glorious blueberry muffins of all time!
Top the muffins with the reserved blueberries:
Now the recipe says that topping the muffins with sugar is “optional”. I hope you realize though that it’s actually not optional at all-that bakery style crackly lid is the very best part!
Now they are ready to bake. You’ll start them off hot so they rise high, then finish low and slow for a perfectly baked interior.
Let them cool for 10 minutes, if you can wait that long, and then take them out of the pan.
I can’t wait for you to bake these up so you can experience Blueberry Muffin Nirvana too! Let me know what you think, and show off you muffins by tagging us @funkyasiankitchen.
Looking for more well-tested baking recipes? Check out my Lemon Pound Cake or Chocolate Zucchini Cake-they are sure to become favorites with your family too!
Print
DRY INGREDIENTS:
WET INGREDIENTS:
FILLINGS AND TOPPINGS:
Preheat oven to 425°F and move the oven rack to the middle.
Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.
Make the Batter: First combine the dry ingredients by whisking the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Then in a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, melted butter, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour egg mixture into the dry mixture. Mix gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Some small lumps or streaks of flour in the batter are fine. Try not to overmix.
Add blueberries (saving a small handful) and lemon zest and stir through gently.
Fill the muffin tin by dividing the batter evenly into the paper liners. Top with remaining blueberries and a sprinkling of sugar.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350°F and continue baking for another 12-14 minutes until a toothpick test comes out clean or barely a couple of crumbs. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
*If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make some sour milk or use a substitute. For sour milk, combine 2 teaspoons of white vinegar to 1 cup of whole milk (do not use any other kind). Wait 10 minutes until it looks curdled. Continue using it as required in the recipe. You can also substitute plain yogurt or sour cream. Use ½ cup of either yogurt or sour cream and add ¼ cup of milk to thin it out a bit. Whisk together and it’s ready to use.
*You can substitute frozen blueberries for fresh. Use the frozen berries straight from the freezer (leave them in the freezer until the last minute) and do not defrost. The frozen berries have more moisture than fresh, so you will need to add a couple more minutes of cooking time.
Keywords: muffins, blueberries, summer, breakfast, snack, back to school
Hi there!
I’m Kazu, a restaurateur in Miami who wants to show you all of the best tricks for creating restaurant quality Asian meals at home.
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