Yakitori Seasoning Salt
A fragrant Japanese-style finishing salt that blends fine sea salt with citrusy sansho pepper, garlic, and savory dried bonito powder. Sprinkle it on grilled chicken skewers, vegetables, or fried foods for instant izakaya flavor.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 3 min
- Wait
- 10 min
- Total
- 23 min
- Makes
- About ⅓ cup (90 g), enough for roughly 16 skewers or 16 one-teaspoon servings
Steps
Before you start
- Use fine sea salt, not coarse or flaky, so the blend stays evenly mixed and clings to food.
- Buy sansho powder (ground Japanese pepper) in a small, recent container; it loses its lemony tingle quickly.
- Have a clean, completely dry jar with a tight lid ready. Moisture will cause clumping.
- Dried bonito powder (katsuobushi powder) is sold at Japanese grocers and online. See substitutions if you can't find it.
Dry the salt
- Set an 8-inch (20 cm) dry skillet over low heat.
- Add the fine sea salt and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes to drive off any moisture.
- Do not let it color.
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Ready when: Salt feels dry and slides freely in the pan, and is warm to the touch but not browned.
Tip: Skip this step if you live somewhere very humid and your salt is already free-flowing, but it helps prevent clumping.
Cool the salt
- Tip the warm salt into a small mixing bowl and spread it out.
- Let it cool completely, about 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Bowl feels room temperature on the bottom.
Tip: Adding spices to hot salt mutes the sansho's citrus aroma.
Measure the aromatics
- Measure the sansho, garlic powder, bonito powder, and the optional white pepper and sugar into the bowl with the cooled salt.
- Level each spoonful with a knife for accuracy.
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Ready when: All powders are in the bowl in level measures.
Tip: The sugar is tiny but rounds out the salt and bonito; leave it out for a sharper blend.
Mix thoroughly
- Stir with a small spoon or whisk for about 1 minute, pressing any small clumps of garlic or bonito against the side of the bowl to break them up.
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Ready when: Blend is a uniform pale gray-green-beige with no streaks or lumps.
Tip: If lumps persist, push the mix through a fine-mesh sieve.
Taste and adjust
- Pinch a little onto your fingertip and taste.
- Add another ¼ teaspoon sansho if you want more tingle, or a pinch of salt if it tastes too savory or garlicky.
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Ready when: Salty first, then lemony and slightly numbing, with a savory finish.
Tip: Sansho numbs the tongue; taste only a small pinch.
Jar and store
- Transfer the blend to a clean, dry ½-cup (120 ml) jar using a small funnel or folded paper.
- Seal tightly and shake for 5 seconds.
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Ready when: Jar is sealed and blend looks even.
Tip: Label with the date; the aroma is best within 2 months.
Good to know
Tips
- Season skewers just before or right after grilling; the bonito and garlic can scorch over direct flame if applied early.
- Use about ½ teaspoon per skewer, or 1 teaspoon per 4 ounces (115 g) of chicken.
- Try it on fried chicken, edamame, roasted potatoes, or popcorn.
- Always spoon the salt out with a dry spoon to keep moisture out of the jar.
Make ahead
"Make up to 2 months ahead; the flavor is best after resting in the sealed jar for a day."
Storage & reheating
"Room temperature in an airtight jar away from light and heat: up to 2 months for best aroma, safe for 6 months. Refrigeration is not needed. Freezing is not recommended because condensation causes clumping. No reheating required; shake the jar before using."
Substitutions
- sansho pepper powder → Ground Sichuan peppercorn plus a pinch of finely grated lemon zest, dried. Use about 1½ teaspoons; flavor is similar but slightly more numbing.
- dried bonito powder (katsuobushi powder) → Dashi powder (hondashi) or kombu powder. Use the same amount, but reduce the salt by ¼ teaspoon since dashi powder is salted. Kombu makes it vegan.
- garlic powder → Granulated garlic. Use the same measure; it is less likely to clump.
- fine sea salt → Kosher salt, ground fine. Grind in a spice grinder first, and use 3½ tablespoons by volume of Diamond Crystal for similar saltiness.