Authentic Chicken Karaage (Crispy Japanese Fried Chicken)

Learn everything you need to know about Japanese chicken karaage! This authentic recipe includes tips for making the crispiest, juiciest and tastiest version of this iconic fried chicken dish!

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What is Chicken Karaage (Tori no karaage)?

Karaage is a special dish for me. My first dream as a kid was to open my own karaage specialty food stand. Two decades ago, such an aspiration might have seemed unconventional. Yet, in the 21st century, karaage specialty stands have overtaken Japan, validating my once-childish dream.

Maybe I should have pursued the dream, but I was like 5 at the time. Karaage is still my favorite dish, and I could pretty much eat it every day.

While many associate “karaage” with Japanese-style fried chicken, it’s a misconception. The term Karaage (から揚げ) translates to frying without a batter, setting it apart from the likes of tempura.

Usually, the meat is marinated and mixed with flour to make a batter-like layer. After marinating, it can be coated in a layer of starch.

Karaage can also be pork or seafood like mackerel and squid, but if you go to Japan and see “karaage” written somewhere, it pretty much always means “fried chicken.”

Parts of Chicken You Can Use

Karaage can be crafted from any chicken part. However, for the best experience, I strongly recommend chicken thighs, skin intact.

On the other hand, chicken breast is prone to drying out, potentially stripping the karaage of its signature juiciness. Moreover, the marinade and batter might not stick well, leading to a disaster.

If your heart is set on a chicken breast karaage, I’d recommend sourcing a recipe specifically designed for it, as my recipe is not.

Wings or drumsticks are commendable alternatives if you wish to venture beyond thighs. Just a heads-up: thicker cuts will need extended cooking times.

All in all, this recipe works best when paired with chicken thighs. Chicken wings or drumsticks are fine. However, avoid chicken breasts, which will likely fail with this recipe.

Types of Flour and Starch You Can Use

One of the reasons why there are so many karaage stands in Japan right now is that ideas for karaage are limitless.

It’s the same as so many kinds of general fried chicken exist in the world.

One crucial element you can optimize is the flour/starch. Using different flour/starch makes a world of difference in texture. So, I will list all types of flour and starch commonly used in Japan.

Cake flour

This is a classic style as old-school karaage uses 100% regular flour. The pro of karaage with 100% flour is the delicious umami taste unique to wheat. It also tends to be soft and juicy.

However, there are some reasons why not many people use 100% plain flour karaage these days.

The disadvantage is they’re not as crunchy as the ones with starch. Also, it tends to get soggy once cooled down. Some people prefer the sensation, but I want my karaage always to be crispy and crunchy.

I mix a small amount of regular flour with marinade in this recipe.

Potato starch

Potato starch (katakuriko) is probably the most commonly used starch in Japan. It has coarse particles, so when it is deep-fried, the white color remains.

A generous dusting gives a wild, crunchy texture, while a thin dusting gives a light and crispy texture.

The downside would be that it absorbs oil easily, becoming oily and heavy over time after cooling down.

Potato starch is made from potato and other starches and has little flavor. If you’re going to eat them, don’t miss out on the texture. Freshly fried is best!

Cornstarch

I believe corn starch is more accessible and common starch outside Japan. Although it has a similar effect to potato starch, its result will be lighter.

The flour particles are finer than potato starch so it will be thinner, and the oil doesn’t stick as much as corn starch.

Like potato starch, it is crispy and delicious when mixed with 50% cornstarch and 50% flour.

Rice flour

Rice flour, which is ground rice, is very fine and thinner than any of the ones I mentioned.

It does not absorb oil easily, so it stays crispy and lightly fried and can be eaten in large quantities. You can also subtly taste the flavor of the rice.

Tapioca starch

This is the most modern twist, and I believe it’s inspired by the iconic Taiwanese fried chicken, which has become more popular in Japan.

Some karaage specialty places I have been use tapioca starch. I use tapioca starch in this recipe for the final touch.

Pre-made Karaage Mix

It’s not only me whose favorite food is karaage in Japan. So there are so many kinds of pre-made flour mix to make karaage at home easily.

They’re literally pre-mixed and flavored, so all you need to do is follow the instructions and fry!

Other flour ideas

It’s important to experiment when you make karaage at home. Everyone has a different personal preference when it comes to fried chicken.

Other than above, here are some flour ideas:

Ideas	characteristics
Flour 50%, Potato starch 50%	All rounder, best of both worlds
Flour 50%, Rice flour 50%	Light yet juicy
Bread flour 50%, Cake flour 50%	Heavy and meaty
Flour 50%, Cornstarch 50%	Hard and crispy

The Marinade Ideas

Another element where you can make your karaage unique is the marinade.

You can apply many ways and ingredients, and each household has a different technique.

Grated ginger

Grated ginger is one element that makes “Japanese fried chicken.” Whatever way people make karaage in Japan, I’d say most people would add ginger to create a depth of flavor.

So it’s a must-item.

I grate ginger with skin on to maximize the gingery flavor, but it’s optional.

As for the amount, it’s down to whether you like ginger, but in this recipe, I use 1 1/2 tbsp, which is not too gingery but enough to make the depth of flavor.

Alternatively, you can use pre-made ginger paste.

• Importance: ★★★★★ (5/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1.5 tbsp
• Alternative: Pre-made ginger paste

Coarse sea salt

This is something we cannot forget about. Salt-based karaage cannot be complete without salt.

If possible, coarse sea salt is my go-to salt for karaage. In my recipe, I add 1 tsp.

• Importance: ★★★★★ (5/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1 tsp
• Alternative: Cannot be omitted

Shiro dashi (white dashi)

This is not a common condiment in the everyday pantry, but because I want my karaage to be pale in color, I use shiro dashi instead of soy sauce.

White dashi is a Japanese condiment with made with light soy sauce, mirin, sugar and dashi broth.

The quantity I use in this recipe is 1 tsp. Alternatively, you can use light soy sauce, tsuyu sauce, or general soy sauce.

• Importance: ★★★★★ (5/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1 tsp
• Alternative: Light soy sauce, tsuyu sauce, or general soy sauce

Grated garlic

This is not as important as ginger, but this is something a lot of people add. The amount also depends on how much you want the garlic taste to shine through, but a general rule of thumb is a slightly smaller amount than ginger.

I add 1 tbsp worth in this recipe, but you can add more if you’re a big fan of garlic. Again, alternatively, you can use pre-made garlic paste.

• Importance: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1 tbsp
• Alternative: Pre-made ginger paste

Grated apple

This is my favorite ingredient to create depth of flavor these days. To name a few, I use grated apples for shogayaki ginger pork, and jingisukan sauce.

Don’t worry; it does not make the chicken too sweet! As for the quantity, I only use 1/2 tbsp worth. Alternatively, you can use apple juice or apple jam (possibly a bit less as they’re sweetened).

• Importance: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1/2 tbsp
• Alternative: Apple juice or apple jam (possibly half the amount)

White pepper

Some pepper or spice is always used for any fried chicken in the world.

Karaage is not an exception. I prefer white pepper to black pepper for karaage, but you can also use black pepper.

• Importance: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1/8 tsp
• Alternative: Black pepper

Sake (Japanese rice wine)

Sake is another common ingredient to add to karaage. The purpose is mainly to soften the chicken, eliminate the odor, and its subtle sweetness is another bonus.

With that in mind, you can alternatively use white wine. If you don’t want to use alcohol in your cooking, you can also completely omit it.

I would not recommend substituting this with mirin.

• Importance: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1 tbsp
• Alternative: White wine or omit

Chinese-style chicken stock powder

This is a common condiment to have in Japanese households. It is a seasoning made by adding vegetable extracts to soup made by boiling chicken or chicken bones.

It is characterized by its light but deep richness and is conveniently and widely used in Chinese (chuka) cuisine and Japanese dishes.

I use “Youki’s additive-free Garasupu” all the time.

The intention is to add more depth, but you can omit this and add extra salt instead.

• Importance: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1/2 tsp
• Alternative: Salt

Japanese mayonnaise

You might think it’s a bit strange, but I put a bit of Japanese mayo in my marinade. The main ingredients of mayonnaise are oil, egg yolk, and vinegar.

The oil in mayonnaise coats the meat and prevents it from becoming dry, while the vinegar softens the meat and reduces the odor. That leads to moist, juicy karaage!

However, this is optional, so you can omit it if it’s inconvenient.

• Importance: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1 tsp
• Alternative: Can entirely be omitted

Sesame oil

This is to add a bit of nice sesame oil flavor inside! You can omit this ingredient entirely if you like.

• Importance: ★☆☆☆☆ (1/5)
• Amount in my recipe: 1 tsp
• Alternative: Can completely be omitted

Other Marinade Ideas

I have shared the marinade ingredients I used for this recipe, but many other components can also be used. Feel free to consider them as a starting point for your own karaage recipe experiments.

• Sugar
• Soy sauce
• Kombucha
• Shio-koji
• Eggs
• Oyster sauce
• Chili pepper
• Lemon juice
• Chili bean paste
• Miso paste

Let me know your favorite marinade in the comment below!

Extra Crunchy: Hailstone Effect

The hailstone effect is a kind of modern term for extra crunchy karaage. Well, actually I just made it up.

This effect can be achieved by sprinkling a small amount of water over starch (potato, corn, or tapioca). When mixed together, the moisture causes some of the starch to clump together, and once fried, you get an extremely crunchy texture.

The little crispy white clumps of starch resemble hailstones, and the texture is to die for! Just be careful not add too much water when you make them; otherwise it will become a slurry and won’t work at all.

The details are in the recipe card, but this is only optional for people who like extra crunchiness.

If you do not need the extra crunch, lightly coat the chicken with regular dry starch (potato, corn, or tapioca) instead.

Step-by-Step Process

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Storage

In the unlikely event that there are leftovers, you can freeze karaage or put it in the refrigerator and eat it within 2-3 days.

If you microwave it, it will lose some crispiness. I usually microwave it to warm up the middle and then put it under the grill or broiler to refresh the outside. If freezing, you can keep it for a month.

There are also several ways you can use it! If you make this recipe, there are different ways for you to enjoy it.

• Karaage teishoku set: Served with freshly cooked rice, shredded cabbage and miso soup.
• Karaage Onigiri: A rice ball with fried chicken in the center, usually has sauce.
• Karaage Don: Donburi rice bowl dish topped with karaage.
• Karaage bento: A lunchbox made with karaage, rice, vegetables etc.

I hope you enjoy this extra crispy chicken karaage recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!