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What is Chicken Breast Karaage?

Chicken Breast Karaage, also known as Torimune Karaage (鶏胸肉の唐揚げ) in Japanese, is a type of Japanese fried chicken prepared using chicken breast. Traditionally, Japanese fried chicken is made using juicier and more flavorful chicken thighs.

However, with the recent popularity of chicken breast, many karaage specialty restaurants have started to appear.

The meat of chicken breast is a little drier, with a smoother surface than that of the thigh. So, it can be challenging to make delicious. However, I have created the best recipe for chicken breast karaage, and we would love to share it with you here.

Lemon Karaage (Japanese style fried chicken made with chicken breast coated in a lemon flavored batter) on a black plate decorated with lemon wedges and curly parsley

How I Developed This Recipe

As mentioned earlier, making fried chicken with chicken thighs and wings is much easier because of their juiciness, flavor, and fat content.

However, chicken breast has its own benefits, and I have created a recipe for fried chicken that overcomes its drawbacks and takes advantage of its characteristics. The result is a juicy and tender chicken breast that is hard to believe!

Furthermore, I’ve added a twist to the recipe by incorporating a zesty lemon flavor. It’s a dish I’m particularly proud of, and perfect for those who love chicken breast!

Ingredients & Substitution Ideas

Chicken Breast: Opt for fresh, pink, and firm chicken breasts. While skinless chicken breast can be used, choosing skin-on provides significantly better results.
Sake: Unsalted drinking sake is the preferred choice for its clean flavor, but cooking sake can also be used if you adjust the salt content a little elsewhere in your recipe. For more detailed information on sake varieties, a ‘Sake 101‘ article is very informative. This also contributes to softening the meat.
Sugar: Regular white caster or granulated sugar works fine here.
Grated Ginger and Garlic: These ingredients are crucial for adding depth to the chicken. Although store-bought pastes are an option, grating fresh ginger and garlic yourself yields the best flavor.
Salt: Relatively easy to dissolve sea salt is recommended.
Sesame Oil: This is used to infuse the marinade with a subtle flavor.
Egg: The egg is used not only to soften the meat (a Chinese technique known as “Jiāng” (漿) or “velveting”) but also helps the starch stick to the surface of the chicken breast. This recipe is designed using medium-sized eggs.
Tapioca Starch: After testing various starches, tapioca starch is highly recommended for its light crispy texture and optimum frying qualities, with potato starch being a close second.
Lemon: Incorporate both zest and juice for a fresh, zesty flavor.

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Visual Walkthrough & Tips

Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Ultimate Chicken Breast Karaage at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.

STEP

Prepare the Chicken

Prepare the chicken breast first by cutting it into stick-like pieces. Note that the width of the cut chicken will be the final width of the fried chicken.

chicken breast cut into pieces on a wooden chopping board

Use a fork to pierce it evenly.

piercing chicken breast pieces with a fork to tenderize

Tip 1: Piercing

Stabbing the chicken with a fork before heating it prevents proteins from shrinking and keeps the chicken from becoming tough.

Then, cut the chicken at an angle with a knife into large bite-sized pieces.

Cutting at an angle increases the surface area, which helps the meat cook evenly and absorb the flavors.

STEP

Marinate

Place the cut chicken in a bowl, crack in one whole egg, then mix thoroughly.

chicken breast pieces in egg in a mixing bowl

Mix well with the sake, sugar, grated ginger and garlic, salt, and sesame oil.

chicken breast with egg and condiments in a mixing bowl

Add tapioca starch for the marinade. This process is based on the Chinese cooking technique called “Jiāng (漿),” but a little modified.

chicken breast pieces in egg and condiments in a mixing bowl

Tip 2: Jiāng

When the meat is mixed with the egg, it absorbs the egg and becomes tender. Moreover, applying another layer of starch on the surface afterward helps to reduce the heat impact on the meat and locks the flavors.

Cover the top with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

chicken breast marinating in egg and condiments in a mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap

STEP

Prepare the Coating

While the chicken marinates, prepare the coating by mixing tapioca starch with lemon juice and zest.

The lemon juice will cause the starch to harden, looking like glaciers.

starch, lemon juice and lemon zest in a container

Use a fork to break it up first, then use your hands to create a fine, powdery snow texture.

mixing lemon juice, lemon zest and starch by hand to make clumps for "hailstone" effect

Tip 3: Hailstone Effect 2.0

If you have tried my Authentic Karaage fried chicken thigh recipe, you probably know that adding a small quantity of water and starches creates a unique texture I like to call the “Hailstone Effect.”

In this recipe, I have replaced water with lemon juice and added lemon zest to the starch to create a citrusy batter. This updated version of the Hailstone Effect adds a delicious citrus twist to the recipe!

lemon infused starch for coating karaage

STEP

Frying – Round One

After marinating, heat your frying oil to 160°C (320°F). Tightly coat each chicken piece in the lemon-starch mixture and fry in batches. My pan usually fits three batches.

Depending on the size of the chicken you cut, you may run out of starch in the last batch. If this is the case, re-make the Hailstone in the ratio of 4:1 starch to liquid (lemon juice).

Fry each batch at 160°C (320°F) for 3 minutes.

frying lemon chicken karaage in oil at lower temperature

This is the first fry, which sets the stage for a crispy finish.

STEP

Resting

After frying, let the chicken rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

lemon chicken karaage on a wire rack after first fry

If you’re working in batches, you can fry the next batch while the previous one rests.

STEP

Frying – Round Two

Increase the oil temperature to 180°C (356°F) for the second fry, which takes about 1 minute. This step ensures a golden, crispy exterior.

second fry at higher temperature for lemon karaage

Tip 4: Double-Frying

The key to making the best Karaage is to ensure that it is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. To achieve this, allowing enough time for the residual heat to cook the chicken thoroughly between the first and second frying is important.

The only problem is that the moisture comes out on the outside during the process, making the outside soggy. So, deep-frying them one last time, you can remove the moisture on the outside and get a crispy finish.

When the oil is thoroughly drained, your karaage is done!

twice fried lemon karaage made with chicken breast

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How to Store

If you happen to have some leftover Karaage, it is best to freeze it.

Firstly, allow it to cool down completely, and then wrap it in small pieces of plastic wrap, 2 or 3 pieces at a time. It is important to avoid exposing the karaage to air as much as possible to prevent oxidation of the meat and oil.

Once wrapped, place the karaage in a sealable freezer bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to one month.

To enjoy the leftovers again, reheat them in the oven or toaster oven for a better texture.

I hope you enjoy this Chicken Breast 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!