Featured Comment
Great recipe! Worked wonders and enjoyed by the whole family.
★★★★★
– Karl-Henrik
Ever wondered what happens when karaage meets tempura? But toriten isn’t just chicken dipped in tempura batter.
This Oita specialty perfects the art of deep-frying chicken breast: light, crisp, and flavorful.
Tempura Chicken
Recipe Snapshot
- What is it? Light, crispy Japanese tempura chicken with citrus dipping sauce.
- Flavor profile: Light, Savory, Aromatic
- Why you’ll love this recipe: It’s the kind of crispy win she can pull off on a weeknight, no fancy gear or guesswork required.
- Must-haves: Chicken, Starch, Deep pot
- Skill Level: Medium
- Freezer Friendly? Yes!
Summarize & Save this content on:
What is Toriten?
Chicken tempura, known in Japan as toriten (鶏天), is a local specialty from Oita Prefecture on Kyushu island. It’s made by coating pieces of marinated chicken in a light tempura-style batter and frying them until perfectly crisp and golden.
Think of it as Japan’s lighter take on fried chicken, juicy inside, airy outside. If you’ve tried shrimp tempura or karaage chicken, you’ll recognize the same balance of texture and flavor that makes both dishes so good.
Tempura Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken breast: I like skin-on chicken breast here and tenders (tenderloins) work too. Swap in boneless chicken thighs (skin-on or skinless) for a fail-safe, extra-moist result. They’re richer and very hard to overcook.
- Citrus: In Ōita, this is finished with kabosu. If kabosu or yuzu aren’t handy, use lemon or lime (or a 50/50 mix) for the similar citrusy pop.
- Potato starch (katakuriko): This ultra-fine starch creates a thin, glassy crunch that stays crisp even after saucing. Cornstarch works in a pinch for a lighter, slightly less shattery crust. Tapioca starch adds a bit of chew, and rice flour fries up tender. Choose the swap that matches your situation.
How to Make My Tempura Chicken
If you prefer to watch the process in action, check out my YouTube video of this toriten recipe!
i. Place the breast on the board with the grain running left to right, then split it into three sections along the natural seams.
ii. Turn your knife so the blade lies at a shallow angle and slice against the grain into 5-10 mm (¼-⅜ in) pieces. This broadens the cut surface so heat and seasoning penetrate quickly.
iii. Keep the pieces just larger than bite-size. They’ll shrink slightly as they cook. Aim for similar thickness so everything cooks at the same pace.
i. Measure cold water and keep it chilled. Whisk one egg with the icy water just until combined.
ii. Sift in flour and potato starch, then stir gently with chopsticks until barely mixed. Tiny lumps should remain. A cool, minimally worked batter fries up thin, craggy, and crisp rather than heavy or bready.
Cold batter slows gluten development, which keeps the coating delicate. Using some potato starch (or cornstarch in a pinch) reduces gluten further and boosts crunch.
i. Pour neutral oil (like canola or rice bran) into a heavy pot to a safe depth and preheat to 170 ℃ (340 °F). No thermometer? Drip a bit of batter into the oil, it should sink partway, then float back up with steady, fine bubbles. If it blasts apart on the surface, it’s too hot. If it sinks to the bottom, it’s not hot enough. Keep the batter chilled between batches to maintain crispness.
ii. Lift each marinated piece, let excess marinade drip, dip into batter, then lower into the oil away from you. Fry 4 minutes total, turning halfway, until lightly golden and the bubbling shifts from vigorous to a gentle crackle.
Work in small batches so the oil rebounds quickly.
iii. Transfer pieces to a wire rack so air circulates and steam escapes. Don’t stack or cover.
Paper towels can blot, but prolonged contact traps steam and softens the crust. Racks keep the underside crisp.
i. Stir together soy sauce and rice vinegar with kabosu juice if available (yuzu, lime, or lemon are great substitutes). A dab of karashi mustard on the side is classic in Ōita and cuts the richness of the fry.
ii. Dip and enjoy!
Essential Tips & Tricks
- Keep Marinade Time Short: Thirty minutes is the sweet spot, enough for flavor and tenderness without turning the texture mushy.
- Use Ice-Cold Batter: Chill both water and egg before mixing. Cold temperatures prevent gluten from forming, creating a light, crisp coating instead of a heavy crust.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: Stop stirring as soon as you see small lumps.
- Monitor Oil Temperature: Fry at 170 ℃ (340 °F) and avoid crowding the pot.
- Drain on a Wire Rack: Skip paper towels. A rack lets steam escape so the crust stays shatter-crisp.
With these simple tips in mind, you’re set for success every time you make tempura chicken.
Storage
Fridge: Store leftover Toriten in an airtight container on a wire rack (set the rack inside the container to prevent sogginess) in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezer: Up to 1 month.
Reheating: Reheat chilled or frozen Toriten in a 180 °C (350 °F) oven or air fryer for 5-8 minutes on a wire rack until hot and crisp.
What to Serve With This Recipe
Japanese Tempura Chicken Q&A
Yes, you can use chicken thigh instead of breast. In fact, in Oita Prefecture (where Toriten originated), people debate whether thigh or breast is better! Thigh meat is naturally juicier and more forgiving if slightly overcooked.
Kabosu is a citrus fruit native to Japan, particularly associated with Oita Prefecture where Toriten originated. It it closely related to yuzu and has a unique tartness similar to lime but with distinctive floral notes. Good substitutes include yuzu juice, lime juice, or a combination of lemon juice with a touch of orange juice to balance the acidity.
If your batter came out heavy or soggy instead of crispy, the most common causes are: the batter wasn’t cold enough, you mixed it too much (developing gluten), the oil wasn’t hot enough, or you overcrowded the cooking pot. Remember that keeping the batter cold throughout the process is essential for preventing gluten formation.
More Japanese Chicken Recipes
- Crispy Japanese Teriyaki Chicken
- Chicken Tatsuta Age (Shallow-fried)
- Yamachan Chicken Wings (Nagoya Style Tebasaki)
- Karami Chicken (Saizeriya Chicken Wings Copycat Recipe)
Ready to expand your cooking repertoire? Check out my roundup of Japanese chicken dishes!
Did You Try This Recipe?
I would love to hear your thoughts!
💬 Leave a review and ⭐️ rating in the comments below. 📷 I also love to see your photos – submit them here!
Japanese Tempura Chicken (Toriten)
Ingredients
- 450 g chicken breast preferable skin-on, or boneless thigh meat
- cooking oil for deep-frying, vegetable, canola, or rice bran
Marinade
- 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tsp grated ginger root fresh, not from tube for best enzyme action
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- 1 tsp sake or dry white wine
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Toriten batter
- 1 egg cold, straight from refrigerator
- 50 ml water ice-cold for crispiest results
- 4 tbsp cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) or cornstarch
Toriten dipping sauce
- 1 tbsp kabosu juice or yuzu, lime, or lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp Japanese mustard (karashi) optional, for authentic Oita style
My recommended brands of ingredients and seasonings can be found in my Japanese pantry guide.
Can’t find certain Japanese ingredients? See my substitution guide here.
Instructions
- Cut 450 g chicken breast into large bitesize pieces.
- Add 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tsp grated ginger root, 1 tsp grated garlic, 1 tsp sake and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil to a mixing bowl, mix well and add the chicken pieces. Mix until the chicken is fully coated, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (I also recommend measuring out the water for the batter at this point and chilling it for 30 minutes too!)
- After 30 minutes, start heating your oil to 170 °C (338 °F). While you wait, gently whisk 1 egg with 50 ml water straight from the fridge, being careful not to let it become too foamy.
- Sift 4 tbsp cake flour and 3 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) into the bowl and mix gently, it's okay if there are small lumps in the batter.
- Once the oil is ready, take the chicken from the fridge. Lift each piece and let the excess marinade drip off before submerging it in the batter and placing it straight in the oil. Deep fry for 4 minutes, turning it halfway through.
- Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil.
- Mix the 1 tbsp kabosu juice (or citrus of your choice), 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 1 tbsp rice vinegar in a small bowl. Place a blob of ¼ tsp Japanese mustard (karashi) on the side of the bowl if you like.
- Serve and enjoy!
Would mirin be an okay substitute for the sake?
You can, but I think a better substitute would be dry white wine or dry sherry. Thanks for your question!
Great recipe! Worked wonders and enjoyed by the whole family. I did the sauce on Yuzu juice instead but it got abit stingy so Ill be more careful next time
Thanks from Sweden
Hi, thank you for trying this recipe and sharing your experience!
Aloha Yuto!
Can you recommend to me a tempura/deep fry pot like the one you use for this recipe? I’m looking for one that is made well and is not too large so that I can use it for two people and not have to waste so much oil (in larger pots I have)?
Mahalo,
Kiyo
Hi Kiyo,
Thank you for the question!
You can actually buy the exact same model that I use (Yoshikawa Tempura Pot) on Amazon.com! You can also check out the tools and equipment I use and recommend on my storefront page!
I hope this answer helps!
Yuto