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–+ servings

Authentic Chicken Karaage (Crispy Japanese Fried Chicken)

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinating time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients 
 

  • 350 g boneless chicken thigh skin-on, 30-40g pieces
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tbsp ginger root grated
  • 1 tbsp garlic grated
  • ½ tbsp apple grated
  • 1 tbsp sake
  • 1 tsp Japanese mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp shiro dashi alternative: light soy sauce
  • ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder
  • ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp tapioca starch or potato starch/corn starch to mix with marinade
  • 4 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) optional, to make hailstone effect
  • 2 tsp water optional, to make hailstone effect

Instructions 

  • Pat 350 g boneless chicken thigh dry with a paper towel and pierce both sides thoroughly with a fork. 
    piercing chicken thigh with fork
  • Cut into 30-40g (1-1.4oz) pieces and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and massage until all the pieces are evenly seasoned.
    chicken thigh, salt and white pepper in a bowl
  • Add 1 ½ tbsp ginger root, 1 tbsp garlic, ½ tbsp apple, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tsp Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp shiro dashi, ½ tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder and ⅛ tsp ground white pepper to the bowl and mix thoroughly.
    chicken thigh and marinade ingredients in a bowl
  • Next, add 1 tbsp all-purpose flour to the bowl and 1 tbsp tapioca starch, mix until the chicken is evenly coated.
    chicken thigh, flour and starch in a bowl
  • Cover the bowl and rest the chicken in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. 
    chicken thigh coated in batter in a bowl
  • Once the chicken has rested, preheat the oil to 160 °C (320 °F).
    While you wait, add 4 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) to a plate and sprinkle with 2 tsp water. Mix with chopsticks or fork to make clumps of starch for the hailstone effect.
    starch sprinkled with water to make hailstone effect on karaage
  • Remove the chicken from the fridge and lightly coat each piece with the clumpy starch mixture.
    chicken thigh pieces coated in starch
  • Deep fry the chicken for 3 minutes. Do not touch for the first minute or so. After that, turn occasionally to promote even cooking.
    frying karaage in oil
  • Remove the chicken from the oil and rest on a wire rack for 3 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the residual heat.) While the chicken is resting, increase the heat of the oil to 180 °C (356 °F) - 190 °C (374 °F).
    karaage on a wire rack to drain excess oil
  • Once 3 minutes of resting time is up, deep fry the chicken again for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until golden brown all over.
    karaage frying at a higher temperature
  • Transfer to a wire rack to drain the excess oil.
    crispy fried chicken karaage on a wire rack to drain excess oil
  • Serve up and enjoy with a slice of lemon!

Notes

Freeze leftovers for 1-2 months or refrigerate and consume within 2-3 days. Reheat before eating.
If you decide to shallow fry then fry the chicken at the lower temperature for 3 minutes on each side and then 30 seconds on each side at the higher temperature.