Go Back
–+ servings

Japanese Chicken Nanban (with Homemade Tartar Sauce)

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 2 portions

Ingredients 
 

Tartar Sauce

  • 1 small pickled gherkin
  • ⅛ yellow onions
  • 1 hard-boiled egg
  • ½ tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • ¼ tsp dried parsley

Nanban Sauce

Chicken

  • 300 g boneless chicken thigh boneless, skin-on preferred
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) or corn starch
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil flavourless, high smoke point like vegetable oil or canola
  • 1 bunch chili threads optional garnish
  • 4-6 lettuce leaves optional for serving

Instructions 

  • Start by finely dicing 1 small pickled gherkin, 1 hard-boiled egg and 1 hard-boiled egg and placing them in a mixing bowl. 
    Finely diced pickled gherkin, onion and boiled egg on a wooden chopping board
  • Add ½ tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp tomato ketchup, ¼ tsp dried parsley and 1 pinch salt and pepper to the bowl.
    Japanese tartar sauce ingredients in a steel mixing bowl
  • Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
    Japanese tartar sauce mixed in a steel mixing bowl
  • Transfer the tartar sauce to a sealable container and chill in the fridge until its time to serve.
    Japanese tartar sauce in a glass jar
  • To make the nanban sauce, take a small bowl and mix 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 1½ tbsp rice vinegar together. Set aside for later.
    Chicken nanban sauce mixed in a glass bowl
  • Cut 300 g boneless chicken thigh into bitesize pieces and place them in a bowl. Add 1 pinch salt and pepper and 1 tbsp all-purpose flour and mix until the chicken pieces are evenly covered.
    Chicken thigh coated in flour
  • Crack 1 egg into the bowl and mix until the chicken is fully coated in the egg.
    Chicken thigh mixed with egg
  • Add the 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) and mix until well incorporated and lump-free.
    Adding potato starch to chicken and egg in a steel mixing bowl
  • Heat a pan on medium. Once hot, add 2 tbsp cooking oil and swirl it around until evenly coated. Add the chicken and fry for 3 minutes on each side.
    Chicken thigh with fluffy egg batter in a frying pan
  • Once the chicken is cooked through, turn the heat down to medium-low, push the chicken to one side and wipe away the excess oil with kitchen paper.
    Wiping excess oil out of the frying pan using kitchen paper
  • Add the nanban sauce and move the chicken around the pan until each piece is fully coated.
    Pouring nanban sauce into the pan
  • Once the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy, remove the pan from the heat.
    Fried chicken coated in nanban sauce
  • Arrange 4-6 lettuce leaves on a serving plate (optional) and make a mountain of chicken in the middle.
    Chicken nanban stacked on top of lettuce leaves
  • Top with a generous amount of tartar sauce and 1 bunch chili threads for decoration.
    Chicken nanban topped with homemade tartar sauce and chili threads
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Leftover tartar sauce can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
I recommend serving chicken nanban with rice.