Japanese Fried Chicken – Karaage

Lately, at our house, we’ve been experimenting with chicken. Specifically we’ve been trying various fried chicken recipes! This one has been our absolute favorite, and every step is very well worth it!

Moist, crispy, and flavorful chicken on its own, with a delicious paired Japanese style mayo to accompany it. Enjoy a delicious treat for yourself this week!

This recipe is specifically sized down to happily feed two people as a meal, but can easily feed four or more as an appetizer. These reheat (frying) really well, and are excellent for parties, so doubling the recipe can be well worth it!

Looking for a side to go with this recipe? We specifically tailored this delicious Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw as a light side to pair with this delicious (and surprisingly filling) fried chicken.

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Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage) – with dipping sauce

A fairly straightforward and delicious recipe for either a weeknight treat or a delicious party appetizer.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Resting Time 1 hour hr

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 2

Equipment

• Deep fryer

Ingredients

  

Fried Chicken

• 1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
• ½ Tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 1½ cloves garlic grated
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp mirin
• 1 Tbsp sake or white wine
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp MSG optional, but delicious
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 1-2 cups potato starch
• High smokepoint oil for frying such as peanut or avocado oil

Japanese Mayo dipping sauce

• ¼ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
• ½ tsp rice vinegar
• ½ tsp chili oil
• ¾ tsp togarashi powder

Instructions

 

Prep the Chicken

• Cut the chicken thighs into 1-2 inch pieces, and place in a bowl or ziploc bag.
• Into the chicken add: Ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, sake, salt, cornstarch, and MSG. Mix until well combined and chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate to marinate between 1-8 hours.

Prepare the Japanese Mayo

• In a separate bowl mix mayo, rice vinegar, togarashi, and chili oil. Stir until fully mixed. Refrigerate until serving.

Frying the Chicken

• Heat frying oil to 325℉
• Place the potato starch in a bowl, and spritz lightly with water to moisten and mix to incorporate. Gently toss the marinated chicken pieces to coat thoroughly, and gently shake off excessive starch.
• Gently lower the chicken into the hot oil, frying in batches. Frying half at a time you can keep frying the second half of the chicken during the resting periods detailed below. The fry/rest pattern will result in crispier chicken.
• Fry for 3 minutes, remove and allow to rest a minute. Return chicken to oil and fry for 1-2 minutes until medium brown, remove and allow to rest a minute. Return to oil one final time and fry for 1-2 minutes until very crispy and darker golden brown.
• Serve while hot with Japanese mayo dipping sauce.