If you’re looking for a tasty weekend recipe then you need to tuck into this Japanese fried chicken also known as chicken karaage or karaage chicken. This crispy chicken goes well with steamed rice or can be served as a starter or party food for sharing.
The first time I tried chicken karaage was from a Japanese restaurant near home. It came served with sticky rice and a spicy creamy sauce which really impressed me. I love to try different recipes at home so one day decided to try and make my own after finding out what key ingredients were used. Many of the flavours, I was able to identify through taste especially the strong garlic and ginger which are what makes this chicken distinctive from other crispy chicken recipes. This recipe includes a simple sriracha mayo which goes perfect with this chicken and gives it a slightly spicy kick.
Does Chicken Karaage use Eggs?
Most fried chicken recipes use egg to help the breading adhere to the chicken but not with Japanese karaage chicken. For this recipe, the chicken is seasoned and marinated then coated in potato starch before being cooked. The potato starch is extremely fine which helps it to stay on the chicken when cooked.
Can I use Cornstarch instead of Potato Starch for Chicken Karaage?
The coating on chicken karaage is usually light and crispy which differentiates it from other fried chicken recipes. To get a crispy texture, potato starch is commonly used to coat the chicken. Some recipes for karaage chicken use cornflour (cornstarch) which is fine but will produce a crunchy texture rather than the authentic crispy texture that we are looking for in karaage chicken.
Ingredients for Chicken Karaage
Please find the full list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of the post.
For Chicken
- Chicken thighs - to make this Japanese fried chicken recipe, I use skinless and boneless thighs as they have more flavour. Chicken breasts can be used instead if you prefer.
- Salt - salt is optional.
- Pepper - use good quality black pepper.
- Garlic - I use garlic purée but you can use grated fresh garlic.
- Ginger - I use ginger purée but you can use grated fresh ginger.
- Sugar - use a little of any sugar to give a slightly sweet flavour.
- Soy sauce - use light soy sauce.
- Rice wine vinegar - or sake
- Potato starch – potato starch can be found in many health food stores.
- Vegetable oil – use any neutral flavoured oil for cooking.
For Sauce
- Mayonnaise - I use a reduced fat variety.
- Sriracha - mix with the mayo for a creamy spicy sauce.
How to Make Chicken Karaage
1. Cut the chicken into small pieces and add them to a bowl. To the bowl with the chicken, add the salt, black pepper, garlic purée, ginger purée, sugar, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Mix well so the chicken is coated with the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. You can also place the chicken into a zip lock bag then refrigerate. Refrigerate the chicken for around 2 hours.
2. Remove the chicken from the fridge then pour in the potato starch and mix well. Once all the chicken is coated, set aside for 10 minutes. Add the oil to a heavy duty pan and heat on a medium to high heat until slightly sizzling.
3. Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as you can ensuring there is space between each piece. Cook until the chicken is golden in colour and has cooked through which should take around 7 minutes per batch. While cooking, occasionally turn the chicken to evenly cook. Once cooked, place the chicken on a plate lined with kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process until all the chicken is cooked then set aside while you make the sauce.
4. Combine the mayonnaise with the sriracha and mix well. Now it’s time to enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition based on 1 serving (chicken only) - Calories: 324kcal | Fat: 19.6g | Saturates: 3.1g | Carbs: 19.1g | Sugar: 2.1g | Fibre: 0.6g | Protein: 16.4g | Salt: 2.27g.
Storage
Store any leftover Japanese fried chicken in the fridge and use within 2 days.
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Chicken Karaage – Japanese Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 350g chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon garlic purée
- 2 teaspoon ginger purée
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 75g potato starch
- Vegetable oil for cooking enough to cover chicken
For the Sauce
- 70g mayonnaise
- 15g sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into small pieces and add them to a bowl. To the bowl with the chicken, add the salt, black pepper, garlic purée, ginger purée, sugar, soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Mix well so the chicken is coated with the ingredients. Cover and refrigerate. You can also place the chicken into a zip lock bag then refrigerate. Refrigerate the chicken for around 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge then pour in the potato starch and mix well. Once all the chicken is coated, set aside for 10 minutes. Add the oil to a heavy duty pan and heat on a medium to high heat until slightly sizzling.
- Add as many pieces of chicken to the pan as you can ensuring there is space between each piece. Cook until the chicken is golden in colour and has cooked through which should take around 7 minutes per batch. While cooking, occasionally turn the chicken to evenly cook. Once cooked, place the chicken on a plate lined with kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat the process until all the chicken is cooked then set aside while you make the sauce.
- Combine the mayonnaise with the sriracha and mix well. Now it’s time to enjoy!
Leah says
The flavours in this fried chicken are amazing. I couldn't find potato starch so used corn flour instead.