Japanese karaage fried chicken is a marinated chicken that is double fried to give it a super crispy exterior and a juicy flavorful interior. The marinade uses a few specialty ingredients that can be found online, at a well-stocked grocery store or an Asian grocery store. But I’ve also listed substitutions for them using more common ingredients you might have in the pantry. Keep in mind that if you use the substitutions, the flavor won’t be quite the same, but will still be pretty tasty.
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine asian, Japanese
Keyword chicken, fried, japanese
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Marinade time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Calories 667kcal
Author Irvin
Equipment
candy thermometer
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
1 1/2poundschicken thighsskin on but deboned, 4 to 6 thighs (see note below)
2clovesgarlicminced or grated
4teaspoonsgrated fresh gingerabout a 1-inch piece
1/4cupsakeor dry sherry
1/4cupsoy sauceor gluten free tamari if that’s a concern
2tablespoonsmirin winesubstitute dry sherry or dry white wine and add 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
Coating
2cupspotato starchor cornstarch
1teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoonwhite pepperor black pepper
Cooking oil to fry
To serve
Kewpie mayo
Lemon wedges
Fried shishito peppers
Instructions
Cut the chicken thighs into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a gallon resealable Ziploc bag.
Combine the remaining marinade ingredients together and pour over the thighs. Seal the bag, then “massage” the chicken to make sure the marinade is thoroughly mixed in with the chicken. Marinade the chicken for 30 minutes to 60 minutes on the counter at room temperature.
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, whisk together the potato starch, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour enough cooking oil to fill a saute pan 1 1/2-inch deep. Heat the oil to 325°F.
Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. When the oil is at the right temperature, place 4 or 5 pieces of chicken into the coating bowl and toss to coat with chopsticks or tongs.
Move the chicken to the oil and cook for 3 minutes, turning every now and then, making sure the chicken rotates as it cooks. Once the chicken is done, remove from oil and place on wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken, making sure the temperature of the oil has continued to be at 325°F.
When all the chicken is done cooking the first time, increase the heat to bring the oil to 375°F. Once the oil is at that temperature, move 4 or 5 pieces of the cooked chicken back into the oil, for about 1 minute, stirring and rotating as it cooks. Remove from oil and place back on the wire rack or on a dish lined with paper towels. Repeat with the remaining chicken for a second fry.
Serve immediately with mayo and a wedge of lemon if desired.
Notes
You can buy chicken thighs with skin and bones and just remove the bones. Or ask if the butcher at your local grocery store will do it for you. You can also use boneless and skinless chicken thighs (or breasts) if you'd prefer. But the skin adds an extra richness and crunch!