Karaage Chicken
Karaage is Japan's answer to fried chicken: bite-sized thigh pieces marinated in soy sauce, sake, garlic, and ginger, then dredged in potato starch and double-fried for a shatteringly crisp crust around juicy meat. It's a beer-hall and bento-box favorite loved for its bold seasoning and craggy, crunchy exterior.
By YumYum Editorial · Japanese
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 20 min · Total: 40 min · Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3/4 cup potato starch
- 3 cups neutral oil, for frying
- 1 lemon wedge, for serving
- 1 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the chicken with soy sauce, sake, mirin, grated ginger, garlic, and sesame oil.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight for deeper flavor.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting excess liquid drip off, and toss the pieces in potato starch until well coated.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot to 325°F (165°C).
- Fry the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes until pale golden and just cooked through; drain on a rack.
- Let the oil come back up to 350°F (175°C), then fry each batch again for 1-2 minutes until deep golden brown and shatteringly crisp.
- Drain briefly on paper towels or a rack.
- Serve hot with a lemon wedge to squeeze over and Japanese mayonnaise on the side.