Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) is one of the easiest and tastiest fried chicken dishes to make at home. It’s marinated with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sake and it’s coated with a cornstarch crumble that makes it extra crispy.
Karaage is Japanese popcorn chicken and it’s typically made with chicken thighs. My daughter loves Karaage so much that she’ll always ask me for the first fried batch that she can snack on while I fry the rest of the batch. If your family is in the mood for fried chicken, karaage is definitely an easy kid-friendly fried chicken recipe to make at home.
key ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: In Japan, karrage is typically made with skin-on boneless thighs because the skin keeps the karaage crispy on the outside and the meat juicy on the inside. However, to save time, I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken thighs since most skin-on chicken thighs are always sold with bones. The cornstarch crumble acts as a great substitute for the skin and it will give you an extra crispy texture.
- Substitute Option: If you’re not a fan of chicken thighs, you can substitute with chicken breast.
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Sake: Sake is essential to tenderizing the meat so try not to skip this ingredient.
- Substitute Options: dry vermouth, dry white wine
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Cornstarch: Potato starch is most commonly used as a coating for fried foods in Japan. I’ve tried both cornstarch and potato starch and they both yield a crispy texture.
- Deep-Frying Oil: Canola, Vegetable or Safflower oil are great options
key steps for karaage
1. Marinate the Chicken
- Cut the chicken into 2″ inch pieces. I prefer to cut the thighs into bigger pieces and each chicken thigh should yield about 6 pieces.
- Whisk the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and then add the chicken pieces to the marinade. Coat the chicken well in the marinade and then transfer to the refrigerator. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. I prefer to do this part the night before to let the chicken marinate overnight.
2. Bread the Chicken
- Pour a tbsp of water into the cornstarch and mix with a spoon. Repeat this several times until crumbles start to form.
- Then dredge the chicken in the cornstarch crumble.
3. Double Fry the Chicken
- Heat the oil to 350°F over medium-high heat.
- First -Fry: Submerge about 4-5 chicken pieces into the oil and fry for about 2-3 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack. Repeat this step with the remaining chicken.
- Second-Fry: Then heat the oil to 380F. Place 4-5 pieces of the fried chicken back into the oil and deep-fry for about 1-2 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown.
Garlic Lemon Mayo Dip
I love to pair karaage with this delicious garlicky mayo dip which requires only 4-ingredients:
- Kewpie Mayo or regular mayo
- lemon juice
- finely grated garlic
- salt
This mayo dip is also great as a spread on sandwiches!
Easy Crispy Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Ingredients
Karaage (Fried Chicken)
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs Cut into 2" pieces
- 2 tsp ginger finely grated
- 1 large garlic clove finely grated
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup corn starch
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 4 cups neutral frying oil canola, vegetable or safflower oil
Garlic Lemon Mayo Dip
- 1/4 cup Kewpie mayo or regular mayo
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove finely grated
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- In a large bowl, whisk together the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake, black pepper and salt. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and coat the chicken with the marinade. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Marinating overnight will yield more flavor.
Cornstarch Crumble
- Add the cornstarch to a shallow bowl. Gradually add 1 tbsp of water to the cornstarch and mix the water into the cornstarch until crumbles form. Repeat this step about 8 times until half the cornstarch is transformed into crumbles.
Dredge the Chicken
- Once the chicken has been marinated, add the flour and egg to the chicken and mix well.
- Lightly press the chicken into the cornstarch crumble. Shake off any excess cornstarch and transfer it to a wire rack.
Double-Fry the Chicken
- Heat 4 cups of oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Tip: Use a thermometer to check the temperature of your oil. If you don‘t have an instant read thermometer, insert a wooden chopstick into the oil. If small bubbles start to appear around the bottom tip of the chopstick, the oil is ready.
- First-Fry: Gently submerge 4 to 5 chicken pieces in the oil at a time for the first-fry. Be sure not to overcrowd the pot of oil because it will cause the temperature of the oil to drop.
- Fry the chicken for about 2-3 minutes or until the outside of the chicken is a light golden color. If the chicken browns too quickly, lower the heat. Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack to drain the excess oil. Repeat this with the remaining chicken. Tip: Between batches, use a fine-mesh skimmer spoon to strain and clean the oil of any dark crumbs .
- Second-Fry: After all the chicken have been through the first-fry phase, raise the temperature of the oil to 380ºF. Place 4 to 5 pieces of the fried chicken back into the oil and deep-fry for about another 1-2 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Transfer them to a wire rack to drain the excess oil. Continue with the remaining chicken pieces.
- Serve the chicken while it's still hot. Karaage is often served with lemon wedges and a Kewpie mayo-based dipping sauce.
Lemon Garlic Mayo Dip
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, grated garlic, lemon juice and salt. Transfer to a dipping bowl and top with shichimi (a Japanese spice found in most Asian markets or on Amazon).
Made this and it turned out fantastic. I substituted potato starch for corn flour and the crispness was unreal. Flavour and texture was authentic and as good as any I’ve had in a Japanese restaurant. I did find 1cup of starch was not enough so recommend using at least 1.5 when dredging to avoid having to top up midway like I did.
Thank you for your feedback JJ! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.