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).