Japanese🥩 Meat

Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage)

Name: Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage)
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs; 10 g fresh ginger, grated; 10 g garlic, grated; 20 g soy sauce; 5 g sesame oil; 20 g mirin; 20 g sake or white wine; 8 g salt; 30 g cornstarch; 3 g MSG; 200 g Kewpie mayonnaise; 10 g seasoned rice vinegar; 5 g togarashi (Japanese chili powder); 10 g chili oil; 500 g potato starch; ~2 quarts high smoke point oil for frying (canola, avocado, or light olive oil); ~½ head shredded cabbage; ~2 lemon wedges

⏱ 50 min

Japanese karaage is a light, umami-packed fried chicken with an extraordinarily crispy texture. Using a three-step frying process and potato starch coating creates an incredibly brittle exterior, served alongside spicy Japanese mayonnaise and lemon.

Adapted from a video by Brian Lagerstrom

Very Good Japanese Fried Chicken Recipe

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

boneless, skinless chicken thighs2 lb
fresh ginger, grated10 g
garlic, grated10 g
soy sauce20 g
sesame oil5 g
mirin20 g
sake or white wine20 g
salt8 g
cornstarch30 g
MSG3 g
Kewpie mayonnaise200 g

Steps

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1
Cut the chicken thighs into four equal-sized pieces, each roughly 1.5 inches across. Place them in a bowl.
2
Grate the ginger directly into the bowl with the chicken, followed by the garlic. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, sake or white wine, salt, cornstarch, and MSG. Mix thoroughly until the chicken is evenly coated with a slightly pasty marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 24 hours.
3
Combine Kewpie mayonnaise, seasoned rice vinegar, togarashi, and chili oil in a separate bowl. Stir until smooth and set aside.
4
Finely shred the cabbage and set it aside for serving.
5
Fill a heavy-bottomed pot halfway with oil (about 2 quarts) and heat to 325°F (160°C).
6
Pour potato starch into a bowl and spray with water 30-ish times to moisten it into a lumpy, wet texture. Add half the marinated chicken and toss to coat thoroughly. Working one piece at a time, hand-bread by pressing moistened starch onto both sides of each piece and squeezing gently to help the craggy bits adhere. Shake off excess starch.
7
Using a spider strainer, carefully lower the coated chicken into the hot oil. Fry for about 2.5 minutes until lightly golden. Remove with the spider and drain on a wire rack for about 1 minute.
8
Return the chicken to the oil for a second fry for about 90 seconds until medium brown. Remove and rest on the wire rack for 1 minute.
9
Fry the chicken a third time for about 90 seconds until deep golden brown with a reddish-brown hue. Remove and drain on the wire rack.
10
Keep the first batch warm in a 200°F oven on a sheet tray while breading and frying the second batch of chicken, which takes about 6-8 minutes.
11
Plate the fried chicken on a bed of finely shredded cabbage and serve with a dollop of spicy Japanese mayonnaise and a lemon wedge.

Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage)

Ingredients

Steps

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