If you love extra crispy, flavorful chicken, this quick and easy Karaage recipe is for you! It's a Japanese fried chicken that hits the spot and made with simple ingredients. This rivals takeout saving you money and great as a main or snack!
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What is Japanese Karaage?
Japanese Karaage is a popular deep-fried chicken dish made of marinated chicken thighs coated in potato starch and deep fried in oil until golden crispy brown! It's absolutely delicious!
The term 'Karaage' is actually a Japanese cooking method where meat like chicken or fish is deep fried in hot oil. It's served at many Japanese restaurants or Japanese convenience stores as a main dish, side dish or appetizer.
Japanese fried chicken is one of my favourite ways to enjoy chicken because the exterior is so crispy and the meat is packed with flavor!
It's best served as a snack on its own with fresh lemon juice and other dips like kewpie mayo or even a spicy mayo. You can also enjoy it as a main dish with white rice and veggies!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Boneless chicken thighs: or substitute with skin-on chicken thighs with the bone removed. You may use chicken breast but be careful not to over fry it as breast meat dries out quickly.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
- Potato Starch: or substitute with corn starch, or rice flour or tapioca starch. Potato starch offers the best flavor and results for Japanese karaage because it carries a slight potato flavor. Avoid all purpose flour as it won't give you a crispy crust.
- Lemon wedges: for serving. The acid in the lemon juice takes this fried chicken dish to the next level.
Chicken Marinade
- Sake: Any Japanese cooking sake will work for this recipe. You can find at most Asian markets. Sake helps to remove that gamey taste in meat and helps to tenderize the chicken. If you can't have alcohol, sub with rice vinegar.
- Sugar: to balance out the salty flavors in the soy sauce.
- Mirin: a popular sweet rice cooking wine used in Japanese cuisine. It’s sweeter than cooking sake and has a very low alcoholic taste. You can find this at most Asian or Japanese grocers. For a non-alcoholic version, omit and add 1 teaspoon sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of water.
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce. Avoid using dark soy sauce if possible.
- Garlic: this helps to mask any gamey flavors in chicken and offers great taste and aroma.
- Ginger: to tenderize the meat and offers flavor.
- Black pepper: or substitute with white pepper
Note: The Asian market is likely to carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select local grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Use dark meat. Chicken thighs will yield the best results thanks to the fat. It is highly recommended and authentically used. If you have skin-on chicken thighs, even better!
- Use fresh chicken! Since this is the main ingredient perform a smell test on the chicken when you buy it. If it smells off, put it back and get a fresher one. If you can smell the gamey odor you will taste it too.
- Dice chicken thighs into equal bite size pieces. This ensures an even cooking time per piece. I usually like to dice each thigh into six cube like pieces.
- Let the chicken rest in the coating for 15 minutes if possible and shake off any excess starch before frying. This prevents the chicken from having a white coating on the golden crust as the moisture from the chicken moistens the starch.
- Do not overcrowd your pan and fry in small batches to maintain oil temperature.
- Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying the chicken or you won't get that crispy crust. Use a digital instant read thermometer for 350 F or a wooden utensil and look for bubbles.
- Double fry the chicken for 1 minute if you have time. This results in an even crispier coating!
Instructions
- First dice chicken thighs into bite size pieces, about 1.5-inch wide pieces. If you have skin on thighs, leave the skin on. Transfer cubed chicken to a large bowl.
- Then to your large bowl of diced chicken, add Marinade ingredients as listed. Massage marinade into meat until well combined. Tip: For best results, let this marinate for 15 minutes.
- Next in a separate large mixing bowl, add potato starch. Dredge a few pieces of marinated chicken into the starch until well coated. Repeat this process until all pieces are coated. Transfer the coated chicken to a large plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- In a heavy bottomed pot or deep fryer on medium high heat, heat vegetable oil or any neutral frying oil to 350 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. To check if oil is hot without a thermometer, place a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for bubbles.
- Next fry chicken in small batches and do not over crowd the pan. Spreading the pieces apart. Fry until golden crispy brown, about 3-4 minutes total flipping over half way.
- Then remove fried chicken with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or baking sheet lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Enjoy fried chicken with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over top!
Storage
- Karaage is best consumed fresh for that crispy texture. However, leftovers can last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, air fry or bake at 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes until warm.
- Freezer friendly? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or in the air fryer or oven at 350 F until hot.
Pairing Suggestions
Karaage serves well with:
- white rice or brown rice
- miso soup
- Japanese crab corn salad or salad with Japanese ginger salad dressing
- shrimp tempura, panko shrimp or ebi mayo
- sesame soba noodles
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave for a few minutes or in the air fryer or oven at 350 F until hot.
There are a few reasons for non-crispy karaage and they can include: uneven coating on the chicken, oil temperature being too low (aim for at least 325-350 F), or not frying in small batches and overcrowding the oil thus reducing the oil temperature.
Once the chicken lowers to room temperature, a white coating may appear on the chicken and don't worry, this is just deep fried starch. To avoid this from happening, let the coated chicken rest in the starch so the moisture can moisten it and shake off any excess starch.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs or use skin-on boneless thighs for even better results
- 2 cups vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 cup potato starch or cornstarch/rice flour or tapioca starch
- 1 lemon for serving (highly recommended!)
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon sake or sub with Dry Sherry Wine or rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce not dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic grated
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- First dice chicken thighs into bite size pieces, about 1.5-inch wide pieces. If you have skin on thighs, leave the skin on. Transfer cubed chicken to a large bowl.
- Then to your large bowl of diced chicken, add Marinade ingredients as listed. Massage marinade into meat until well combined. Tip: For best results, let this marinate for 15 minutes.
- Next in a separate large mixing bowl, add potato starch. Dredge a few pieces of marinated chicken into the starch until well coated. Repeat this process until all pieces are coated. Transfer the coated chicken to a large plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- In a heavy bottomed pot or deep fryer on medium high heat, heat vegetable oil or any neutral frying oil to 350 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. To check if oil is hot without a thermometer, place a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for bubbles.
- Next fry chicken in small batches and do not over crowd the pan. Spreading the pieces apart. Fry until golden crispy brown, about 3-4 minutes total flipping over half way.
- Then remove fried chicken with a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack or baking sheet lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Enjoy fried chicken with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over top!
Kay
So yummy! I marinated while prepping my vegetables, and then was good to go - I used Korean fried pancake flour (it has a number of ingredients including cornstarch) and they were lovely. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your positive review with me, Kay! I am so glad you enjoyed it with the substitution. That sounds like a great idea 🙂
Nedler
I will try it
christieathome
Thanks and I hope you enjoy it!
Amanda
this was so crispy and delicious! I can't wait to make it again! Easy recipe to follow.