Chicken karaage
唐揚げ: crisp, juicy bite-size fried chicken in a light soy and ginger marinade
Nakatsu, a city in Oita prefecture on Kyushu, calls itself the capital of karaage and has dozens of takeaway shops selling it by weight. Across Japan, these bite-size nuggets fill school bento boxes, sit in the hot cabinet of every convenience store and arrive with a squeeze of lemon at izakaya bars. Boneless thigh soaks briefly in soy, ginger and garlic, then a dusting of potato starch fries into a thin, glassy crust. Frying twice keeps the meat juicy and the outside crisp for longer. Chef's tip: once you have tossed the chicken in starch, wait 5 minutes until the coating looks damp in patches, which is what gives that craggy, crunchy finish.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake
- 2 tsp fresh gingerfinely grated
- 1 clove garlicfinely grated
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil, for frying
To serve
- ½ lemoncut into wedges
- 3 ½ oz white cabbage (optional)very finely shredded
- 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cut 1 ⅓ lb boneless chicken thighs, skin on into 4 cm pieces, keeping the skin on each one.
Step 2: Mix 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake, 2 tsp fresh ginger, 1 clove garlic and 1 tsp toasted sesame oil in a bowl, add the chicken and massage the marinade in. Leave for 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to 4 hours in the fridge. Sake contains alcohol; for an alcohol-free marinade, use 1 tbsp water instead.
15 minStep 3: Heat 4 ¼ cups vegetable oil, for frying in a deep, heavy pan to 325°F. Meanwhile drain the chicken, tip 2 ⅛ oz potato starch (katakuriko) or cornflour over it and toss until every piece is coated. Leave for 5 minutes, until the coating looks damp in places.
5 minStep 4: Fry a third of the chicken for 3½ minutes, until pale golden. Common mistake: crowding the pan. Too many pieces at once drop the oil temperature and the crust turns soft and oily. Lift onto a rack and fry the rest in two more batches.
11 minStep 5: Leave the chicken on the rack for 4 minutes. It keeps cooking gently in its own heat while the oil comes up to 375°F.
4 minStep 6: Fry everything again in batches for 1 minute, until deep golden and crackly. Check the largest piece: the centre should reach 165°F/165 °F and the juices run clear. Drain on the rack.
3 minStep 7: Pile onto plates with ½ lemon wedges, a heap of 3 ½ oz white cabbage and a dab of 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise for dipping. Eat hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chicken karaage take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs, skin on?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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