Enjoy the classic Japanese fried chicken dish — karaage. Marinated chicken dredged in starch then fried until it turns deliciously crispy.
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The term ‘karaage’ is most commonly known to refer to the Japanese fried chicken dish that so many of us love. However, it originally stands for the Japanese cooking method of deep frying different types of food, such as meat, fish, squid, and even vegetables!
But with chicken becoming the most popular ingredient of choice, it became synonymous with the name ‘karaage’.
It’s an easy and comforting meal that works great as an appetizer, a snack, or a side dish for your main course. So simple and flavorful, it takes about 35 minutes to make!
Chicken Karaage
Bite-sized chicken pieces are mixed in a marinade before dredged in either flour, starch, or a mixture of both, then fried until it turns golden brown.
The marinade is normally made from a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sake. For this recipe though, sake is substituted with equal parts of apple cider vinegar and honey.
Crispy Chicken
When it comes to achieving a deliciously crispy chicken, dredging it in potato starch or corn starch is key. You can opt to go for a combination of all-purpose flour and starch, but I find that using just the starch works best for me.
Potato starch is a common ingredient used in Japan for frying, though it might not be as easily available elsewhere. Corn starch is a great alternative to get some crispy chicken.
Ingredients
(For full ingredient measurements, please proceed to the recipe card below.)
- Chicken thighs
- Potato/corn starch
Marinade
- Light soy sauce
- Black pepper
- Rice vinegar/apple cider vinegar
- Honey
- Garlic
- Ginger (optional)
Other ingredients
- Lemon wedges
- Spicy mayo
Instructions
- Marinate the cut chicken thighs with all the ingredients for the marinade and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Coat each piece of chicken with potato/corn starch and shallow fry in batches until golden brown on each side.
- Place chicken on a cooling rack/paper towel to drain the oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the karaage if needed.
- Serve with lemon wedges and spicy mayo. Enjoy!
Notes for Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
- Traditionally, sake is used but I substituted it with equal parts of apple cider vinegar and honey. You can use either or omit it out.
- You can deep fry the chicken instead of shallow frying. Double fry for extra crispiness.
- You can be creative and use any toppings or garnishing you want.
More Chicken Recipes
- Ayam Geprek (Smashed Fried Chicken)
- Fried Turmeric Chicken (Ayam Goreng Kunyit)
- Cheesy Korean Fried Chicken
- Chicken Katsudon (Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl)
- Chicken Katsu Sandwich Sliders
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Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage) – No Mirin or Sake
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb chicken thighs cut to preferred size
- 1.5 cups potato/corn starch more if needed
Marinade
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar/apple cider vinegar see notes
- 1/2 tbsp honey see notes
- 3 cloves minced/grated garlic
- 1/2 inch grated ginger optional
Other ingredients
- lemon wedges
- spicy mayo for sauce
Instructions
- Marinate the cut chicken thighs with all the ingredients for the marinade and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Coat each piece of chicken with potato/corn starch and shallow fry in batches until golden brown on each side.
- Place chicken on a cooling rack/paper towel to drain the oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the karaage if needed.
- Serve with lemon wedges and spicy mayo. Enjoy!
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