Karaage- Japanese fried chicken
If you know me personally, fried chicken is what I want to be buried with when I die. Forgo flowers, forgo wreaths, just chicken.. fried chicken.
On that note, you’ll definitely want to try Karaage- Japanese fried chicken. As fast as it is easy to make, this dish is a winner winner.. chicken dinner. Let’s get to cooking!
Prep:
Prep time: 2-3 hours minimum
Cook time: 13 minutes
Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless chicken thigh - diced into roughly 2-inch pieces
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp freshly ground ginger
2 tbsp sake
1 cup potato starch
1 cup flour
cooking(vegetable) oil
Salt to taste
Recipe:
Marinating the chicken
Take a ziplock bag or any food storage container just big enough to fit the chicken pieces; add the soy sauce, sake, and ginger and mix it well. Refrigerate for at least two hours to let the ingredients infuse into the meat and get rid of that raw chicken flavor.
Protip: After marination, let food sit on kitchen counter for 30 minutes before frying it. This brings up the core temp of the marinated meat to room temperature ensuring an even cook when you deep fry.
Frying the chicken
Use enough oil to submerge the chicken while frying. I usually use a smaller saucepan, so it’s less wide, but deeper. That also means you’ll have to cook the chicken in smaller batches.
Heat the oil to around 330 -350F, so on medium-high. While the oil heats, mix the flour, starch, and salt to coat the chicken. You can also use potato starch only to coat the chicken too.
Protip: Getting the temp of the oil right is crucial to good frying. If the temperature is too low, the coating or batter soaks up more oil, making your food greasier. While an overly high temperature cooks/burns the outside too fast, leaving the core undercooked. Check the temperature of your fryer by testing a small piece of the food- you’ll be watching for an immediate sizzle to know the oil is ready.
Coat the chicken in the flour mixture in small batches. I prefer to coat it one at a time so that the coating doesn’t get soggy just sitting there. Cook for roughly 4 minutes or until the chicken turns a warm golden brown.
Serve it in many ways- with a dollop of kewpie and some coleslaw, in a donburi, or simply just by itself . You can find my donburi (Japanese rice bowl) recipe here.
Tag me on Instagram with #nommygod, so I can see your yummy creations!
