Active Time
40 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes plus marinating
Tori no karaage (a.k.a. Japanese fried chicken) is crispy, juicy, and always keeps you coming back for more. The soy in the marinade gives bite-size pieces of chicken thigh a savory punch, while a dry sake (like this one) imparts tons of floral, nutty flavor. Meanwhile, equal parts all-purpose flour, rice flour, and cornstarch (or potato starch) ensure the crust is crunchy, while dry spices like mustard, garlic, onion, and curry powder make a dipping sauce superfluous. A squeeze of lemon juice, however, cuts through the richness and makes each bite that much more satisfying.
If you’re new to frying, keep a few rules in mind: When in doubt, reach for a bigger pot, and make sure to have ready a plate or tray lined with paper towels to land the chicken once it’s cooked. Even better, fit a wire rack onto a sheet pan and slide it into a warm oven (about 250°) to keep the karaage chicken hot and crispy while you fry the next batch. If you don’t have one, pick up an instant-read thermometer to test the oil temperature periodically while cooking; a spider also comes in handy for fishing this Japanese appetizer out of the fryer.
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published April 11, 2010.
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What you’ll need
Spider
$10 At Amazon
Deep-Fry Thermometer
$29 $16 At Amazon
Large Pot
$55 $48 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 to 6 Servings
1½
¼
2
1½
1¾
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
Preparation
Step 1
Combine sake, soy sauce, scallion, and ginger in a large bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat. Cover and chill at least 4 hours and up to 12 hours.
Step 2
Whisk all-purpose flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 3
Pour vegetable oil into a large pot to a depth of 2". Attach a deep-fry thermometer to side of pot. Heat oil over medium heat to 325°.
Step 4
Drain chicken. Working in batches, dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Working in batches, fry chicken, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, 8–9 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined plate. Let oil return to 325° between batches. Serve with lemon wedges.
Leave a Review
Reviews (43)
Back to Topsuper crispy and excellent seasoning little too much crust per piece
izzy
7/17/2022
While serving in the USAF at Misawa, Japan I was introduced and fell in love with "Japanese fried chicken". I cannot wait to try this recipe. There are differences in this one and the one I brought home with me. The lemon spritz on the finished product was a culinary revelation to me in 1974. That single application taught me to try it on so many other things. And, it is a much more common touch in many recipes today.
Fran
Pittsburgh, PA
4/17/2022
Dear John136 - I believe the ability to print comes with purchasing a subscription. I can print no problem.
Anonymous
Glasgow, United Kingdom
4/17/2022
Delicious!
Barbara
Los Angeles
4/17/2022
If you don't let me print the receipt, I'll never try it. Why even sent it out?
John136
4/17/2022
Dear Anonymous in Topeka, Kansas. Yes, they do mean the dipping sauce is “superfluous”, meaning the chicken is so delicious by itself that you really don’t need a dipping sauce.
Anonymous
4/17/2022
I'm guessing that you don't really mean that the dipping sauce is "superfluous."
Anonymous
topeka,ks
4/17/2022
Better than chicken wings. We make boneless chicken wings in our air-fryer. We can make this dish in our air fryer. We do not use a barrel air-fryer.
Tom Champion
Macomb, MI
4/16/2022
can you make this in an air fryer?
Anonymous
wash dc
4/16/2022
Delicious and easy to cook too!
Sarah Fatima Gow
New York, NY
4/14/2022