Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

Japanese chicken karaage is basically fried chicken, but with a twist. The word karaage (pronounced kah-raa-geh) refers to the Japanese method of frying, and there’s one main difference between it and other fried foods. If the meat is seasoned, then coated with flour, it's karaage. If the meat is coated with a seasoned flour, then it's fried chicken. Beyond the semantics, we love it because it’s a quick and easy way to jazz up one of our favorite foods, using ingredients you’re already using at home.

Traditionally, chicken karaage is prepared by deboning skin-on chicken thighs. If you’ve got a good relationship with your butcher or are comfortable deboning your own chicken, go for it! If not, easier-to-find boneless, skinless chicken thighs are what we use here, to great success. You could also use breast meat, but be warned, it won’t be as juicy. Chicken karaage is also often fried solely in potato starch. Here, we’ve used a combo of easier-to-find flour and cornstarch, which does just as good a job at creating the perfectly crunchy fried exterior. Make sure to shake off any excess flour/cornstarch mixture before frying to avoid it settling in the pot and burning.

If you want to really guarantee the best crispy, crunchy exterior, fry twice! Fry all the chicken pieces first at 325F for 3 minutes, then remove to sheet rack. Bring the oil temperature up to 350F and fry for 1 more minute, until golden brown. You might never go back to single frying after you try this!

You can serve these with Kewpie mayo as appetizers or a snack, or alongside some veggies (chili smashed cucumbers, maybe?) and rice for dinner. Whatever you do, don’t skip the squeeze of lemon! It helps the marinade shine through after frying, and makes the flavor of this fried chicken pop. 

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below.