Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage Chicken)

Ingredients

• 350 g chicken thigh fillets (Cut into large bite-size pieces; skin-on or skinless may be used.)
• 20 g corn flour (cornstarch) (For coating the chicken.)
• vegetable oil (For deep frying; use enough to reach a depth of about 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ inches).)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (For the marinade.)
• 1 tbsp cooking sake (For the marinade.)
• 0.5 tsp mirin (For the marinade.)
• 2 tsp fresh ginger (Freshly grated, including its juice; for the marinade.)
• shredded lettuce or cabbage (For serving.)
• parsley (Sprigs, for decoration if using.)

Steps

1. 1

   Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Put the chicken and the soy sauce, cooking sake, mirin, and freshly grated ginger into a ziplock bag or bowl.

2. 2

   Massage the bag or mix well in the bowl so every piece is coated with the marinade. Marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. 3

   Heat enough vegetable oil in a deep pot or pan to reach 160°C/320°F. The oil should be about 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ inches) deep.

4. 4

   While the oil heats, drain excess marinade from the chicken. Place the pieces on paper towels to remove excess liquid, then transfer them to a bowl.

5. 5

   Sprinkle the corn flour over the chicken and turn the pieces until every surface is coated.

6. 6

   Fry the chicken in batches. Add several pieces to the oil one at a time and fry for about 2½–3 minutes. Move the pieces around as needed because they may stick to the bottom of the pot or pan.

7. 7

   Remove the chicken from the oil and rest it on paper towels for at least 3–4 minutes. Repeat the first fry and resting process with the remaining chicken pieces.

8. 8

   Skim any flour crumbs from the oil, if present, and increase the oil temperature to 190–200°C/374–392°F.

9. 9

   Return the chicken to the oil in batches and fry for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until golden brown and crunchy. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

10. 10

    Serve immediately with shredded lettuce or cabbage and parsley sprigs for decoration, if using.

Notes

The recipe card lists 5 minutes of preparation, 20 minutes of cooking, and 25 minutes total; the marinating step is separately stated as 30 minutes to 1 hour. Double-frying is the key to a crunchy exterior and juicy interior. The source notes that plain flour or an equal mixture of corn flour and plain flour can also be used. Oil-temperature control is important: oil that is too hot during the first fry can brown the outside before the chicken cooks, while oil that is too cool during the second fry can make the chicken oily. Nutrition information in the source assumes vegetable oil absorption of about 8% of the chicken's weight and excludes the garnish.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Japanese
• fried
• deep-fried
• chicken
• double-fried
• crispy
• dairy-free