Imagine this: golden, crispy chicken bites that have the most satisfying crunch with your first bite, which gives you access to a warm, flavorful center made with a blend of soy, garlic and ginger. That’s chicken karaage, a Japanese twist on fried chicken that is as scrumptious as comforting. Whether it’s served warm with dried lemon on top, or combined with beer, or stored in a bento box, karaage is a global lovestory in the making.
Are you excited to discover the nuances of Japan’s most popular crispy chicken? Now, let’s get started! This guide will walk you through the steps of making and cooking chicken karaage and offer some helpful hints to improve the process.
What is Karaage?
Karaage is a Japanese cooking method that involves deep-frying various items in oil, mostly chicken but sometimes other meats and seafood. A mixture of flour and corn or potato starch is used to lightly coat small pieces of fish or meat, which are then fried in a light oil. The meals are marinated before coating. The procedure is different from that of tempura, which is not marinated and is coated with a batter. Karaage is commonly served on its own or with rice and shredded cabbage.
A Brief History of Karaage
Karaage is a type of frying that was first mentioned at the end of the 17th century during the Genroku period. During the 1930s, chicken karaage gained popularity as a “Chinese-style” restaurant dish. Newspapers and publishers in Japan vary greatly regarding the proper kanji, therefore some write it phonetically as からあげ.
When used without a modifier, karaage often refers to the chicken version of the meal; this has been the most common use of the cooking style since producing karaage at home became more popular following World War II. Karaage gained popularity in Ōita Prefecture, particularly in adjacent cities Usa and Nakatsu, following the war.
More than 60 different stores participate in Nakatsu’s annual Karaage Festival, offering their own takes on the meal. Throughout Japan, stores that promote “Nakatsu karaage” can be found.
In Japan, fast-food restaurants like Lawson, FamilyMart, and 7-Eleven frequently provide chicken karaage. It is also widely accessible in food kiosks throughout Japan.
How to Make Chicken Karaage: Chicken Karaage Recipe
Anyone may enjoy this recipe for karaage fried chicken because it just requires a few ingredients to produce juicy, crispy chicken. Let’s start with the ingredients you’ll need!
Key Ingredients for Karaage
Chicken
In Japan, karaage is usually cooked with skin-on boneless chicken thighs, which have greater flavor than chicken breast. However, if you absolutely want to use your breasts, that is fine.
Skin-on chicken thighs are never marketed without bones in the United States. I generally have my local butcher cut the bones for me to save time. Why do we need to put skin-on? The karaage is kept juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside by the skin.
Marinade/Seasonings
Karaage comes in a wide variety of marinades and seasonings, so it’s completely up to you. I constantly alter my a little bit. But soy sauce, sake, and ginger should always be part of the main basis.
While ginger adds zest and eliminates the gamey taste, sake aids in tenderizing the meat.
Here are a few alternatives for the seasonings:
- Garlic
- Sesame oil
- Mirin
- Oyster sauce
- Curry powder
- Egg yolk
- Japanese mayonnaise
Try a variety of ingredients and see what suits you best!
Coating
By experimenting with various ratios, you can work with this additional flexibility:
- Flour – you can choose cake flour (lighter shell) or all-purpose flour (easy to find in the US).
- Potato starch
- Flour + potato starch
- Rice flour + potato starch
My recipe calls for equal amounts of potato starch and all-purpose flour. I dredge the chicken in flour before coating it with potato starch. The potato starch will give the outer a crisp texture, while the flour will keep the marinade and ingredients inside the shell. The flour and starch can be premixed, but for optimal results, I prefer to dreg in two steps!
Potato starch vs. Corn starch
The most popular application of potato starch in Japan is as a coating for fried meals. If you have problems locating potato starch, maize starch is a good alternative because it is much simpler to locate in ordinary grocery stores here in the US.
In contrast, I discovered that karaage prepared using potato starch has a crispier texture and skin. You can see the difference between these two starches if you rub them between your hands.
Deep-Frying Oil
My recommendation for deep frying oil includes:
- Canola oil
- Safflower oil
- Rice bran oil
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Infrared Thermometer or Candy Thermometer
Ingredients
Chicken
▢ 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into 1″ pieces
▢ 4 cloves garlic, grated
▢ 1 tbsp ginger, grated
▢2 tbsp light soy sauce
▢ 1 tbsp sake
▢ 1 tsp sesame oil
▢ 1/2 tsp white pepper
▢ 1/2 tsp salt
▢ 1 cup potato starch
▢ neutral oil, for frying; I used avocado oil
▢ lemon wedge, optional
Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce
▢ 4 tbsp Japanese mayo
▢ 2 tbsp sriracha
▢ 2 cloves garlic, grated
▢ 1 tbsp lemon juice
▢ 1/4 tsp salt
▢ 1/4 tsp black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions for Recipe for Chicken Karaage
1. Cut the Chicken
To make this recipe, start by chopping the chicken into 1-inch pieces. To ensure consistent cooking, make sure each piece is sliced to a comparable size.
2. Marinate the Chicken
Then, add the chopped chicken thigh, soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, salt, black pepper, and grated ginger and garlic to a bowl. Using your hands, thoroughly mix, then marinate for at least an hour in the refrigerator (overnight for optimal flavor and results).
3. Coat in Potato Starch
The secret to delicious Japanese fried chicken is potato starch or katakuriko. Instead of using flour or cornstarch, the potato starch gives the chicken a beautifully light crust. I search for this brand in my Asian market.
Once the chicken has marinated, coat it with the potato starch and press the dredging into it to ensure it adheres. The chicken shouldn’t have any bald spots on it! Finally, while you heat the oil, put it on a baking sheet to rest.
4. Fry
The most crucial factor to consider while frying chicken is the temperature of the oil. Fry the chicken in stages while keeping the oil temperature at 350°F to prevent it from falling below 300°F. Remove a portion of the chicken and cook it in tiny batches if the oil temperature falls too low because the chicken won’t get crispy.
5. Double Fry
Fry the chicken at 350°F for 4–5 minutes. To make the chicken EXTRA CRISPY, remove it and allow the oil temperature to recover to 350°F before frying it a second time.
As you prepare the Spicy Garlic Sauce, let the chicken rest on a wire rack.
6. Optional – Make the Spicy Mayo
Make sure you use Japanese mayo for the dipping sauce, which is prepared solely from egg yolks, as opposed to regular American mayonnaise, which uses the entire egg. This dipping sauce is enhanced by the lemon’s freshness, which goes well with the salty, crispy chicken.
After thoroughly combining the ingredients, serve them with the freshly fried Chicken Karaage! This dipping sauce requires Sriracha and Kewpie Mayo!
Recipe Tips
Let’s explore some of the recipe tips.
Bring Your Dredge
Check for bald areas on your chicken and make sure the coating is packed well. We love fried chicken for its crispness, and this will give it that! Before frying, shake off excess.
Temperature of Oil
When frying, keep your oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees Fahrenheit. I strongly advise you to monitor the temperature with a thermometer. Fry your chicken in batches if you notice it falling below 325F. Low-temperature frying will produce an excessive amount of moisture or SOGGY!
Lemon Juice
Before eating, I prefer to squeeze some lemon juice over the karaage, although this is completely up to me. In my opinion, the lemon juice adds a pleasant acidity and brightness that harmonizes well with the fried chicken. If you haven’t done this before, give it a shot!
Secret to Crispy Karaage
Pure potato starch, in my opinion, is the key to karaage that is incredibly crispy. Although I’m not renowned for my thorough and comprehensive recipe testing, I conducted countless tests and trials with almost every imaginable combination of starch alternatives; the most successful ones were made with potato starch, rice flour, cornstarch, wheat flour, and so on. Don’t buy potato flour by mistake; it’s not the same thing and won’t work the same way. Cornstarch is the next best thing, in my opinion, if you can’t locate potato starch, which you can.
In addition to the coating starch, the marinade varies from recipe to recipe, but most of them include the ingredients I used, plus or minus a dash of mirin. Feel free to try out different ratios. In my opinion, marinating for two to three hours is ideal, but as I mentioned in the video, marinating for one to ten hours is also acceptable. I hope you find some potato starch and try this amazing fried chicken soon, regardless of how long your soak takes. Have fun!
What does Karaage Taste Like?
Let’s know what does it taste like”
Savory and Umami
Soy sauce, ginger, and garlic are frequently added to the marinade, which enhances the umami flavor.
Crispy and Juicy
There is typically a pleasing textural contrast between the exterior, which is typically very crispy, and the interior, which is still soft and juicy.
Aromatic
It has a fragrant aspect that improves the flavor due to the use of ingredients like ginger and garlic.
Slightly Sweet and Tangy
If mirin or sake is used, there may be faint hints of sweetness and tanginess, depending on the marinade.
All things considered, karaage is a well-liked meal in Japan and abroad because it provides a delectable blend of flavors and textures.
How to Enjoy Karaage?
1. Choose Your Venue
Great places to obtain karaage include izakaya, karaage senmonten (specialty stores), washoku and youshoku restaurants, and street food vendors. Convenience stores even carry it!
2. Choose Your Flavor
Karaage is available in shoyu (soy sauce) and shio (salt) varieties at practically every Japanese fried chicken restaurant. Before frying, karaage is steeped in these marinade bases. But a typical eatery, izakaya, or street vendor might only provide plain, salt, or shio flavors.
Negi (onion), lemon, nanban (halfway between tartar sauce and egg salad), tare (we usually think of that as a sweet teriyaki glaze), and Japanese mayonnaise are typical toppings.
3. Choose Your Cut
There is no poor cut of karaage chicken, whether you want the traditional juicy momo thigh meat, a bite-sized white meat mune, crispy chicken-wing tebasaki, or a whole new sensory sensation with chewy-crunchy cartilage!
4. Add on Drinks and Sides
With what do you eat karaage? If you’re curious about what karaage “goes with,” you might be shocked to learn that it’s typically consumed in a manner similar to how a chicken nugget or tender dish might be presented overseas.
Rice, miso soup, and cabbage are typically served with karaage teishoku dishes rather than fries and a side of steamed broccoli. Karaage is an excellent drinking companion. Its crispy saltiness goes nicely with Japanese beers like Kirin or Asahi, light lagers, and cervezas.
What is the Difference Between Karaage and Fried Chicken?
It’s complicated since fried chicken isn’t what karaage is. Yes, fried chicken is not the same as karaage, which is chicken meat cooked in hot oil. The preparation technique that gives karaage its unique position on the Japanese menu is where the difference lies. There are a few important requirements:
Karaage is marinated. The marinade must be the source of Karaage’s distinct flavor. In contrast, the flavor of fried chicken is primarily derived from the seasoning in the batter or from sauces or toppings that are added later. The National Karaage Association makes a clear distinction between shio tare, or salt marinade, and shoyu tare, or soy sauce marinade, when voting on karaage.
In batter, karaage is not dredged. In contrast to katsu, which utilizes panko (breadcrumbs), or tempura, which uses a wet batter, karaage, in theory, only employs dry coatings. Rice flour, wheat flour, maize starch, and potato starch are all utilized; each has a distinct texture and outcome. However, the frying method used in karaage consistently results in light, crispy exteriors, a juicy core, and an irregular surface texture.
Karaage is a great option wherever you go because it looks and tastes a lot like fried chicken, especially for families with finicky eaters.
Is Karaage the Best Fried Chicken?
Karaage must be at or close to the top of the list of the best fried chicken recipes ever created. Even more amazing is the fact that there are no skin or bones involved, making this Japanese fried chicken crispy, juicy, and incredibly tasty. But not all karaage recipes are made equal, and how and what you use to coat your chicken pieces greatly influences how amazing they turn out.
Variations of Chicken Karaage
Karaage Chicken, while rooted in traditional Japanese flavors, has evolved into numerous variations to suit different tastes and culinary styles. Here are some popular variations:
1. Traditional Chicken Karaage
The classic version uses a marinade of soy sauce, sake, ginger, and garlic, coated with potato or cornstarch, and deep-fried until golden.
2. Spicy Karaage
Infused with chili powder or spicy mayo, this version adds a fiery kick to the original recipe.
3. Karaage with a Twist (Flavor Infusions)
Yuzu Karaage: Incorporates yuzu (a Japanese citrus) for a tangy, aromatic flavor.
Miso Karaage: Uses miso paste in the marinade for a deeper, umami-rich profile.
Teriyaki Karaage: Glazed with a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce after frying.
4. Karaage Curry
This variation serves crispy chicken karaage over Japanese curry rice, creating a comforting and hearty dish.
5. Karaage Don (Rice Bowl)
Chicken karaage is served atop a bowl of steamed rice, often accompanied by pickles and a soft-boiled egg.
6. Karaage Tacos or Wraps
A fusion take where chicken karaage is served in a tortilla or flatbread with vegetables and sauces like spicy mayo or sriracha.
7. Karaage Salad
For a lighter option, karaage is added to a fresh salad, offering a balance of crispy chicken and refreshing greens.
8. Vegan or Vegetarian Karaage
Made with tofu, mushrooms, or cauliflower, these alternatives mimic the crispy texture and rich flavors of traditional karaage.
9. Karaage Burgers or Sliders
Chicken karaage is used as the filling for burgers, complemented with toppings like coleslaw, spicy mayo, or pickles.
These variations showcase how karaage has transcended its origins to cater to diverse palates while retaining its signature crispy, juicy essence.
5 Best Restaurants for Chicken Karaage in the UK
Here are five of the best restaurants in the UK where you can enjoy exceptional Chicken Karaage.
Negi & Nori
Renowned for its authentic ramen and halal Japanese offerings, Negi & Nori also serves delicious Chicken Karaage, celebrated for its crispy exterior and tender interior.
Sosharu
Sosharu is famed for its fine Japanese dining experience and has been praised for serving what many consider the best Chicken Karaage in London. The flavors are a perfect balance of tradition and innovation.
Kaptain Karaage
Located in the heart of Edinburgh, this spot specializes in authentic Japanese street food. Their triple-fried Chicken Karaage, marinated for 24 hours, is a standout, accompanied by flavorful sauces.
Nanban
Founded by MasterChef winner Tim Anderson, Nanban offers a creative take on Japanese cuisine. Their Chicken Karaage is often highlighted for its bold flavors and crispiness.
Bone Daddies
This chain of Japanese ramen bars also excels in small plates, with Chicken Karaage being a favorite for its perfect golden coating and savory taste.
These establishments offer a mix of traditional and contemporary takes on this iconic Japanese dish, making them top choices for any Chicken Karaage enthusiast.
Final Words
Chicken Karaage is much more than a dish—it’s a culinary masterpiece that reflects Japan’s dedication to precision and flavor. From its humble origins as a quick and satisfying street food to its global recognition as a favorite in Japanese cuisine, karaage has captivated food lovers with its irresistible combination of crispy coating and juicy, marinated chicken. Its versatility allows for countless variations, making it a dish that can suit any palate, whether traditional or adventurous.
As it continues to inspire chefs and food enthusiasts around the world, Chicken Karaage remains a timeless reminder of how simple ingredients, when treated with care and creativity, can create a universally loved experience. Whether enjoyed at a bustling izakaya, a fine-dining restaurant, or homemade with love, Chicken Karaage is a dish worth savoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to serve chicken karaage?
The ideal way to enjoy Japanese chicken karaage is as an appetizer or side dish. It is ideal for summer picnics and lunchboxes. Typically, it is served with mayonnaise or lemon juice. The most popular dipping sauce for karaage is kewpie mayo.
How to storage chicken karaage?
Uncooked chicken karaage can be frozen. The marinated chicken should be kept in an airtight plastic container or a freezer bag. The chicken should be thawed in the refrigerator before deep-frying the karaage.
Why is karaage chicken so good?
Karaage chicken is so good because of its perfect combination of flavors and textures. The chicken is marinated in a flavorful blend of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sake, infusing it with a deep umami taste. It’s then coated in potato starch, which creates a crispy, light, and golden exterior when fried, while keeping the interior juicy and tender. The balance of savory, slightly tangy flavors, along with its satisfying crunch, makes karaage a universally loved dish. Its versatility also allows it to be paired with various sides and sauces, enhancing its appeal even further.
