Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

Name: Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 2–3
Ingredients: Boneless chicken thighs 2 (about 500 g); Garlic and ginger (tube paste is OK) 1 tsp each; Lemon 1/4; Potato starch (katakuriko) 4 tbsp; Soy sauce 2 tbsp; Sake (Japanese rice wine) 1 tbsp; All-purpose flour 2 tbsp; Vegetable oil (for frying) About 500 ml; Paper towels and a tray (a large plate is OK)

Serves 2–3 · About 1 hr (30 min of this is just letting the chicken sit in the fridge)
Boneless chicken thighs seasoned with soy sauce, garlic and ginger, then fried twice.

① Cut the chicken→② Season the chicken→③ Coat with flour→④ Fry the first time and rest→⑤ Fry the second time

What to buy

Meat

Boneless chicken thighs2 (about 500 g)

Vegetables

Garlic and ginger (tube paste is OK)1 tsp eachLemonSqueeze over the chicken. Optional1/4

Seasonings & flour

Potato starch (katakuriko)4 tbsp

Check what you already have

Soy sauce2 tbspSake (Japanese rice wine)1 tbspAll-purpose flour2 tbspVegetable oil (for frying)2–3 cm deep in a deep frying panAbout 500 mlPaper towels and a tray (a large plate is OK)

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How to make it

Cut the chicken

About 5 min

Cut off the yellowish, squishy fat on the edges of the chicken with a knife or kitchen scissors
Cut into pieces about 4 cm in size. Aim for 6–8 pieces from each thigh
Make the pieces as even in size as you can (if the sizes are different, they cook at different speeds)
When you finish cutting, wash the knife and cutting board with dish soap

How to tell it's doneYou have chunks that are all about the same size.

Season the chicken

Rub in, then chill 30 min

Put the chicken, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tsp garlic and 1 tsp ginger in a bowl
Rub it in with your hands for about 1 minute
After rubbing it in, wash your hands with soap
Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 30 minutes

While you waitLine a tray with paper towels. This is where the fried chicken will go.

Coat with flour

About 3 min

In another bowl (or a plastic bag), mix 4 tbsp potato starch and 2 tbsp flour
Lightly drain the liquid off the chicken against the edge of the bowl, then put it in the flour mix and coat all over

How to tell it's doneEvery piece is coated, and you can hardly see the red color of the meat.

Be carefulIf lots of liquid is still on the chicken, the oil will splatter a lot when you fry.

Heat the oil to about 170°C

Medium heatAbout 5 min

Pour vegetable oil 2–3 cm deep into a deep frying pan or pot and put it over medium heat
After about 5 minutes, touch the tip of dry cooking chopsticks (wiped of any water) to the bottom of the oil and watch the bubbles

How to tell it's doneSmall bubbles keep fizzing from the tips of the chopsticks = about 170°C.
Almost no bubbles = not hot enough yet. Wait a little longer.
Big bubbles rush out hard, or there is smoke = too hot. Turn the heat down and wait 1–2 minutes.

Be carefulDo not leave the oil. Even 1 drop of water makes the oil jump, so keep wet hands and tools away. If it smokes, turn off the heat right away.

Fry the first time, then rest

Medium heat (about 170°C)About 3 min + rest 4 min

Gently add the chicken one piece at a time, until about half of the oil surface is covered. Lower each piece in close to the oil and slide it in, away from you
Do not touch it for 1 minute after adding (the coating will come off). After that, turn it over now and then
After frying about 3 minutes, move it to the tray lined with paper towels and let it sit 4 minutes (the inside keeps cooking during this time)
Fry the rest of the chicken the same way

How to tell it's doneThe outside is light golden brown, and the bubbles around the chicken are smaller and fewer than right after you added it.

Be carefulIf you add too many at once, the oil cools down and the coating gets soggy.

Fry the second time and check it is cooked inside

Medium-high heat (about 180°C)1–1 1/2 min

Turn the heat up a little, until bubbles rush out hard when you put the chopsticks in
Put all the chicken from the first fry back in and fry for 1–1 1/2 minutes, turning it
Move it to the tray to drain the oil. Turn off the heat
If using lemon, cut it into wedges, put them on the side, and squeeze over the chicken when you eat

How to tell it's doneDeep golden brown, and the outside feels crispy and hard when you hold it with chopsticks. Cut the biggest piece in half: if the inside is white, not pink, and the juice is clear, it's OK. If there is still pink, put all of it back in the oil and fry 1 more minute.

Be carefulThe used oil is very hot. Do not move the pan until it has cooled completely. When cool, clean up with a store-bought oil absorber that soaks up the oil for the trash, or with newspaper.

📚 Learn more about this dish

🥬 Ingredient guide

Katakuriko (potato starch)Ninniku (garlic)Shoga (ginger)Shoyu (soy sauce)Chicken thigh

🔪 Cutting & cooking tips

Heat levels (high, medium, low)Kushigata-giri (wedges)

If it didn't work out

The inside is undercookedThe pieces were too big, or the rest time in step 5 was too short. For now, put them back in the oil for 1 minute at a time, cutting 1 piece each time to check.

Burnt outside, raw insideThe oil was too hot. In step 4 you added the chicken while big bubbles were rushing out. Next time, add it when you see small bubbles.

The coating is soggy or comes offThe oil was not hot enough, or you added too many at once. Touching the chicken right after adding it also causes this.

Not enough flavorThe seasoning time in step 2 was too short. For now, sprinkle a pinch of salt or squeeze lemon over it.

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Made by YUU, a teen who loves cooking → About me