Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
Bite-sized chicken marinated in ginger, garlic and soy, coated in potato starch and fried until it shatters. Japanese karaage, served with lemon.
Karaage is Japan's answer to fried chicken, and it earns its reputation. Thigh pieces sit in a quick ginger, garlic and soy marinade, get a dusting of potato starch, then fry up with a shell that genuinely shatters. Eat them hot with a squeeze of lemon, whether as a snack, dinner, or packed cold into a bento.
Jump to recipe
Prep 15 min
Cook 15 min
Total 90 min
Medium
Scale:
- 450 grams Boneless skin Chicken
- 1 tablespoon Ginger
- 1 clove Garlic
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Sake
- 2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
- 1/3 cup Potato Starch
- 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/3 cup Lemon
Nutrition (per serving)
425
kcal
25g
Protein
15g
Carbs
29g
Fat
Estimated per serving. How we calculate this.
Preparation
- Whisk the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake and sugar in a bowl, add the chicken, and turn to coat evenly. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Pour 1 inch of vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 360°F. Line a wire rack with paper towels and keep your tongs to hand. Put the potato starch in a bowl.
- Drop a handful of chicken into the potato starch and toss until each piece is coated.
- Fry the karaage in batches until the outside is medium brown and the chicken is cooked through, then lift onto the lined rack. For an extra-crisp finish, let the pieces cool and fry them a second time until a shade darker.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Reach for boneless thigh over breast. It holds its juices and stays tender through the frying.
- Give the marinade real time so the seasoning carries through the whole piece, not just the surface.
- Potato starch, not flour, is what makes the coating so light and crisp.
- Fry twice if you want maximum crunch: once to cook through, then again after the pieces cool to set the crust and deepen the colour.
Frequently Asked Questions
It fries lighter and crispier than flour, which is exactly where karaage gets its delicate, crackly shell.
You can, though thigh is traditional and a good deal juicier. If you go with breast, take care not to overcook it.
Lemon wedges and a blob of Japanese mayo are the classic pairing, alongside rice and a sharp salad.
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