Karaage – Japanese Fried Chicken

The Karaage – Japanese Fried Chicken is crunchy and flavorful chicken. The chicken is fried in potato starch for extra crunch. The karaage goes well with white rice or on its own with some fresh lemon juice.

Ingredients you need for your karaage:

• boneless chicken thigh (skin-on is more delicious!)
• sake (sub with white wine)
• soy sauce
• white pepper (can sub with black pepper)
• garlic
• ginger
• all-purpose flour
• potato starch (can sub with corn starch)
• vegetable oil

Yuzu Dipping Sauce:

• garlic
• kewpie mayo
• yuzu paste (can sub with ½ tbs lemon juice)
• togarashi – Japanese 7 spice

Steps to make karaage:

• Step 1. Cut boneless chicken thigh in 1 inch pieces and place in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sake, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon white pepper, 1 minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon minced ginger to the chicken and mix well.
• Step 2. Cover and marinade for 15-20 minutes. There is no need to put in the refrigerator for marinade. We want to put the chicken in room temp so the chicken is cooked evenly when we’re frying. The short amount of time (not placed in the refrigerator) should not be a food safety concern.
• Step 3. In a plate, place 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour on one side and 3 tablespoons of potato starch on the other side. Coat the chicken in flour, then potato starch. Make sure all the sides are well coated.
• Step 4. In a pot, add 4 cups of vegetable oil and heat the oil until 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, place the chicken in the oil and fry for 7-9 minutes. When the chicken is done, it should be a golden color and float to the top.
• Step 5. Rest chicken on a paper towel or wire rack to cool for 2 minutes. If you like extra crispy chicken, you can fry the chicken in the oil again (after cooling). If you do this step, turn up the heat so the oil is at 425 degrees and fry for 1-2 minutes.
• Step 6. To make the sauce, mix 3 tablespoons kewpie mayo with 1 minced garlic, 1 teaspoon yuzu paste, and ½ tablespoon togarashi. Dip karaage in the yuzu dipping sauce for explosion of flavor!