{"id":4406,"date":"2019-12-15T14:11:12","date_gmt":"2019-12-15T22:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hungryhuy.com\/?p=4406"},"modified":"2022-04-19T11:48:05","modified_gmt":"2022-04-19T18:48:05","slug":"chicken-karaage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hungryhuy.com\/chicken-karaage\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicken Karaage Recipe (Japanese Fried Chicken)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Try to say “karaage” without salivating just a little. These little nuggets of chicken simultaneously give you a satisfying crunch on the outside and juicy tenderness on the inside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love all variations of fried chicken whether that is southern or Korean fried chicken<\/a>, but this Japanese variety is mind blowing. I can eat this for 5 days straight and still want more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, we have some amazing options for karaage at local restaurants (& also have tried amazing karaage in Austin<\/a>, too). After many years of eating at these restaurants, I figured out the best parts of each recipe I liked to create flavorful and easy karaage at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is karaage?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Also known as \u201ctori karaage\u201d translating directly to \u201cpoultry\u201d and \u201cfried,\u201d karaage in general is Japanese fried chicken. While karaage always brings to mind the tantalizing smell of crispy chicken bites, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean <\/em>fried chicken<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karaage is actually a term for foods that are lightly breaded with flour and deep fried. Although in the more recent times, it has become purely associated with fried chicken (probably because it\u2019s the most delicious!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cuts of chicken to buy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To get the moistest and most tender fried chicken, make sure to buy skin-on chicken thighs<\/strong>. If you want something more healthy, you can also use breast meat and marinate it for a little bit longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you take your little thighs home, you will need to de-bone the thigh bone and separate the meat from the bones, and cut one-inch-sized pieces of chicken. I recommend trying to give each piece an equal amount of skin-to-meat ratio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Karaage marinade<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, mirin, and sake and stir thoroughly. Stir in the chicken, making sure to coat each piece properly. You will need to marinate the mixture for at least<\/em> six hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We found that we liked the seasoning better when we marinated for a longer time. While the dark meat is already tender, you want to make sure the chicken can soak up all the soy sauce-y goodness to make an even tastier fried chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flour coating<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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After marinating, fill a bowl with the potato starch and lightly coat each piece of marinated chicken. Potato starch is typically used for karaage or other fried foods in Japan, but you can use cornstarch if you can\u2019t find potato starch at your local grocery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to fry the karaage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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You want to make sure to choose a neutral cooking oil<\/a> with a high smoke point, like vegetable or peanut. In a heavy-bottomed pot like an enameled cast-iron pot<\/a>, fill the oil to about 1 1\/2 inches from the bottom of the pan and heat to 375 \u00b0F degrees. Use an instant-read thermometer<\/a> to make sure the oil stays at the appropriate temperature and doesn’t burn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Slowly lower each piece into the heated oil and fry for about five minutes depending on the size of the piece. When they are golden brown, remove them from the oil and place on a cooling rack to remove excess oil.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serving<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It probably doesn\u2019t need to be said, but these bite-sized pieces are best eaten as soon as possible to take advantage of the crunch since the ideal window is within only a few minutes. They’re actually still ok about 20-30 minutes later, but still not peak crunch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The great thing about karaage is that they are still really good if you re-bake in the oven even a few days later (or for that morning after carb-filled breakfast). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like to eat them with fresh squeeze of lemon juice and a side of Japanese mayo (Kewpie<\/a> brand) topped with Shichimi Togarashi<\/a>.  Some other Japanese foods to eat with karaage is yakitori<\/a>, shrimp tempura<\/a> and takoyaki (Japanese octopus balls)<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chicken Karaage Recipe (Japanese Fried Chicken)<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t