Let's make Chicken Karaage - a Japanese favorite known its crispy texture and distinctive blend of umami, sweet, and salty flavors. You'll be surprised just how easy it is to make karaage chicken in your kitchen with supermarket ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken thighs boneless, skin-on (about 700 g)
- 1 cup cornstarch about 125 g
- 1/2-2/3 cup Virgin olive oil or avocado oil
Chicken Karaage Marinade:
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- ¼ cup soy sauce about 60 ml
- 1 tbsp cooking sake or Chinese cooking wine, about 15 ml
- 2 tbsp mirin about 30 ml
To Serve:
- Sliced cucumber lemon wedges, and Japanese mayonnaise
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl. Set it aside.
- Cut chicken thighs into 1.5-inch pieces. The best way was to use kitchen scissors, as chicken skin can be slippery under a knife. Then, marinate the chicken pieces for 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken pieces from the marinade to drain excess liquid from them. Place them into another bowl or plate, spread the cornstarch evenly over the chicken pieces, and toss to coat. You want a thin, uniform layer. Excessive cornstarch can make the coating thick and heavy.
- Add 1-1.5-inch of oil into a heavy-bottom saucepan and bring it over high heat. Once the oil is hot enough, you can test it by dropping a piece of chicken or cornflour and see if it bubbles. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken pieces. Fry them for a minute or until nicely golden. Note: The oil is too hot if the chicken gets dark brown too quickly. On the contrary, the oil needs to be hotter if it remains plaid after a minute. If using a kitchen thermometer, maintain the oil temperature around 350°F (175°C) while frying. Too hot, and the chicken can burn quickly; too cool, and it won't get crispy. Fry the in batches for better results.
- Place chicken pieces into a plate and cover with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Serve chicken karaage with rice, cucumber slices, and Japanese mayo.
Notes
- Opt for boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, which are juicier and more flavourful. Thigh meat stays tender and succulent even after frying.
- For fewer calories, go for skinless chicken thighs.
- Consider adding a sprinkle of sesame seeds, chopped green onions, or shichimi togarashi (Japanese spice blend) for extra flavour and visual appeal.
- Mirin - replace with some white wine mixed with sugar
- Cooking sake - Chinese cooking wine, dry sherry or a light white wine can be used.
- Soy sauce - swap fpr gluten-free Tamari or coconut aminos if you wish.
Nutrition
Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 1008mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 2mg
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