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Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) (Video)

Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) (Video)

Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) is expertly seasoned, juicy, and crispy, making it a must-try dish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinating Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 pieces
Calories 531 kcal

Equipment

  • heavy-bottomed pot
  • Whisk
  • garlic press
  • fine-mesh sieve

Ingredients
  

Chicken

  • 1.5 lb boneless, skin-on chicken thighs 4–6 pieces
  • 0.5 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 0.125 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Marinade

  • 0.5 teaspoon ginger grated, with juice
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 0.5-1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 0.5 tablespoon sake or substitute dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or skip it
  • 0.5 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For Deep-Frying

  • 3-4 cups neutral oil
  • 2 tablespoon potato starch or cornstarch plus more, if needed
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (plain flour) plus more, if needed

For Serving (optional)

  • lemon wedges
  • Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise
  • shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice)

Instructions
 

Before You Start

  • Gather all the ingredients.

To Marinate the Chicken

  • Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper.
  • Grate ginger and add to a bowl with minced garlic.
  • Add soy sauce, sake, and sesame oil to the bowl and whisk to combine.
  • Add chicken to the marinade, mix, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To Preheat the Oil

  • Pour oil into pot and heat to 325ºF (160ºC) over medium-low heat.

To Coat the Chicken

  • Prepare piles of flour and potato starch in a tray. Dredge chicken in flour and then in potato starch.

To Cook: The First Fry

  • Deep-fry chicken pieces in hot oil for 90 seconds until light golden.
  • Drain excess oil on a wire rack.

The Second Fry

  • Raise the oil temperature to 350ºF (180ºC) and deep-fry chicken for 45 seconds until golden brown.

To Serve

  • Serve chicken hot with lemon wedges and mayonnaise. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi if desired.

To Store

  • Let it cool and transfer to an airtight container for storage.

Notes

This dish is best served fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to a month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 531kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 29gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 167mgSodium: 254mgPotassium: 411mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 133IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Keyword crispy chicken, Easy Recipes, food video, fried chicken, Japanese Fried Chicken, Karaage
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