Chicken Karaage
Karaage is Japanese fried chicken, loved for a crust that stays crunchy long after it leaves the pot. We marinate thighs in soy sauce with ginger and garlic, coat them in potato starch and fry them twice. That second, short fry in hotter oil is what makes it shatter.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 495 kcal
Ingredients
For the marinade
For coating and frying
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What to use instead
Potato starch (katakuriko) gives the crispest crust, but cornflour works too — the coating will be a little smoother. Swap the sake for dry white wine or leave it out.
Makes: 4 servings
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The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Cut the chicken
Cut the thighs into 4–5 cm pieces, keeping the skin on: it keeps karaage juicy and gives the crispest edges.
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Step 2: Marinate
Mix the chicken with the soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic and sugar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours if you’re working ahead.
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Step 3: Heat the oil
Pour the oil into a deep pan, no more than a third full, and heat to 160°C (320°F). No thermometer? Dip in a wooden chopstick — small bubbles should rise steadily around it.
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Step 4: Coat in starch
Mix the starch with the flour. Drain the excess marinade from the chicken, coat each piece, shake off the excess and leave for 5 minutes so the starch hydrates slightly — that makes a craggier crust.
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Step 5: First fry
Fry in batches of 6–8 pieces for 3–4 minutes, until the crust is pale gold. Transfer to a rack and rest for 4 minutes — the meat keeps cooking in its own heat.
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Step 6: Second fry
Raise the oil to 180–190°C (355–375°F) and fry the chicken in batches for another 45–60 seconds, until deep golden and crackling. The thickest piece must reach at least 74°C (165°F).
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Step 7: Serve hot
Drain on the rack for 1–2 minutes and serve with lemon wedges and Japanese mayonnaise.
Tips & variations
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Swap
Potato starch (katakuriko) gives the crispest crust, but cornflour works too — the coating will be a little smoother. Swap the sake for dry white wine or leave it out.
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Tip
Don’t crowd the pot: each batch drops the oil temperature, and the chicken soaks up fat instead of frying. Let the oil recover between batches.
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Tip
Never leave hot oil unattended and keep a lid nearby. If the oil starts to smoke, turn off the heat immediately.
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Storage
Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat on a rack in a 200°C (400°F) oven for 8–10 minutes — the microwave turns the crust soggy.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 495 kcal | 1,980 kcal |
| Protein | 35 g | 140 g |
| Fat | 30 g | 120 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21 g | 84 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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