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Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

My take on a Japanese classic! Flavorful and juicy bite size pieces of chicken fried golden brown. Served with a simple and amazing dipping sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinating time1 hour
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: Karaage (Japanese fried chicken)
Servings: 4
Author: kingcooks

Ingredients

Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

  • 2 lbs. boneless chicken thigh cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup potato flour or cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp. ginger grated
  • 1 tbsp. garlic grated
  • 1 tsp. sake or rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. sesame oil
  • ½ tsp. white pepper
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
  • 2 lemons cut into wedges

For Garnish

  • 1/4 cup cup green onion chopped

Bang Bang Sauce

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ¾ cup sweet chili sauce

Instructions

Bang Bang Sauce

  • In a bowl mix together the mayonnaise and sweet chili sauce. Set aside until ready to serve.

Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

  • In a large bowl, add the chicken pieces, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar (or sake), soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and salt.
  • Mix thoroughly, and marinate for at least one hour but no more than 24 hours since some of the ingredients are acidic.
  • After marinating, sprinkle in the potato flour (or cornstarch) a tablespoon at a time until the chicken pieces are coated lightly. The coating should be mostly dry but not saturated with flour like normal fried chicken.
  • If using a deep fryer: fill to max line and get temperature to 300 degrees. Working in batches, add in a few pieces of chicken, being careful not to over crowd the frying basket and fry for 5-7 minutes. Once all pieces go through the first fry, raise the temperature to 350 and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
  • If frying on the stove: add about an inch of oil to a deep frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, add in a few pieces of chicken, being careful not to over crowd the pan and fry for 5-7 minutes.
  • Once all pieces go through the first fry, raise the temperature to high heat and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Transfer to a cooling rake until you are ready to serve.
  • Garnish with green onions, lemon wedges and a side of dipping sauce. 
Enjoy!