Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) - The Japanese Marinade That Makes It So Good
Ingredients
400 g chicken thigh
1 piece ginger (about 10 g)
1 piece garlic (about 5 g)
4 tbsp potato starch
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sake (cooking sake)
oil for frying
lemon (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Prepare and marinate the chicken
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Grate the ginger and garlic. Place the chicken in a bowl and add the soy sauce and sake. Squeeze the grated ginger and add the ginger juice, then add the grated garlic and mix well. Marinate for 15 to 20 minutes, mixing once or twice during that time.
- 2
Coat the chicken
After marinating, pour off most of the marinade, leaving a little in the bowl. Add the potato starch and mix well until the chicken is evenly coated and slightly sticky.
- 3
Fry the chicken
Heat the oil to about 170°C. When placing the chicken into the oil, spread out the chicken skin so it covers the meat neatly. This helps the chicken cook evenly and gives a better shape. Fry at about 160–170°C for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove the chicken from the oil.
- 4
Let the chicken rest
Let the chicken rest for 4 to 5 minutes. During this time, the heat will continue to cook the chicken inside. Increase the oil temperature to 180–190°C.
- 5
Fry again
Return the chicken to the hot oil and fry for 1 to 2 minutes until crispy. Remove from the oil and drain well.
- 6
Serve
Serve with lemon wedges on the side if you like.
Tomoka's Note
This karaage has a slightly stronger soy sauce flavour, which makes it very tasty even when it is cold, so it is perfect for bento. The original recipe uses ginger only, but I like to add a little garlic as well because it gives the chicken a deeper flavour. Once you get used to making karaage, it is actually quite simple to make at home. The most important steps are not to overcrowd the pan and to let the chicken rest between the first and second fry. These small steps make the karaage much crispier. In Japan, karaage is often made for dinner, bento and family gatherings. It is one of those recipes that many people learn to make at home. If you are not sure where to find ingredients like potato starch or soy sauce in Australia, I have put together a simple guide here: Where to Buy Japanese Ingredients in Australia
