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Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) 唐揚げ

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Karaage is Japanese fried chicken that is fried to perfection with a crisp texture on the outside and super juicy and tender on the inside.

Chicken Karaage 鶏の唐揚げ | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) is a popular appetizer or main dish at home or restaurants and often f0und in a bento box.

Today I’m sharing more garlicky flavored chicken karaage recipe than my original Chicken Karaage recipe.  Both karaage recipes are pretty similar, but if you enjoy strong garlic flavor, definitely go with this one.

Chicken Karaage 鶏の唐揚げ | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

Karaage with Potato Starch vs. Corn Starch

In Japan potato starch (or katakuriko 片栗粉) is most commonly used as a coating for deep frying instead of corn starch.  I was using corn starch when I first moved to the U.S. because it was easier to find at regular American supermarkets.

As we often substitute corn starch for potato starch or vice versa, I didn’t think too much.  However, when I compared potato and corn starch side by side by rubbing them between my finger tips, I noticed they are quite different in texture.  So I’ve decided to make karaage with these two types of starch and see which karaage tastes better.

As a result, I found out that potato starch seemed to be crispier and had a nice crisp texture when I bite into it.  That’s something we look for when we eat karaage in general.  If you cannot find potato starch, corn starch is still your best option.  However, I think it’s worth your time looking for potato starch for this delicious karaage.

Are Potato Starch and Potato Flour Same?

No, they are not the same.  Potato starch is made from the dried starch component of peeled potatoes while potato flour is made from whole (raw or cooked) potatoes being dried then ground into flour.

Chicken Karaage 鶏の唐揚げ | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com

I hope you enjoyed this Karaage recipe!  If you make this recipe, snap a picture and hashtag it #JustOneCookbook.  I love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter!  Thank you so much for reading and trying the recipes!

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Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Chicken Karaage 鶏の唐揚げ | Easy Japanese Recipes at JustOneCookbook.com
Print
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Servings: 3
Author: Namiko Chen
Ingredients
  • 1 lb chicken thigh
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup potato starch/corn starch
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • neutral flavor oil (vegetable, canola, etc)
  • Lemon (for garnish)
Seasonings:
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp sake (or dry sherry)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions

  1. Gather all the ingredients.

    Karaage Ingredients
  2. Pat dry the chicken with paper towel. Cut each chicken thigh into 2 inch pieces (so that deep frying time is about the same). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the chicken in a large bowl or Ziploc bag.
    Karaage 1
  3. Grate the ginger and mince the garlic (with garlic presser).
    Karaage 2
  4. Combine the chicken and all the seasonings in the bowl (or Ziploc bag). Cover with plastic wrap and rest in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
    Karaage 3
  5. Bring the oil to 320-338F (160-170C).
    Karaage 4
  6. Meanwhile combine potato starch and flour, and whisk all together.
    Karaage 5
  7. Right before the oil is ready, add the potato starch and flour mix to the chicken. You do not need to mix it evenly. The uneven coating gives each piece its unique texture.
    Karaage 6
  8. Gently drop each piece of chicken separately into the oil. Do not overcrowd. Deep fry 3-5 pieces at a time. If you put a lot of chicken in the oil, the temperature will drop quickly and chicken will end up absorbing too much oil.
    Karaage 7
  9. Cook for 90 seconds, or until the chicken is cooked through and outside is light golden color. If the chicken changes color too quickly, then the oil temperature is too high. Either put a few more pieces of chicken in the oil or lower the heat. Controlling oil temperature is the key for deep frying.
    Karaage 8
  10. Transfer the chicken onto a wire rack to drain excess oil. While resting on the wire rack, the chicken will continue to cook with the remaining heat.
    Karaage 9
  11. Between batches (or even while cooking), make sure to pick up crumbs to keep the oil clean (otherwise oil will get darker).
    Karaage 10
  12. When you finish all the batches, then bring the oil to 356F (180C).
    Karaage 11
  13. Deep fry for the second time for 45 seconds, or until the skin is nice golden color and crispy.
    Karaage 12
  14. Transfer the chicken onto a wire rack or paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve the chicken immediately with lemon wedges.
    Karaage 13
Recipe Notes

Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.

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  4. Ohh, Nami. It`s like you can read my mind on what Japanese food I love!

    I love kaarage! And with a little more garlicky flavor? If only I can eat by looking at my computer screen…hehe~ I really like them in Japanese curry too. >__<

    4
    Reply to Lynna'> Reply

  10. Oh Nami, these chicken look so crunchy and appetizing but look very tender and moist inside. I love the the idea of putting more garlic in it. This something perfect with cocktail or beer. yummy!

    10
    Reply to ray'> Reply

  12. I remember your other chicken karage, Nami – and the more garlic, the better! Frying really is the only way to get it good and crispy, but I’m going to try potato starch on my version of un-fried chicken and see if it helps to make it crispy.

    Thanks for inquiring about my daughter – I replied to your comment, but I never know if it is also emailed to the person. She is loving Japan and, being in a smaller community, is learning more about the culture, food, and traditional festivals than she would have if she’d gone to Tokyo. She visited Kyoto with a few friends during the week break before the fall semester started and really enjoyed her time there. She’s is a little homesick and misses my cooking, but is very busy with her classes and will be home in two months 🙂

    12
    Reply to [email protected]'> Reply

  13. The first time you wrote about karaage I had to look up the pronunciation of the word. I found one of those sites that says the word for you. I listened a few times. 🙂

    I’ve never used potato starch but I always put potato flakes and cornstarch in my dipping mix for onion rings. I’m definitely going to give this a try.

    Looks delicious.

    13
    Reply to Maureen | Orgasmic Chef'> Reply

  29. Orchidea

    This recipe is inviting. I like that all your recipes are very easy to make and you explain the whole procedure very well. l will try karaage on Saturday night! By the way I tried your “Miso seabass”, only I used a different fish because I could not find seabass, both my husband and I loved it!
    Ciao.

    29
    Reply to Orchidea'> Reply

  31. i love karaage!!! the only time i ever made didn’t taste quite right.. and i’m afraid of deep-frying! but lately, i’ve been thinking of giving it another shot with your earlier recipe since i finally bought/found sake ^^ now i know i have to soonest!

    31
    Reply to hui'> Reply

  36. Nami, it looks marvellous! I think I have already told you how much I love karaage, but now that I see a garlicky version, I think I will love it even more! I am crazy for garlic (I don’t know such a thing as “too much garlic”) so I am happy you have posted this version. I have never heard about garlicky karaage. (And yes, I agree, deep-frying is the only way to obtain juicy karaage; I have tried oven but it doesn’t work).

    36
    Reply to Sissi'> Reply

  39. Beautiful. I have never fried chicken before, but when I do, I’m using your recipe. Such beautifully detailed photographs and prose! Thank you for sharing. I finally got my google reader working and your feed is the first one I entered!

    40
    Reply to Monet'> Reply

  42. I don’t know if I could stop eating this! You are SO right – that good fried chicken has to be fried! I’ve had both baked and fried and there is no comparison. As long as you get the oil hot enough (as you show), it doesn’t absorb that much fat. So frying it is! I’ve never used cornstarch nor potato starch with fried chicken. I’m going to have to try it. Love the seasonings you use. This is definitely a must try recipe!

    43
    Reply to mjskit'> Reply

  44. Now this is what I would call fried chicken done right! Your seasonings are heavenly Nami and even though I don’t do very much frying (your method looks excellent), I might steal your recipe and transition it to breadcrumbs/oven cooking. Not the same, I know… but a comfortable approximation that I think might work quite well on this end. Lovely recipe!

    45
    Reply to Kelly @ Inspired Edibles'> Reply

  48. Nami you have fried chicken down pat! It looks so crispy and delicious and I’m all for more garlic. The more the better in my book. This meal would be a hit with my whole family. I just hope I can get mine to look as golden and crispy. I’m just drooling over here! 🙂

    49
    Reply to Kristy'> Reply

    • I use organic chicken too – perfect! No sauce necessary. You squeeze lemon juice and if you like it spicy you can sprinkle Japanese chili pepper called “Shichimi Togarashi” but it’s up to your liking! 🙂

      59
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  63. Hehe, Nami I think I am starting to recognize your Daiso dishes, as I have a few and planned on buying that green small vase myself 🙂 I love that place! Anyway, this looks really good. Potato starch is actually pretty easy to find here, so I think I’ll give this a try before we go-afterall, my husband LOVES fried chicken and we don’t make it often either.

    66
    Reply to Alyssa'> Reply

  64. Very interesting Nami. Now you’ve got me curious to do a comparison as well. Although I never fry foods anymore my husbands favorite dish up until 3 years after we were married was fried chicken. It would be fun to fry some up for him to see what he thinks. I have to admit yours looks pretty tasty and nice and crispy!

    67
    Reply to Vicki Bensinger'> Reply

  65. Garlic and ginger seasoned chunks of chicken thigh, sounds delicious! I like your choice of seasonings and the look of the fried chicken, I can imagine your son enjoying this in his lunch! I would like to make your recipe for an appetizer during one of our football games, my family would love it;-)

    68
    Reply to Patty'> Reply

  73. Oh, Nami, this is just so wonderful – the recipe is clear and precise, the photos are wonderful, the ingredients are easy to find around here and the chicken looks so utterly delicious – who could resist immediately trying out this terrific looking recipe. I am most definitely hungry now and I would so much like to enjoy a piece of your Japanese Fried Chicken!

    76
    Reply to Andrea'> Reply

  74. Nami, you sure know how to make us hungry! Great comparison between potato starch and corn starch. Back in Malaysia, my mom often uses potato starch for deep frying too. I haven’t found potato starch near our area either, so I’ll be interested to look for one once we move closer to the City. Oh yes, you gotta enjoy these chicken karaage deep fried!

    77
    Reply to [email protected]'> Reply

  76. Oh this is awesome – I’ll definitely go with the more garlicky version, I’m a sucker for garlic. This is getting added to my to-try list. I haven’t had good luck with frying chicken so far (or good skills lol) but I love the idea of doing a double fry to make it extra crunchy.

    79
    Reply to Food Jaunts'> Reply

  80. Nami…I am sure I could eat the entire bowl of chicken. It looks fabulous! Such a crunchy crust but the chicken looks so moist! I started using potato starch when it was required for a cupcake recipe that I was making. And I use it now in place of corn starch all the time. This is really an amazing recipe Nami….thanks for sharing it with us! : )

    83
    Reply to [email protected]'> Reply

  82. Ooh, fried chicken without breadcrumbs or batter… a great use for the HUGE sack of potato starch I bought recently, and even though I don’t eat chicken that often I really love a good batch of fried chicken! 😀 Did you ever try making your own potato starch by the way? It’s really fun and easy 🙂

    85
    Reply to Charles'> Reply

  87. Garliky is fine by me, this looks really delicious (is my dinner ready?). There are tones of Asian markets in my city so finding this starch with be a breeze.

    90
    Reply to [email protected]'> Reply

  93. Oh yum!!! Who would be able to resist such yummy karaage! It wouldn’t be a good idea to bake them but now there’s the air fryer. Wonder if it’ll work with that?

    97
    Reply to [email protected] and Donuts'> Reply

  100. Angie

    Hi there. This is my first comment on your recipes though I have tried a few already. Just this past week I made dashi, tonjiru and sukiyaki using your recipes and they were amazingly authentic and total sellouts with hubby and my for kids. Your stunning photography certainly helps to trigger the taste buds even before the food is ready! So this comment is to thank you profusely for your contributions. I have a quick question. I love your ginger grater! Where did you get out from?

    105
    Reply to Angie'> Reply

    • Hi Angie! I’m really happy to hear that you enjoyed my recipes that you tried! I need to retake tonjiru and sukiyaki pictures soon as they are not so appealing…but thanks for trusting the recipes and give them a try!

      Ohh that ginger grater! I LOVE IT. My mom has been using that for years and I had to ask my mom to buy one and send it to me (or she might brought it with her last time). It’s nice enough to serve like that to table too. It’s made of ceramic but I have grated ginger, daikon, etc. I actually found it online… I don’t think it cost this much though. Here’s the link.

      Thanks again for your kind comment!

      106
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  101. Angie

    Wow! Thanks for taking the time to reply! I really appreciate it. And thanks for the link too. I’m maki getting one right now! We are a Chinese family and my kids are big fans of Japanese food. I’m making your crispy tonkatsu for guests tonight. Am so in love with your recipes! Keep blogging! 🙂

    107
    Reply to Angie'> Reply

    • Hi Brittany! I’ve seen GF flour in Trader Joe’s, but I’m not sure where you locate and maybe it’s hard to find. I am pretty sure you can use rice flour to substitute flour, but I have never made karaage with rice flour and I cannot guarantee the same result with the rice flour. If you use it, would you please let me know how it turns out with rice flour? 🙂 Hope you enjoy!

      113
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

      • Brittany

        I’m from Australia so I dont know what that is, I have seen GF flour around the place but i didnt realise that the recipe called for flour.
        theoretically in this situation rice flour should act the same way since it is often used for batters as a direct substitution for regular flour (in my research) so fingers crossed it will work and I will definitely let you know how it works! I would like to know what the purpose of the flour in this recipe is? Is it to add some substance to the batter or for another reason or do you not really know? that should give me a better idea of how rice flour should work in this situation 🙂

        114
        Reply to Brittany'> Reply

        • In my previous Karaage recipe, I only used corn starch (or potato starch) and didn’t use any flour. I’ve been just experimenting to get the perfect karaage texture so I added flour. You can omit the flour if you prefer. It doesn’t affect on flavor, it’s more of texture difference. Hope that helps! 🙂

          115
          Reply to Nami'> Reply

  107. Barbara

    I had chicken karaage at a local food truck earlier this month and it was delicious so I was so pleased to see this recipe on pinterest. One trip to our Asian supermarket for potato starch and I have my chicken marinating in the refrigerator. I can’t wait for dinner!

    118
    Reply to Barbara'> Reply

  108. KiimChee

    I tried using the corn starch and it doesn’t look that appetizing as the one in the photo. I guess that’s one difference with the potato starch. The recipe is overall delicious and I can’t wait to try more of your mouth watering recipes. Cheers!

    120
    Reply to KiimChee'> Reply

    • Hi KiimChee! I’ve used corn starch for sometime when I couldn’t find potato starch, and I have to say I really like how potato starch gives nice texture to the chicken karaage! Hope you can find potato starch and try again. 🙂 Thank you for writing!

      121
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  109. Shauna McMunn

    This recipe is amazing! After living in Japan for 6 years, karaage became a favorite and I always am getting it at Japanese restaurants. I had no idea how easy it was to make at home myself!! I also am a firm believer that there is no such thing as too much garlic, so this recipe tweak was perfect for me! I was surprised how quickly the chicken cooked too! I used a small deep fryer instead of a pan and it worked just great! Thanks again for this great website and all the recipes that even I am able to do!!!

    122
    Reply to Shauna McMunn'> Reply

    • Hi Shauna! It’s very simple to make (especially if you’re not afraid of deep frying part – I assume people are hesitant to make because of deep frying…). Plus, you get to adjust the seasoning to your liking, get to choose the best quality chicken, oil…. the result will be pretty awesome at home! 🙂 I’m glad you liked this recipe, and thank you for trying and writing your feedback. 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed this dish. xo

      123
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  112. Ethel Grimes

    I am SO going to try this! I’ve never used potato starch before, but I definitely want to look for it now.
    And if you use the “healthier” types of oils like peanut oil, there should be no harm in frying it.

    129
    Reply to Ethel Grimes'> Reply

  113. fumerie486

    I made these for dinner with my boyfriend today and they went deliciously well with Korean fried rice. The boiling oil scared us a bit at first, but the results were so worth it! It was very crispy on the outside but moist and tender in the inside.

    I thought it was about time I leave a comment, since I’ve been using your recipes all the time since I moved into an apartment with a full kitchen. Thanks! ♡

    131
    Reply to fumerie486'> Reply

    • Hi Fumerie486! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! Yeah deep frying can be a bit scary, but we can’t make good karaage without deep frying… plus, homemade one tastes better with clean oil. I love connecting with my readers and I’m glad you stopped by to leave a comment. Thanks so much for such a kind feedback! 🙂

      132
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  114. Lucy

    Hi Nami, thank you for recipe. I love chicken karaage. I will have to try it out soon. I have been using your other recipes and they all turned out wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing them- I have been searching high and low for authentic Japanese recipes but had not found them until I stumbled upon your page and your recipes are very easy to follow and so delicious ! I’m so grateful !
    I hope you will have time to add more yummy recipes to your collection.
    Thank you.

    133
    Reply to Lucy'> Reply

  116. Debbra

    As a foreigner in Japan, yours is my go-to page for accurate recipes to satisfy my husband.
    I made this karaage but accidentally left it to marinade for 2 days. The results were the best fried chicken I’ve made to date. Thank you!

    140
    Reply to Debbra'> Reply

  117. Em

    Hey Namiko,
    My husband is a United States Marine and he used to be stationed in Japan. He ate at a place called Hokka Hokka Tei A LOT. All I know is it is a famous bento restaurant there. He is in the states now and he craves their chicken there. I have been on a mission to find a copy cat recipe to the chicken he loves there so much. They are called fried chicken balls. It was fried chicken in the shape of a ball served with a packet of lemon. Would this be most likely what they served there? If you have ever heard of this place I would love to know more about how to cook or make that chicken. 😉 going to try your recipe soon.

    142
    Reply to Em'> Reply

  119. Fran

    Hi Namiko,

    Just saw your recipe- looks great, can’t wait to make it:)
    I was wondering why you use sake with chicken?
    What is the effect of sake? I’ve noticed it in a lot of Japanese recipes.

    Thanks!!

    147
    Reply to Fran'> Reply

    • Hi Fran! Thanks so much! We use sake in cooking a lot in Japanese cuisine. There are a few reasons why we add sake. 1) Remove the odor of seafood and meat , 2) Make the food tender, 3) Add umami and natural sweetness. Hope this helps! 🙂

      148
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  120. Hama

    Hi Nami,

    Ever since I found your blog, this has been my go to place for Japanese recipes. My husband had lived in Japan for a year some time ago, and we travel there whenever we have enough money and holidays saved. Both of us are big fans of Japanese food (and always have our luggage packed with food stuff when we leave, haha). I have tried many of your recipes, such as tonkatsu, oyakodon, gyudon, onsen tamago, yakisoba, okonomiyaki… All have become regular dishes on our dinner table. And I love your tips on how to substitute items in Japanese pantry. Here, up north in Finland, ingredients can be hard/expensive to find.

    Today, I tried your karaage recipe for the first time. And wow, the juiciness of the chicken pieces were simply amazing!

    I just want to say THANK YOU for posting such great yet easy-to-follow recipes! I have learnt so much from your blog and will keep trying new ones. Now I am heading out for a walk with my husband, to burn out at least some of those calories from deep-fried food. 😀

    BR,
    Hama

    149
    Reply to Hama'> Reply

  121. H_Shimizu

    Love your recipe, I found this on Pinterest and now I’m hooked. My boyfriend was really skeptical with the amount of garlic but it’s grown on him and he really enjoys it now. After making this 3 times this winter I’d say we’ve found a great go-to! Thanks, Ms. Shimizu

    151
    Reply to H_Shimizu'> Reply

  122. Paul

    Hi, I’ve followed all the instructions here but always end up with soggy chicken skin, am I doing something wrong? I have a thermometer so I’m sure I got the temperature right. The only thing is that I use different starch, but I’ve experimented with cornstarch (with the same result, soggy skin).

    153
    Reply to Paul'> Reply

    • Hi Paul! I understand that you follow my instructions but as I’m not in the kitchen with you, it’s so hard to know which part or which ingredient could be the cause. What type of starch did you use? Corn or potato starch works, but I’m not sure about other starch. It’s really simple process, but for example you’re using just thaw chicken (very cold), the oil temperature will drop down immediately, and even though you’re bringing back the oil temp to the right temp with your thermometer, your chicken has absorbed so much oil already and it’s soggy. I didn’t mention here about chicken temperature, so you might just use very very cold chicken for example. So even though you followed my instruction, I can’t see all the process you took and it’s really hard to know what went wrong. It “should’ work, from my own experience of using this recipe for years and from feedback from other readers. Hope this helps… 🙂

      154
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  124. Keke

    Made this tonight. I really enjoyed the ginger and garlic flavors. The double fry method really did make the coating crispy. A really delicious way to cook chicken thighs. Thank you for the recipe

    159
    Reply to Keke'> Reply

  126. Nikki

    Hi Nami! I like that your recipes are so easy yet very delicious!!
    May i ask if i can prepare it early and fry it once then keep it in the refrigerator then fry it again for dinner? Will i get the same juiciness and crispiness?
    Or can i keep the chicken in its marinade for days? Will it taste the same? Thank you!

    163
    Reply to Nikki'> Reply

    • Hi Nikki! Thank you so much for your kind words. 🙂 So there are few things to consider.

      1) If you marinate and keep, I only recommend for overnight. It’ll be salty, and if you’re not used to salty food, you might think it’s quite salty… so if you want to do overnight, it might be a good idea to reduce the seasonings. But if you like strong salty flavor, you can do overnight and it’s okay. I don’t generally recommend to marinade for such a long time – lose chicken’s flavor and salty. Lose the balance of good taste. 🙂

      2) Double deep fry works when it’s back to back. As soon as you keep it in the fridge, the chicken is cold. So I think, it’s hard to deep fry to keep the inside moisture and outside crunchy. So try to deep fry at the same time. When you do 2nd deep frying, the chicken should be warm, so without making the deep fry oil go suddenly cold, you can maintain the hot oil to crisp the outside karaage texture.

      Looks like your best bet is to marinade one day before. You can make the seasoning even ahead of time to save time. Start marinating the night before, and deep fry on the day.

      Or, you finish cooking – freeze (if it’s a couple of days ahead), and use a toaster oven or oven to re-heat. I do that for kids’ bento. 🙂 It’s not like freshly deep fried, but sometimes there is no other choice. 🙂 Hope this helps!

      164
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  127. Jie

    Hi Nami,
    Thank you for sharing so many recipes. I tried so many that I lost count 😀 one question that I have is which recipe should I follow for karaage since the seasoning is different. I was thinking about using eggs, onions and negis like in the old recipe but the simpler version looks so tempting. Out of curiosity, why fry twice instead of once ( longer time)? Sorry if it’s a childish question.

    And finaly, thank you for helping aspire people to cook and learn about other cultures food and history. You puts lots of hard work into this website. I wish you the best !

    165
    Reply to Jie'> Reply

    • Hi Jie! Every time I make karaage, I make some minor changes (so my family doesn’t get bored). Sometimes more ginger, sometimes more garlic, etc etc…. so you can adapt as you like (and write it down so that you can improve for next round). Hope this makes sense. 🙂

      Double frying for crispy texture. First deep frying is for cooking through the chicken (if it’s high temp, you will burn the outside of chicken first and inside is not cooked through). Second frying is for crispy texture. While chicken is resting (waiting for 2nd round), remaining heat will slowly cook the chicken. If you cook for a longer time, chicken will not be as tender, so you take it out and let it cook slowly inside with remaining heat. 🙂

      167
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  129. Jojo

    Hello Nami! I followed your recipe and made this for my family last week and everyone loved it! Really thank you so much for always sharing your recipes with us. I’ve learnt so many dishes from your website and my family has always loved them. Please do continue to share with us. Thank you~

    170
    Reply to Jojo'> Reply

    • Hi Jojo! I’m so happy to hear your family liked it! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂 Yes, I’ll continue to share more Japanese recipes with you and JOC readers. 🙂 Thank you for reading my blog!

      172
      Reply to Nami'> Reply

  130. name

    Hello! I was wondering if it is possible to do something so that I can leave the chicken in the fridge for a shorter period of time, say around 10 min? I only have 1 hour to make a dish so I was hoping that there is some way I can still make this!

    173
    Reply to name'> Reply

  131. Birger (dont worry no one manages to pronounce it xD

    i really love Karaage, and your recipe is so nice and easy to follow. (not to mention the lovely taste)
    alas i have one problem, making them as a quick snack does not really work well for me, since i dont have a deep fryer and no bench to leave it standing around so cleanup is quite a lot of work :p
    so i generally end up making enough for a full dinner (and then some)
    but i could really need some tips on sauses or the like to go with it, as just plane rice on the side gets a rather boring ;( and eating just karaage, however good…. as they say to much of the good stuff IS too much of the good stuff.

    Cheers 😀

    176
    Reply to Birger (dont worry no one manages to pronounce it xD'> Reply

  134. Fiona

    Hi Nami, Thank you for your recipe! I love the addition of garlic. It’s my fav version of karaage yet!
    So I marinated a double portion of chicken with the intention to leave it in overnight and fry it for lunch tomorrow. However, I later read that leaving it too long in the soya sauce mixture will draw out too much moisture from the chicken (!!) I’m now torn between frying it as a midnight snack or leaving it in the fridge as an experiment., I hope it won’t turn out overly salty or lose too much moisture! Any advice? Thanks!

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    Reply to Fiona'> Reply

    • Hi Fiona! If it’s a Japanese recipe (made by Japanese cook), you might notice most of marinate time is not overnight. It’s common to marinate 30 to 60 minutes for Japanese cooking. I know other Asian cooking marinate for a longer time, but I think Japanese like to keep the food’s original taste and not overwhelm with the seasoning. In general though. There are some overnight marinate recipes BUT salt level should not be too much. In your case, since you already marinated… why don’t you add a bit more sake to dilute a bit? Before you deep fry, pick up the chicken pieces and transfer to a baking sheet or something big and then sprinkle potato starch (don’t put potato starch in the marinade). You don’t have to dry with paper towel etc but this will at least get rid of some excess liquid. Hope that helps!

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      • Fiona

        Dear Nami, thank you so much for your prompt reply. I did add some sake to dilute the marinade, but when I fried the karaage the next day, the flavour of the marinade was indeed a tad too strong, masking the taste of the chicken. But it wasn’t overly salty, and still very delicious. Interesting point btw, about the different Asian marinating times, I never thought about it but you’re right! (I’m a budding (Singaporean) cook, learning the art of various Asian cuisines!)

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        Reply to Fiona'> Reply

        • I don’t remember my mom marinate meat overnight and it’s pretty standard practice to marinate a short time, except for thick meat etc. Japanese often thinks marinating for a long time is too salty for our taste. 🙂

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          Reply to Nami'> Reply

  137. Matt Postle

    The rinsing the chicken step seems unnecessary. Back in the old days people used to rinse chicken to “clean” it, but modern food safety says that’s unnecessary and the rinsing actually spreads raw chicken juice around the citchen which is obviously a bad idea.

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    Reply to Matt Postle'> Reply

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