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Today... I’m excited to share with you the best Karaage recipe on the web!

I’ve experimented with at least 8+ different recipes over a few months – and this by far… is the best one!

I like it especially… because it produces a thin crust!

Many recipes produce Karaage that has a thick crust – too much batter for my palate.

(Note: This recipe is modified from a Japanese recipe – click here).

Typically, Karaage marinade is made with a combination of soy sauce, sake, ginger - and sometimes garlic.

Soy Sauce + Ginger + Sake - the foudational ingredients

Today, we’ll add a new ingredient to the mix – nutmeg!

Nutmeg offers a hint of nutty, sweet and woody spice… that blends beautifully with the saltiness of soy sauce & strong ginger.

If you're living in Korea, you can find nutmeg at Emart!

It’s an amazing flavor.

Don’t worry – we aren’t putting enough nutmeg to change the traditional flavor (I wouldn’t do that to you). Rather, the nutmeg plays in the background, a subtle note.

Now, besides the ingredients, there other key steps in prep & frying to produce a proper Karaage.

I’ll emphasize some of the key points.

Cooking Tips for Karaage:

Work with chicken thigh (skin-on). The skin adds a lot of natural flavor when deep-fried.

(Before you ask – yes, the recipe can be made with skinless chicken thigh or chicken breast.)

Cut them into fairly large pieces - I like to measure the width of my two fingers

When cutting - measure the width of two fingers

Coat in potato starch powder. Second best option is corn starch powder.

(Don’t use AP Flour - starch powder is what provides that characteristic crispy texture.)

Give at least 30 minutes for the chicken pieces to marinate (1 hour, even better).

For a thin crust, please pay attention to the following steps:

First, shake off excess marinade from the chicken… before rolling into the starch powder

Once in the starch powder, get the pieces well coated (best to do one piece at a time)

Don't hold back - get the whole piece well-coated!

Then shake off the excess starch powder from the chicken (important step!)

Shake off excess powder - this is important!

Finally, let the coated pieces rest for 5 minutes – this is done to slightly dry them out before frying (less moisture, crispier result).

Please set-up a drying rack – that way the freshly-fried pieces can drip off oil. If it sits in its own pooled oil, you lose that crispy surface.

Double-fry for a crispy skin.

The first fry at a lower temperature – you can test the readiness of the oil by dropping in a small piece. If it sizzles and there are bubbles (it’s ready). Fry for 1 minute!

You see that little piece sizzling - that means the oil is ready!

The first fry - getting in cooked on the inside

The second fry will be done at a higher temperature – for about 30 seconds.

Important: After frying, when cooling on the rack – make sure the skin-side is facing up. That way, the oil can drip off the chicken!

I’m so excited for ya’ll to try this one at home – crack open a beer or wolf it down with some freshly made curry.

Neighbors - one thing.

We love waking up and scrolling through picture of your dishes! If you made this recipe, tag us on IG!

And if you're cooking alone tonight, no worries! Listen to our latest podcast as you prep 😀

How to: Karaage Chicken | Perfected!

5 from 7 votes

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Ingredients

400 grams Chicken Thigh (Skin-on, Boneless)
Good amount of Potato Starch Powder
Good amount of Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Karaage Marinade

3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sake (Or Korean Cheongju 청주)
1 Tablespoon Mirin
3 Big Pinches Salt
5 Big Sprinkles Nutmeg
1 small knob Fresh Ginger (about ½ the size of your thumb)
1 clove Fresh Garlic

Dipping Sauce (Optional)

Squeeze of Kewpie Mayonnaise
Squeeze of Lemon Juice

Instructions

Prep Chicken

Use two fingers to estimate the width you need to cut each chicken thigh (as instructed in video). Then cut them.
Now place the chicken pieces into a mixing bowl.

Marinate chicken

Let's marinate the chicken. Add the following into the bowl: Soy Sauce (3 Tablespoons), Sake (1 Tablespoon), Mirin (1 Tablespoon), Salt (3 Big Pinches), Nutmeg (5 Generous Shakes). Then grate-in Fresh Ginger (a small piece) and 1 Garlic Clove.
Carefully mix the marinade with your hand - and coat the chicken pieces. Please be gentle when you mix, so you don't tear the skin off the chicken pieces.
Now cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (If you have time, let it sit for 1 hour.)
While you wait, take out a tray and pour-in some Potato Starch Powder.

Coat Chicken & Rest

After 30 minutes of marinating, remove the cover. Pick-up a chicken piece and gently shake-off excess marinade (important!).
Then place it into the potato starch powder... and thoroughly coat the piece. Be thorough - and get all sides well-coated!
After coating, gently shake (or tap) the piece. We want to shake-off excess starch powder (important!)
Then carefully fold or slightly bend the chicken into a round shape - with the skin-side facing up (reference video). Neatly arrange each finished piece onto a separate tray.
Repeat the previous steps for each piece.
After you're done coating, let the coated chicken pieces rest for 5 minutes (important). This time will allow the starch coating to soak up any residual moisture from the chicken - making them crispier when fried!
After 5 minutes of resting... it's now time to fry!

Double-Fry Chicken

Place a good amount of vegetable oil into a pot. Place on medium heat and wait until the oil is hot.
To test if the oil is ready for the 1st fry... add-in a piece of the chicken (or crumble) into the oil. If the crumble sizzles and you can see bubbles, it's ready.
Carefully add-in each chicken to the oil, skin-side facing down. Add in a few pieces into the pot at a time (don't overcrowd the pot).
For the first round, let the chickens fry for ~1 minute (we just want the inside to get cooked, not looking for browning on the outside). Timing may vary, so just take a look at the chicken.
After you finish the first round... use a sieve to pick-out any residual flakes or pieces that are sizzling around in the oil.
Now, let's slightly raise the heat - so the oil temperature can turn hotter.
It's time for our second fry.
Carefully add a few pieces back in at a time and fry for ~30 seconds. (Note: timing may vary - so just look for a nice browning on the chicken)
After frying, place the finished chicken pieces onto the cooling rack. Make sure that the skin-side is facing up!
Allow the chicken to rest for 3-5 minutes - this resting time will allow the juices to move back to the center of the chicken (yes, I know... it's difficult to wait!)
Then squeeze some Japanese Mayo into a dipping tray - and serve with a few slices of lemon!
Note: When you squeeze lemon juice onto the chicken, it will start to lose its crispiness. So I recommend squeezing it on right before you eat!
Bon Appetit ya'll - you got yourself a mighty fine meal. Crack open a beer or make a whisky highball or... enjoy with curry 😉

Tried this recipe?Tag us at @efutureneighbor with your dish!