I love fried chicken of all kinds, but Karaage is my absolute favorite. With bite-size pieces of juicy skin-on chicken thigh meat surrounded by a crispy crust, this Japanese fried chicken is an exquisite balance of taste, texture, and aroma. Like pizza, it's even good served cold in a bento box lunch.
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Why This Karaage Recipe Works
- Use potato starch — The unique granule size and starch composition of potato starch allows it to form a thin, yet shatteringly crisp crust.
- Simple marinade — Avoid the temptation to add sugar or mirin to your marinade. A simple soy sauce, sake, and ginger marinade seasons without burning.
- Skin on thighs — Thigh meat has more flavor and will stay tender and juicier longer than breast meat. The skin not only protects the meat from drying out, but it also crisps up, giving the karaage a durable, lasting crunch.
- Single fry — Although many fried chicken recipes call for double frying I think this dries smaller boneless cuts of chicken out. Single fry to 160°F (71°C) and let carryover cooking finish for maximum juiciness.
What is Karaage?
Karaage is a Japanese dish which is thought to have been introduced from China in which a protein or vegetable is dusted in flour or potato starch and deep-fried until crisp and golden brown. Chicken is the most common protein, but it's also made with seafood, such as fugu (blowfish). The name "karaage" literally means "empty fried" so historically the food was not seasoned prior to dusting.
Karaage (から揚げ) vs. Tatsutaage (竜田揚げ)
To the east of Osaka, there is a river called Tatsuta-gawa, famous for its beautiful autumn foliage. When the chicken pieces are marinated in soy sauce before being coated in starch and fried, it turns the color of autumn leaves, which is how Tatsutaage is said to have gotten its name. By this definition, what most of us know as Karaage is technically Tatsutaage.
That being said, in modern parlance, the two names are used interchangeably, and while there may be some regional preferences, "Karaage" is the more commonly used of the two.
Ingredients for Karaage
Chicken
Although Karaage can be made with almost any kind of meat or fish, it's most commonly made with various cuts of chicken. The standard is skin-on boneless chicken thighs. There are two reasons why thigh meat tastes better than chicken breast meat. The first is that the type of muscle tissue in the legs is fundamentally different from that of breast meat. They are built for endurance and contain a higher concentration of myoglobin, which gives leg meat its characteristic dark color and umami-rich taste.
The second is that leg meat is fueled by fat (vs. glycogen for breast meat), which is why thigh meat typically has a higher fat content than breast meat. We've all heard the saying "fat=flavor," but it's not just flavor that the fat imparts. As meat cooks, the muscle fibers contract and expel water, but since fat takes longer to render out, the leg meat ends up juicier and harder to dry out. Skinless chicken thighs will also work here if you can't get skin-on thighs.
I also like to use skin-on thighs for Karaage because the skin helps insulate the meat (at least on one side) from the high temperature of the oil, ensuring juicy chicken. When it's done frying, most of the oil should be rendered out of the skin, making it nice and crisp, while the underlying meat is tender and juicy. Finding boneless skin-on chicken thighs in the US can be challenging if you don't have an Asian market nearby, so I've made a tutorial on How to Debone Chicken Thighs, which also shows you how to debone whole legs.
The last thing to consider with chicken for Karaage is to use the best quality you can find. This means using fresh chicken that has not been previously frozen and, ideally, a heritage breed raised cage-free. Ice crystals that form during freezing rupture cell walls, which make meat spongy and also allow the liquids to drain out faster as the meat cooks. Most supermarket chickens are "broilers" bred for commercially favorable reasons (like reaching maturity more quickly), none of which include things like better texture or flavor. This is why traditional heritage breeds tend to taste better (but also cost more). Free-range birds also tend to taste better because they get more exercise. They also eat a more varied diet, snacking on natural foods in their environment.
Seasonings
There are so many ways to season Karaage, but to this day, the best Karaage I've ever had was simply seasoned with soy sauce, sake, and ginger. This is why my marinade ingredients are so basic. The soy sauce brings salt and umami, while the sake imparts a mild sweetness and amino acids, resulting in a synergistic boost of umami. The ginger smooths over any gaminess in the boneless thigh meat, adding a spicy note, while enzymes like zingibain help tenderize the meat.
Some people like to add garlic to their marinade, but I don't because it overpowers the chicken's delicate flavor. I also don't recommend adding anything sweet, such as fruit juice, mirin, or sugar, to the marinade, as it will burn and make your karaage dark and bitter.
For variations, you can marinate the protein for Karaage using a salt brine, curry powder, Chinese five-spice powder, white pepper, or chili powder. I've even swapped out the soy sauce for fish sauce from time to time. My Shio Karaage Recipe features grated garlic cloves, black pepper, and sake for a lighter flavor.
Coating
Karaage can be coated with almost any flour or starch, but my personal favorite is potato starch. It results in a shell with a light extra crispiness similar to potato chips in texture, and I prefer this light crust. Potato starch is not the same as potato flour (made by dehydrating potato pulp). Cornstarch and wheat flour both result in a denser crust, with the former producing a texture similar to tortilla chips and the latter producing a shell more like buttermilk fried chicken. In the US, potato starch is produced by Bob's Red Mill and should be available in most upscale supermarkets and online.
As a side note, I prefer using potato starch (over cornstarch) in almost every application, whether thickening a sauce, coating a food, or binding ingredients together. If you don't have it in your pantry, I highly recommend ditching the cornstarch and picking up some potato starch instead.
To Double Fry or Not to Double Fry
Double frying is a process in which you fry a food once, remove it from the oil, and then fry it again. This creates a crust with a crunch/crispness that tends to keep the karaage crispy for a bit longer. I recommend double-frying most types of fried chicken, including my Korean Fried Chicken, and Tebasaki. The problem is that the longer cooking time tends to overcook the meat. This is fine for wings, where it's really about enjoying the crispy chicken skin, but for my Karaage Chicken recipe, it's about the juicy, flavorful leg meat, so I don't double fry my karaage.
How to make Karaage
Marinate
- Cut the chicken thighs into evenly sized pieces about the size of a golfball.
- Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, sake, and ginger.
💡TIP: How long you marinate it will affect how salty it is, so you can adjust the marination time to suit your preferences. Generally, I tend to marinate it longer if I'm going to serve it with rice, or I'm planning to pack it into a bento box, and I'll marinate it for less time if it's going to be a stand-alone dish.
Dredge
- For each chicken piece, shape it into a ball and stretch the skin to cover as much of the ball of chicken as possible.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in potato starch to coat evenly.
Deep Fry (Stovetop)
- Heat a heavy pot with 2-inches of vegetable oil to 340°F (170°C) and prepare a cooling rack by lining it with several layers of paper towels.
- Lower a few pieces of coated chicken into the preheated oil. Do not overcrowd the pot.
- Flip periodically and cook until the chicken is golden brown and registers an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
- Transfer the cooked chicken to the prepared rack and fry the remaining chicken in batches. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.
💡TIP: Experienced fryers in Japan can consistently judge the chicken's internal temperature by the size of the bubbles forming in the oil around the meat, but this is a skill that takes time and practice to learn. In the meantime, I recommend keeping an instant-read thermometer handy and checking each piece of karaage chicken until you feel more comfortable judging when it's cooked.
Air Fryer Karaage (Variation)
- Lightly oil the basket or line with perforated parchment paper.
- Arrange chicken in a single layer with space between pieces. Spray both sides with oil.
- Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 12–14 minutes, flipping at 8 minutes.
- Cook until the thickest piece reaches 160°F (71°C). Rest 3 minutes.
💡TIP: For extra crunch, air fry 1–2 minutes longer.
Storage & Reheating
Let the karaage cool completely, then store it in an airtight container lined with paper towels in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze the pieces on a tray until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat from the fridge or freezer, bake in a toaster oven or air fry at 400°F(200°C) until hot and crisp (about 5–7 minutes from chilled, a few minutes longer from frozen). For bento, pack the chicken only once it has fully cooled to prevent condensation and sogginess.
What to Serve with Chicken Karaage
Serve karaage with a bowl of Japanese short‑grain rice and a heap of Japanese shredded cabbage salad drizzled with nutty sesame wafu dressing or citrusy ponzu sauce. For a tangy contrast, make a side of my cucumber sunomono or or prep a batch of quick pickled asazuke cabbage. Another popular side dish for karaage is creamy Japanese potato salad. You can also serve this over rice to make Karaage Donburi garnished with mayo and a hot spring egg.
If you happen to have leftovers, this Japanese fried chicken is fantastic paired with a classic umeboshi onigiri or a tuna mayo onigiri. Add a small portion of sweet-savory kinpira gobo, a slice of tamagoyaki, and some colorful vegetables to round out your bento box lunch.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients
For kaarage marinade
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon sake
- 25 grams fresh ginger (grated)
For the chicken
- 900 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs (cut into bite-size pieces)
- 170 grams potato starch
- vegetable oil (for frying)
- ½ lemon (sliced into wedges for serving)
Instructions
- To make the karaage marinade, mix the ⅓ cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoon sake, and 25 grams fresh ginger in a bowl to combine.
- Add the 900 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs and mix well to coat each piece with the kaarage marinade. Cover and refrigerate, allowing the pieces of chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
- When you are ready to fry the karaage, add 1 inch of vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot or deep fryer and heat until the oil temperature reaches 340 degrees F (170 C). Prepare a paper towel-lined wire rack.
- While you wait for the oil temperature to rise, add the 170 grams potato starch to a shallow bowl and dredge the marinated chicken to coat each piece evenly, tapping off any excess potato starch with your hand. Set the coated pieces on a tray.
- When the deep frying oil is ready, fry the coated chicken pieces in batches. Don't overcrowd the pot, and fry chicken in batches that have roughly the same size pieces so they will cook at about the same time.
- After a few minutes, start checking the pieces of chicken for doneness. When the karaage hits an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 C) on a meat thermometer, transfer them to the paper towel-lined wire rack and let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving them. Serve with ½ lemon cut into wedges.
Nutrition Facts
FAQs
Ka-ra-a-ge has four syllables and each one is pronounced as follows:
ka like copy
ra the “ra” sound does not exist in the English language, and the best way to make it is to say the word "romp" with the tip of your tongue at the front of your mouth.
a like aardvark
ge like get
There's some debate about the origin of the name, but characters 唐揚げ literally mean "Chinese Fried".
Sake is added to the marinade for four reasons:
1. Sake contains a ton of amino acids, which creates the taste of umami.
2. Sake, which is made with rice, imparts the rice's unique flavor to the chicken.
3. It contains some residual sugars that lend a sweetness to the marinade without making it sweet.
4. The liquid will dilute the soy sauce, preventing it from getting too salty.
Unfortunately, there is no good substitute for sake that hits all four of these factors. (You can read more about this in my article, Best Sake for Cooking.) For example, the chicken stock will add amino acids and help dilute the marinade, but it won't add rice flavor or sweetness. Fruit juices are too sweet, and the acidity will make the marinade sour. White wine has residual sugars, but the flavor is fruity and acidic. Although it's not going to taste the same as using sake, chicken stock or dashi with a small pinch of sugar is the best 1-1 substitute.
The marinade contains such a small amount of sake that the heat from frying will vaporize most, if not all, of the alcohol. Soy sauce also contains 2-3% alcohol by volume as a natural byproduct of fermentation (the same goes for miso).
Since Japanese fried chicken is seasoned in a soy-sake marinade, it's typically eaten without a dipping sauce. I enjoy just a squeeze of lemon juice on my Chicken Karaage to balance its richness. Some people also like to dip it in Japanese mayonnaise. This Karaage Chicken recipe can also be turned into many other dishes by coating it with a sauce. This is how I make my Orange Chicken and Japanese Sweet & Sour Chicken.
Karaage is one of the most popular bento items in Japan. Aside from being a hit with kids and adults alike, it packs and transports well because it's well-seasoned and has a low moisture content.
Yaroslav says
Cool
валентина says
Спасибо!
ZI says
Great recipe
Marc Matsumoto says
Thank you!
Jim Rosenkrans V says
I just tried this recipe, again. And it is wow good! Oishii! Ne? I haven't tried this in a while. The last time turned out great too. I think I used chicken breast last time, and it was good as well. But this time I made sure to use chicken thighs. And there is a definite difference in taste. Way better! It is a simple, and easy to do recipe. which is my favorite way of cooking. I am not one for complicated recipes. I bought a bottle of sake, and only used 2 tablespoons of it. So what can I do, but drink the rest of it tonight, while watching anime? Well, I could do some samurai movies, but I just started rewatching Ranma 1/2. So, what can I do? Kinda reminds me of the old Justin Wilson Cajun chef show. "A little bit oh wine for the gumbo, and a little bit o wine for de chef!" I used to love watching him. He had such a wonderful and enjoyable personality. You do too. I love how easily you explain how to do everything, and how much you appear to really enjoy cooking. Yeah, this recipe is crazy good! It's what I'd call KFC, if K stood for Kyoto!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jim, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this! Good call on how to use up that sake, chef's need to stay hydrated too 😅 If you have any leftover just keep it in your fridge for next time. Sake is used in a lot of my Japanese recipes and it will last for months in the fridge. There's a bunch of ideas of how it can be used here: https://norecipes.com/what-is-sake/
Jim Rosenkrans V says
Well, I would save it... lol
DJ says
Perfect every time! Anybody who has done any Japanese cooking at all has probably made chicken karaage a few dozen times (I think I did my first in 1989). It's a gorgeous dish, usually made mundane by a lot of simple mistakes (wrong cut of chicken, using packaged spices, time marinating<-super important I think, important not to overdo it either lest it be too salty). I also can't stress enough the importance of fresh ginger (verus jar junk, pardon if this one is way too obvious). Temp-checking the oil and finished chicken properly is also key to success. Marc's recipe is, as usual, carefully deconstructed and just really properly rebuilt in zen/minimalist fashion. Downside: I never order this dish at restaurants anymore as I think Marc's method is tastier. Thanks a million!~
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi DJ, thank you so much much for the kind comment. I'm happy to hear this has been helping you out, and I feel you on having a hard time ordering it in restaurants. Even here in Japan it's often just 😕. I can't take full credit for this though because I learned most of these tricks from my mother-in-law. She still makes better karaage than me, but I can't recommend her trick on here because it involves undercooking the chicken😅
DJ says
So we've shifted away from virtually all seed oils (only keeping high quality sesame in small quantities) and I fried this today in pork tallow. It was not quite as light as vegetable oil, but much more flavorful. After draining a bit on cooling racks with paper towels in between, I'd recommend an second oil removal in direct contact with the paper towels. While fried food isn't really healthy in any context, all those industrial seed oils are really rough on the body. Think of this as kara-age and bacon having a kid together? =). Anyway, just to let you know that this recipe works with tallow as do your katsu recipes. Cheers!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi DJ, thanks for the heads up. I can imagine pork tallow would add flavor and your bacon/karaage baby analogy is making my mouth water😆
Stephanie Osato says
Excellent recipe instructions.
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm glad to hear this was helpful!
Ma. Eloisa Miura says
Very well explained and very encouraging to try this simple karaage ingredients.
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm glad to hear this was helpful!
Iris says
Do you have a recipe for the fried french beans in the picture above?
Thank you.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Iris, I just cut up the beans and added them to the oil before frying the chicken. They only take about a minute to fry (they're done when the skin starts to bubble). Then you can sprinkle on some salt. Just make sure the beans are very dry or they will pop and splash oil all over the place.
Iris says
I love how you add the science of cooking to your recipes. I then understand why I need sake, soya sauce..etc. I definitely feel more confident about cooking after I have read your recipes.
Keep up the great work! You are amazing!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for the kind words Iris! I'm so happy to hear the extra explanations are helpful!
Albert says
Very simple, easy to follow and great results. It was hard to find potato starch but corn starch came out great too.
Bea Zahn says
I have not made this yet. I’ve been forever looking for something new to make. My Family comes for dinner every Wednesday. I’m not sure if they are tired of Gramas meals they ask for. But Grama is. I’m watching a movie on Lifetime, Saying Yes to Christmas. The Japanese Fried Chicken sounded fabulous. You can bet, after reading your Recipe, I will be serving this Wednesday.
Thank you so much.
Bea Zahn
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome, I hope your family enjoys it!
Lin says
FYI, seems like there may be Comments section issues on some recipes, I forget which recipe though because I thought the problem was on my end until I found this recipe where I am able to post a comment.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for the heads up. I'm aware of the issue and dumping the Cloudflare cache temporarily fixes it, but the problem eventually comes back. I'll keep working on it.
Lin says
Thanks, absolutely love chicken karaage !! Watching the video makes me drool. 🙂
That's a really cool looking fryer in the video. What is it ? I fry so much, I might get one.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Lin! The pot I used is a cast iron Dutch oven which came with my fish grill. The maker Rinnai has discontinued this one in favor of an aluminum design so I don't think you can buy them anymore.
RetiredGuy says
I had karaage many times when working in Japan at the local red lantern bar. Very memorable. A Japanese restaurant near my home in Philly opened a few years back, complete with the red lantern. I was happy to see they had Karaage on the menu. The happiness abruptly ended when I bit into it and tasted the breast meat! Dame desu ne! It absolutely has to be thigh meat, otherwise it’s not nearly the same experience.
Marc Matsumoto says
In the US, breast meat is more popular than thigh meat. This is reflected in the pricing (breast meat is more expensive in the US, thigh meat is more expensive in Japan), as well as in the relative size of each cut (chicken breasts are larger in the US, chicken thighs are larger in Japan). I suspect the restaurant was just catering to what they think their customers want. But yes, karaage just isn't the same when made with breast meat. I hope you get a chance to try making this yourself sometime😉
Sid says
Worked perfectly. Potato starch is clearly the key. It was amazing.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Sid, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. Potato starch is great for both coating things as well as for thickening sauces. I've banished cornstarch from my pantry since finding it 😆.
Shane says
Even from the outside, you can see the umami.
I fried these twice. 2 mins at 160, rested, then 1 min at 170.
You can marinade the chicken in whatever you want, but the key is getting the oil temp and cooking times right.
Chris J says
Quite delicious--though I found a recip online that was virtually the same as yours. My wife always wants MORE ginger in hers which i anticipated, but it's never enough. Also, knowing my wife, having a dipping sauce would be necessary so I just added a bit of milk to some mayo for her and a bit to my own...along with a dash of Thai chili oil for heat. Good recipe...wherever I got it!
Rins says
Hi i cant use the sake. What can i use to replace that sake?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rins, there's no good substitute for sake as it has a pretty unique set of properties. Your best best is to substitute it with water, but you should be aware that it's not going to have quite as much umami as when made with sake.
ALocalMWGal says
Hello how much meat is used for this recipe?
Marc Matsumoto says
The amount of chicken is listed in the ingredients.
Brandon says
My grocery store doesnt sell Sake, so I substituted it for Mirin and it turned out great!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Brandon, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Albert says
I like the simplicity of the ingredients.
The recipe came out great!
Thanks for the recipe.
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear it! You're welcome!
Jonathan Graifer says
Two questions; how neccessary is the sake, and can I use corn starch if I can't find potato?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jonathan, sake is not as important as the soy sauce, but it's the only other seasoning ingredient, which makes it pretty important. It provides all of the sweetness and much of the umami and there aren't any great substitutes. As for the potato starch, if you're in the US, Bob's Red Mill makes it and it's available in higher-end grocery stores or online. This again is pretty important as it's what gives karaage its light crisp texture (cornstarch tends to get more crunchy).
Fassad says
Can we use Water + Sugar instead of Sake?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Fassad, sake contains high concentrations of amino acids that gives the taste of umami for this dish. You can use water, but the karaage won't have the umami that it would with sake. I would not recommend adding sugar as it will burn when you fry it.
Anindita Sastavianti says
were you buy that frying pot?? look nice
PekPeko says
Tried this last night (albeit with cornstarch) and it was incredibly delicious. Crispy, juicy and super flavorful!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi PekoPeko, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! If you can find it, I recommend looking for potato starch as it really changes the texture.
William Liu says
Made it! Very delicious and the recipe was very thoughtfully written
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi William, I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know!
Michelle says
I am sorry but you make it sound like garlic and sugar were never in this recipe but they were always. Why did you change it.
Marc Matsumoto says
Ahh sorry, I misunderstood your question. I'm always looking for ways to improve my recipes so when I find ways to make them better I reflect them here. In this case I moved to Japan and learned the proper way to make Karaage. They don't add sugar in the marinade here because it tends to burn, giving the chicken mottled appearance. As for garlic, you can add it if you like, but it tends the cover up the taste of the chicken, and if you're using good quality (i.e. expensive chicken) it's a bit of a waste of the chicken as all you will taste is the garlic.
Michelle says
What happend to the old measurements with tablespoons and teaspoons.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Michelle, volumetric measurements like tablespoons and teaspoons are are great for liquids but they don't work all that well for solids and powders like chicken, ginger, or potato starch. In this case the measurement for the potato starch doesn't have be to be exact (just use as much as it takes to coat the chicken). For the other ingredients, if you don't have a scale, you can use the measurements provided by the supermarket (i.e. both chicken and ginger are usually sold by weight). I hope that helps.
Michelle says
Thank you Marc, no not really as I get a lot of ginger at a time. And I thought the Tablespoons and Teaspoons worked great.
In any case I don't get why you changed the recipe at all. You make it sound like you never sugar and garlic but you did. I had everything grated and ready but I always forget the amounts and it turns out you changed it. 🙁
Darryl says
Thanks Marc, delightful! This is how I deep fry my pork spareribs.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Darryl, that's a great idea! Do you usually cut the ribs up into small pieces or leave them whole?
Daniel says
Now, I do this with an airfryer, took me a while to perfect. That reduces the required oil considerably.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Daniel, that's impressive, I've never had much luck with air fryers. Curious what your method is if you don't mind sharing.
Mille says
This was AMAZING! My tita (aunt) found this recipe and we've all been attempting it because it was so tasty! Making this for the second time today, but a double batch because we ate the other one up way too quickly 😂
You say not to sub any other alcohol for the sake but we didnt have any on hand so we used some red wine 🤷 turned out AMAZING, still!
Next time I go to our Asian grocery, I'll get some sake to see how it was meant to taste and will report back 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mille, I'm so glad to hear you liked this. Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know you enjoyed it. Wine will taste fine, it's just not the same taste as using sake. When you do go look for sake, please be sure you get drinking sake, and not cooking sake (cooking sake is loaded with salt and preservatives and will throw off the taste of the recipe).
samantha says
delicious. better than the restaurants.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Samantha, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by to share😊
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Bea, it's not an electric rice cooker. It's a stove top rice cooking pot meant for a gas stove (basically a regular pot with markings). I had just moved when I made this post and didn't have any other pot at the time.
Bea de Rice says
Hi Marc, It looked like you were using your rice cooker to fry the Kara Age! What a great idea! Could you let me know what setting you had it on for this? I think I may have the same rice cooker. Thank you!
Marc Matsumoto says
The sake is there to increase the umami in the chicken, so no, it will not taste the same without the sake, but it's not like a cake that won't rise if you leave out an ingredient.
Giftz says
Will it still be yummy without the sake? (Religious reasons)
Joy Jungers says
My kind of recipe-- thanks!
Asako says
I have to say, I was daunted by the amount of ginger. But after it marinated and cooked it was just the perfect ratio. I made a batch for my pescetarian father too using basa. It was not quite equally, but still very, delicious 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Asako, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Asako says
This recipe is - AMAZING - crispy, succulent, and dang tasty. Thanks for sharing. I'm so excited I can make delicious and authentic karaage at home!
pcchef says
Hi Marc, is there anyway to make the skin crispy? I've tried following all the instructions here but the skin are always ending up soggy. I'm using a different starch than potato starch could that be the cause?
Also should I wait for the thigh to be on room temp before frying? or they can be fried directly from the refrigerator?
shua says
after first fry, wait 12 mins and fry again. that's how we do in asia
Marc Matsumoto says
Double frying this will definitely make it crispier, but you'll lose the juiciness of the chicken.
Tiago says
Moisture is your enemy when it comes to crispness. Make sure the chicken is as dry as possible before you dredge it through the starch. Sometimes that can be done by leaving the already-marinated chicken uncovered in the fridge for a little bit.
Marc Matsumoto says
While true, the marinade on the outside of the chicken is what flavors the coating, so I wouldn't recommend drying the chicken off with paper towels, especially if your marination time is on the short side. Potato starch tends to fry up much more crisp that flour or cornstarch, so provided you get the oil temperature right, it should end up very crisp without doing anything special.
sshtargot says
Thank you for the advice!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi sshtargot, the key is to work quickly and to coat the chicken in small batches. You should also minimize handling the chicken while you're coating as your fingers (or whatever implement you're using will cause the starch to clump). The best way is to put a few pieces of the chicken in a bowl of starch and toss the chicken in the bowl without touching it with anything. Then use something with very little surface area (i.e. 2 forks, chopsticks, etc) to transfer the coated chicken into the oil. Once it's fried you can handle it with whatever you like.
sshtargot says
I just made this, and it tasted very good. The trouble I had was with coating the chickens in the potato starch, it would clump up so that parts of the chicken piece kept getting exposed. The more I tried to coat it, the more uneven and clumpy it got. The problem this caused was uneven cooking in the crust of the chicken and holes
Shaun says
Try drying the chicken more and coat in small batches. 1 or 2 at a time. Cut thighs to equal sizes for more even cooking
caster says
lol, same here
Ereka Brotherson says
lol ME TOO!! I really wanna know how to make these!!
Teru says
Epic same here that Anime makes me hungry to try every dish I see ^,~.
BareGrillsMcSnaggleTooth says
HAHAHA same for me. I just watched that episode and got inspired. The bahn xeo reference excited me too. I love this series!!
Dawn says
try that first dish with bacon and potatoes <3
LEVI ACKERMAN says
Shokugeki no soma brought me here! I just wanna try those famous karaage!!
Marine_Vet_Sgt says
I actually watched that anime and it gave me the idea also, I'm using the majority of this recipe, except using corn starch instead of potato starch. I'm a culinary student and for one of my classes I will be running a chicken themed menu and chose this as an app. Though I found I needed thicker breasts, so will probably use bone in airline breasts to start with since most chicken breasts you buy aren't as thick as I'd like. And I'll be using skinless breasts.
Brittany Humes says
ikkk i googled it for the same reason and it still looks amazing lol
Leo says
I found this because of shokugeki no soma also 🙂 I just added some black and red pepper powder before i put it in the starch. I wonder if adding the ground black and red pepper to the marinade would also make it more spicy/better?
Leo says
Thanks for the recipe Marc! Would marinating the chicken with some mirin enhance the flavor or texture? (i figure the vinegar would help break the chicken down to be even more tender) BTW i also found this page because of shokugeki no soma 🙂
Diane Dae says
The kaarage I made was delicious. I was dissapointed that I made so little though :))))
KompostMaster says
I often use sherry as substitute for sake or ricewine since those are really expansive in europe.
Totsuki's Elite 00 says
I'm here because of Shokugeki. lol And my siblings who's into the anime wants to try the karaage. I said, i'll cook it for them, following Souma's recipe.
However, my problem is the Banh Xeo or that crepe made of rice. I also wanted to include that for the complete package ala Sumire's Mark Karaage! HAHA
tenshi_a says
I just made this. It was awesome! Thanks for the recipe. Mine ended up a darker colour because of the soy sauce I'd used, and very gingery and very juicy, and I really liked it. 😀
I found when looking for potato starch in my local supermarket, there wasn't any - but looking under the "gluten free" section, they had some "gluten free plain flour". This was in fact mostly potato starch, with tapioca flour and rice flour added too. That worked really well as a substitution! So there's a tip for anyone who needs it.
(BTW it wasn't Souma that led me here but Mayushii's obsession with "Juicy Karaage Number 1" in Steins;Gate, haha!)
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Michael, you can make it with whatever you like, but personally I wouldn't do it. Chicken breast tends to dry out easily which is why its a poor choice for karaage, and if the chicken has already been cooked, i's going to end up even more dry.
Michael Dudebro says
Hey chef, just wondering if it's cool if you can use steamed chicken breast instead. Was making quick Sunday lunch and this came to mind.
Cheers.
Shaun Hicks says
You can but it won’t be their recipe, it will be yours and it will be much drier. You said the chicken breast is already steamed??
Anemology says
This is the seductive kaarage right?
Alean Nollan says
Me too haha. Never really expect someone would be here with that reason lol.
Diane Dae says
I'm not here because of Souma, not at all, no
Therapy says
Lel, same
Was looking for a recipe to try out, turned out to be pretty good xcept changed authentic sake to home-made stuff
Dethrone says
we're all searching for that karaage, mmmmm
David says
Any other alternatives for sake?
Seru says
White wine is nice too
Daniel Thompson says
Yeah. That soy/chili marinade and how it was wrapped looked amazing.
Samuel Pandolfo says
Same here!So many people into the show. lol
Joe Gibson Jr says
Hahaha! Same here! LOL
cryosx says
That shows doing some good advertising
Crowley Eusford says
hahah same here
now I will do shokugeki in my kitchen now hahaha I will really going to try this.
Beyond says
haha
Abdifatah Osman says
OMG same
Mika says
so am i 🙂
Cesar Sanchez says
I only cam here cuz it looked really good in shokugeki no souma haha
Robotics says
Omg I'm not the only one researching karaage..
Oinkeeh says
shokugeki no souma
Sean Marquez says
Hello Chef Marc,
Actually my family still uses rice cooker inserts on stove tops for years at a time. It should be fine to keep using if you happen to be too cheap to buy a new rice cooker like us. Key word is "should," though...
Yogicfoodie says
icic~~ awesome! I didn't see a stove top rice cooker around me. ^^;;
Always just a delight to come visit you here!
Marc Matsumoto says
I could eat fried chicken every day too! As a genre of food, it's one of my favorites. As for the pot, it's actually a stove top rice cooker, so it's basically a regular pot with markings on it. Using an insert for a rice cooker on a stove would be a very bad idea.
Yogicfoodie says
Hi Marc,
I've been on virtual-fried chicken-binge (3 nights non stop!!) and I have landed on my next project. I just noticed, you fried your chicken in a mini rice cooker insert!^^;;
You made me smile! And I know my chicken will make me smile tomorrow!
Thanks as always
Ja Sharland says
Hello Chef Marc, I tried making this today and it was so good even though I used 1 tbspn of Shaoxing instead of Sake. Ate it with curry and rice..it's our family favourite now. Thank you for the recipe!
Marc Matsumoto says
Shaoxing has a very strong flavor which will change the taste of the karaage, but it's definitely not a bad thing, just something different.
Jon Kim says
Would shaoxing wine be really bad? I'm going to use sake but just curious. Great write up!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mike, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it! Controlling oil temperature can be tough, and practice will help, but there area few things you can do that will make it easier. Using a heavy bottomed pot (such as one made with cast iron) works especially well because the pot helps retain heat. This reduces the wild swings in temperature when you add food to the oil or turn up the heat.
Mike says
Hello Chef Marc, I tried your recipe for the first time tonight (also my first time deep frying) and for a first time it was successful!! Very tasty and not very difficult. I did have a bit of a problem keeping the oil at temperature, mostly it was a bit too hot, then on the last batch a bit too cool. Just practice I think. I will definitely try this again! Thank you.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Leunaleir, unfortunately sake is pretty unique in flavor so there isn't a very good substitute for it. While it won't taste quite the same, the most neutral substitute would be water.
Leunaleir says
hello sir, i want to ask. can i subtitute sake with something else? without changing the flavour of karaage? i think its difficult to find sake in my country. thanks (:
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Emzays. It's not a must in the sense that the chicken will still fry without it, but it will effect the flavor if you leave it out.
Emzays says
Hello i want to ask if sake is a must for this recippe as i don't think i can eat anything with alcohol in it.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Anna, this may be regional variation, but karaage isn't usually served with a sauce. Can you tell me what part of Japan you had it (or what regional cuisine the restaurant you had it in specializes in) and I can try and look it up.
Anna says
can anyone tell me how to make the miso sauce to go with this?
Victoria says
Wow I love Japanese cuisine, and I just tried your recipe today. It's really tasty! The ginger is amazingly good in it and with lemon it's just perfect!
Thank you so much!
Anyway I didn't have sake so I used white wine instead, and I'm totally satisfied with the outcome.
Ernest says
And deep fried in leaf lard, GOODNESS GRACIUOS!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ernest, Good call. I tend to write marination times as short as possible to allow people to make things on short notice, but unless specified otherwise, always assume that things will taste better marinated for 1 day+.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nice, how long did you marinate it for? While 1 hour is the minimum if you really want to get a lot of flavor in there, try soaking the chicken over night. As for the amount of fat, do you mean it was greasy or that you have a problem with the fact that it's deep fried. If it was greasy, it could be the temperature of the oil you used, or that the chicken wasn't drained properly after frying. If the issue is with deep frying, then I'd suggest looking for a different dish such as chicken teriyaki, which is not deep fried.
Ernest says
Had the same issue with seasoning so I always marinate it longer than recipe states to get the seasoning where I want it. And sprinkle some salt as soon as it's out of the fryer.
As for fat, Was your oil hot enough?
Nice Karaage says
it tasted great except for it's lack of salt and high amount of fat
Nish says
I made this first time today. So deliciousssss. Thank you for shaing.
Marc Matsumoto says
It should have plenty of flavor from the marinade, but if you don't feel like it's enough you could sprinkle some salt on after it's fried.
B.M.Allen says
Does the chicken need additional salt & pepper before frying?
Sam says
It should be salty enough from the soy sauce, although I usually let sit in the marinade for at least 2 hours. I've made these with and without pepper and prefer without for karaage.
Yuta says
to use*
Yuta says
Hi I'm from Indonesia and I really love your recipe. I'm still thirteen and I am making a infographic about how to make chicken karaage, may I have a permission to uaw your image and translated instruction in my infographic, I will only post in my school, not in online, thx for the wonderful recipe.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Beck, since the chicken is already well seasoned there's really no need for a sauce. That said, if you feel like the seasoning is not sufficient, you could use some ponzu.
Beck Jacobson says
What sauce would go well with this? Thanks
Sam says
Traditionally served with mayonnaise (preferably Japanese "Kyupi" brand, it's quite distinct) and lemon wedge to squeeze over the top. Once you try this you won't want anything else.
Richiva says
Kia ora Marc, I have used your recipe many times for my family meal which we all love! Thank you for your easy instructions! We quite often order this dish at our local favorite Japanese restaurant, Yamato! I am learning my language (Te Reo Māori) at a local training provider in our city. As part of our course we need to make and write a recipe in `Māori. May I please use your recipe to translate into Māori and your pictures for an A3 paper presentation? I will ensure to have your name and website on my poster as the originator of the recipe.
bakerb says
have made this with cornstarch instead of potato flour and chinese rice wine instead of sake, turned out pretty good.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Lee, you can use water instead, but obviously it won't taste the same.
lee says
Is it possible to omit the sake? Or substitute it with something else? Thanks!
Victoria Fisher says
Thanks , we don't have a Kroger's but do have there sister store Fred myers and they had it , so tyvm !!
AussieInIndy says
another US brand is "Ener-G Potato Starch Flour", Whole Foods and also in Kroger grocery Stores
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Victoria, Bobs Red Mill makes potato starch and I've seen it at Whole Foods.
Victoria Fisher says
Any brands or stores in u.s that would most likely sell potato starch ? Or should I look at a Asian grocery store vs reg grocery
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Misslav20, glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Misslav20 says
I just want to say thank you for this, i made this with some oven roasted brussels sprouts as a simple dinner and had 3 pieces. I used thin boneless and skinless chicken breast with corn starch. I picked a dry white wine for marinade instead of sake and it tasted great. I actually marinaded it over night, pretty much 24 hours and its was the best chicken i have ever made!
Gaia says
Thank you Marc for the quickly and thorough reply! 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Gaia, in Japan, good Karaage is usually a little pink on the inside(barely cooked) because it's the juiciest at that level of doneness. It should not have been translucent though. As for the marinade, unless the restaurant was using nitrates (stuff that's used to cure ham and bacon) in their karaage, it probably wasn't the marinade that made the meat pink.
Regarding pink (but not translucent) chicken, at the FDA recommended temp of 165 F chicken will not be pink. That said, it's a bit of a grey area because time is as big a factor as temperature in killing microorganisms. For example, salmonella will die after 1 1/2 minutes at 152 F, but it takes less than 10 seconds to die at temperatures above 162F. Since it takes some time for the food to get form the fryer to your mouth, you should in theory be able to cook karaage to about 155 F(slightly pink) assuming it will take a few minutes to get from the fryer to your mouth. But since you're not measuring each piece of chicken with a timer and thermometer, there's always a risk that the temperature wasn't quite high enough or the resting time wasn't quite long enough (or that the room was so cold the temperature dropped too quickly). At the end of the day, it comes down to how much risk you're willing to take for juicy chicken.
Gaia says
Hi! I ate this plate yesterday in a restaurant but the chicken seemed raw. Was pink and translucent. More on one side than on the other. l I told it to the waitress and she said that it was for the marinade in soy. But the soya is dark no pink mmmm .
I have not eaten it to be sure. I was wrong? Thank you!
Susan says
Made this for dinner tonight, didn't have potato starch (not sure where I can get it in Western Australia), so had to use corn starch instead but it was delicious and worked perfectly... Thanks for the recipe!
nicholas says
You can get potato starch in either Coles or Woolworths in the Asian Section
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jo, if you used potato starch, this is quite normal (you can see in the first photo there are white areas). There's nothing wrong with it, but if it bugs you, you can just coat each piece with less starch the next time you make it.
jo says
After I fried the chicken it had a white powder on it? What is that? How do I make it go away?
Dan says
Tip: To keep the chicken both crispy and juicy, while cooking, life the chicken up and place back into the oil to let it periodically cool.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rachel, while you could use flour or cornstarch as a substitute, both will give you a different texture. If you're in the US try looking online at stores like Amazon under the brand Bobs Redmill.
rachel says
What can I substitute potato starch with? I can't find it anywhere..
tha_countray says
thank you, i also found spicy mayo to be real good with it, u should try that. rice and this plus spicy mayo
Marc Matsumoto says
Ponzu works pretty well with karaage.
tha_countray says
i need a good sauce to go with this, they cook this sauce in the restaurants
tha_countray says
need the sauce nika
Liana says
Hi,
I have tried and follow your chicken karaage recipe and its comes out with a crispy, tender and juicy result. I have it with tofu miso soup as a side dish.
Thanks for sharing *happy tummy*
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kathie, you can use shochu, but shochu is a distilled spirit so you'll lose a lot of the umami that sake imparts in the marinade.
Kathie says
Hi Marc,
Can I use shochu in place is sake?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Angie, you're not the first to notice. I really need to change that photo. It's a stove-top rice cooker, so basically a regular pot with markings. I did this right after I moved and it's the only pot I had at the time. If you use a regular rice cooker pot you will ruin it as they are too thin and the coating is not made to withstand the heat of a stove.
Angie says
Hi Marc,
I am SO curious...did you use a rice cooker to fry the chicken? I have never seen that before!! By the way, I have used many of your recipes from this site, and all of them have turned out to be so delicious! Not to mention all of your pretty pictures that make me so hungry at work. Thank you for putting in so much effort!
At says
When I prepare karaage, I don't use the sake. I use all of the other ingredients for the marinade and it turns out delicious.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Mike you can use mirin instead, but leave out the sugar if you do.
Mike says
Could I use mirin instead of sake?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Vishakh, making sake is not a simple process like making wine or beer, so it's not really something that people can casually make at home. If you really want to learn how to make sake, my recommendation is to move to Japan for a year and apprentice at a sake brewery.
Vishakh Pillai says
Hey There, Can you tell any way to make sake?
Marc Matsumoto says
The only similarity sake shares with beer is that saccharification(the conversion of starch into sugar) and fermentation (conversion of sugar into alcohol) happens in the same step. The enzymes used to convert the starch into sugars for sake comes from koji (a type of mold), and for beer it comes from malt. Saying the two are similar because of the process is like saying that dulce de leche and beef stew are similar because they both involve the mallard reaction. There are 3 reasons for adding sake to the marinade here. 1) Umami 2) Flavor 3) Dilution. Since beer will add bitterness without a whole lot of umami (and a totally different flavor), the only benefit you'd get is in the dilution it provides. To that end you'd be better off using water as you won't have the bitterness issue.
Battleofalma says
Beer. Yes, know it's not the same but it's close inasmuch as sake is basically a beer with a maturation process.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Chandra, since I don't know where you live, and "sourced easily" is going to depend on your location, I can't really make any suggestions. That said, there isn't another kind of alcohol that is similar to sake, so you could either chose to leave it out, or substitute another alcohol like wine understanding that it will significantly alter the taste of the finished dish.
Chandra says
What can replace sake?
Anything similar that can be sourced easily..
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Emma, if you're asking permission, then sure, go ahead and leave it out. If you're asking if it will change the finished dish, then yes, it will. Sake contains amino acids that produce the taste of umami, by leaving it out, your finished karaage will taste more flat.
Emma says
Is it ok if I don't put sake?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Herr Yamamoto, I don't see why it wouldn't work, though frying times would probably be a little different.
Herr Yamamoto says
Do you think i could use this recipe on chicken wings?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Blossoms, the crispness might last a few hours if you leave it uncovered outside, but it won't stay crisp in the fridge, and it definitely won't stay crisp in a bento box. It will still taste good though!
Blossoms14 says
How long will this stay crispy? I was planning on making this for a Hanami in a week, but won't have time the morning of. If this was cooked the night before, refrigerated overnight, and then in a bento from 9-12, how would the texture change?
Marc Matsumoto says
It's a stove-top rice cooker. I did this right after I moved and didn't have a proper pot. You should use a heavy bottomed pot like a dutch oven.
hausofissues says
What pot are you frying in that last picture?
Ariel Isble says
I had this in Japan at a small chain restaurant in Shibuya. So good. Glad there's a recipe out there to make it at home now.
Vitriol Barbitol says
Thank you for the prompt reply!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Vitriol, I've never seen a recipe add eggs to the chicken, but it could just be a regional difference. Egg is usually added to meat for one of two reasons, to help a coating stick (like when you cover something with breadcrumbs), or to help prevent moisture loss. My guess is it's added for the later in this case, but if you don't over cook it this should not be necessary and may result in a coating of potato starch that's too thick.
Vitriol Barbitol says
Most recipes I saw for Karaage add beaten egg to the chicken, could you explain what exactly the egg does ? I am kinda torn between adding egg or not hmm..
Carmen says
My husband took a bite and said : wow wow wow wow wow. Thank you Marc
PickyMom says
Perfect! Would add more ginger next time. My picky son said it's the best dinner ever, then gavea hug and a kiss! Best feeling! Thank you for the recipe! By the way, Clubhouse also carries potato starch.
AndyMac says
Great recipe chef!
The potato flour still coated them and browned well (not a lot of difference between crispy & crunchy 🙂
The hardest thing was not eating them all straight out of the pan...
AndyMac says
Thanks for the super quick response chef! I'll let you know how it goes...
Marc Matsumoto says
HI Andy, I've never used potato flour before so I'm not sure what will happen, but it's likely the texture will be different. If I had to guess I'd say it would probably be closer in texture to using regular all purpose flour (more crunchy) as opposed to the crisp texture you get with potato starch.
AndyMac says
Just bought the ingredients and then noticed I had bought potato flour and not starch (& just read your comments about flour / starch - dohh). What will the difference be using potato flour?
Legato says
And I used noticed that I messed up my parentheses... oh, well ><
Legato says
This turned out quite delicious, although I used a different marinade with red wine instead of sake! One thing though, Wafu-Chuka (or wafuu chuuka as I would like to transliterate it) would be more accurately translated as "Japanese style Chinese cooking ) A minor point, I know, but somewhat relevant ^^
Dom Bradley says
Replace the potato starch with almond meal + parmesan, and omit sugar from the marinade, and you get a fantastic Atkin's/Keto/Paleo meal
Hạnh Hanna says
my mother made it for last dinner at very first time and it was awesome, my Japanese bosses love it so much 😀
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Harwin, if you're in the US, the biggest brand that makes potato starch is Bob's Red Mill. They usually carry it at high end supermarkets like Whole Foods. As for Onigiri stuffing, I've never tried it but it sounds like an awesome idea!
Harwin says
Looks like a great recipe. Just need to see if my local supermarket carries sake and potato starch. Would the left overs making a good filling for onigiri?
Netso46 says
Made this tonight & it was outstanding!! Changed it a little bit, by adding a little sugar & sesame seed oil, but OMG, so delicious. Had stir fried green beans, a few basil spaghetti noodles & chili sauce-yum, yum. Will definitely keep this for my favorites. Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Netso46 says
Made this tonight & it was outstanding!! Changed it a little bit, by adding a little sugar & sesame seed oil, but OMG, so delicious. Had stir fried green beans, a few basil spaghetti noodles & chili sauce-yum, yum. Will definitely keep this for my favorites. Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Eric, you can use cornstarch, but it will give you a very different texture. More crunchy than crispy. — Sent from Mailbox for iPhone
Eric Cabato says
Hi! Can i use cornstarch instead of potato starch?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Zulita, some white speckles and dark areas are perfectly normal. Potato starch fries up differently than flour or cornstarch, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. As for the dark areas, because there's some sugar in the marinade, it's inevitable that some areas will end up looking a little darker than others. You can minimize this by lowering the temperature of your frying oil, but as long as it doesn't taste burt, I wouldn't be too alarmed.
Zulita Linares says
Hey Marc!
I tried making this but I feel like I put on too much coating in the beginning and then too little towards the end of the batch. They all ended up coming out burnt looking with frosty white spots, my roommate said they looked like crushed oreos! I know the main issue was the fact that I didn't use a thermometer and just kinda eyeballed it. Should I just be more mindful of the frying temp and just kinda wing it when it comes to the coating?
Jags says
thank you for the quick respond.
Marc Matsumoto says
Wine and rum both taste quite different from sake. They'll certainly work, but if you want something more neutral without the rum flavor or the acidity of wine it would probably be best to use water.
Jags says
is it okay if i use wine or rum replacing sake?
Mica M says
Thanks for the quick respond. I'll do that then. Regards, Michiko
Mica M says
Made this recipe before. Excellent. Could I leave out the sake and sugar when using mirin?
Marc Matsumoto says
The sake is there for flavor, since there's really nothing that's similar in flavor to sake, water would be the best substitute.
—
Sent from Mailbox for iPhone
Kaevin says
Hi, i just wanted to know if we can replace the Sake with something else? any suggestions?
Angel Stillions says
Thank you ^_^
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Angel, you just need to take the end parenthesis of the end of the URL (the commenting software isn't smart enough to figure out it's not part of the URL. Here's the link again without the parens: https://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/japanese-potato-salad/
Angel Stillions says
So I was reading the comments...and saw a link to Japanese potato salad. It didnt work 🙁 Do you have another good link or recipe for it? I make bento for my husband and I to take to school! It would be awesome to add that to my list of sides! And of course the Kaarage recipe was excellent!
Marc Matsumoto says
I've never tried it, but I think it will give the the chicken a different texture. BTW potato flour and potato starch are not the same thing. Potato flour is dried ground potatoes, potato starch is just the starch of the potato.
--
Marc Matsumoto
https://norecipes.com
Twitter: @norecipes
dk002 says
Have you ever used rice flower instead of potato starch?
Marc Matsumoto says
There isn't really an upper limit, beyond the chicken spoiling.
ku san says
how long (max) can the raw chicken be kept in marinade until frying?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi hpenguin, sorry to hear it did not work out for you. It's normal for there to be some darker spots on the karaage but it should not taste burnt. Also potato starch does not brown like other flours. It will still have a slightly white frosted look on the outside. The main thing is that the chicken is cooked through, but not over cooked, the exterior will be crisp even if its not fully browned. Just out of curiosity, did you measure the temperature of the oil before adding the chicken?
hpenguin says
im calling bull on the potato starch i just tried to fry the chicken in only potato starch and it never got medium brown the chicken skin burned inside before the potato starch browned.
ena says
Made this for a dinner once, and everyone raves about how it tastes so much better than the one in restaurants! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Michael Allen says
I really like the sound of that, I'll definitely use your method!
Kristen says
Thank you so much for adding the bit about gluten-free tamari! It's difficult to come across great recipes that are also gluten free.
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep:-) The idea is just to put something absorbent underneath. A paper towel would work too. To give it a little style, I usually cut long rectangles and fold the paper in half at a slight angle.
Michael Allen says
Funny it was something so simple. I really like the way it looks on the plate, so I'll try it out when I prepare this dish later this week!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Michael, in Japan they'll often use rice paper, but I just used regular paper (the kind you put in your printer).
Michael Allen says
I too use Bob's Red Mill potato starch, works perfectly!
Michael Allen says
Very specific presentation detail I'm curious about: I see in your photos of the finished dish the karaage is on some sort of absorbent parchment paper - I've seen it used with fried dishes in nicer Japanese restaurants as well. What exactly is it called and can I find it at my local chain grocer (if not online)?
Many thanks in advance!
elle says
I was wondering can you use this marinade for other things? I really like it and was wondering if you could use it for grilling or baking chicken?
DDC says
Can you use Mirin instead of Sake?
DDC says
I used a thermometer for making candy...it reads high temp.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Eric, glad to hear you enjoyed it! You're right about subbing panko and cornstarch, but regarding the oil temperature, keep in mind that everyone has a different cooktop that puts out a different amount of heat. Unfortunately that makes it difficult to make generalizations that will work for everyone.
Pokai says
Great recipe. Thank you very much. Followed everything and it's the best Chicken Karaage ever. I will never order this from a restaurant again. It's so easy to make. Others are asking if you can sub for panko or corn starch. The simple answer is no. It won't taste the same. Potato starch is harder to find and more expensive but it's worth it. If you don't have a thermometer to measure frying temp, keep the burner around medium high and should be about right.
Marc Matsumoto says
To make panko stick you typically need to do a flour coating followed by an egg wash. Have a look at my Tonkatsu post for more details. —
Sent from Mailbox for iPhone
ezzye says
would Panko in with the potato starch work?
Marc Matsumoto says
Karaage is often served in bento boxes for lunch along with rice and Japanese potato salad ( https://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/japanese-potato-salad/).
Marc Matsumoto says
Corn starch can be substituted but it will not give you the same crispy texture as potato starch.
Monica says
What would you eat it with? Just rice? Do you have a side dish that would be a nice accompaniment? Thanks
george says
the best subs for potato starch is corn starch!
Legna says
I don't understand hwy sake isn't allowed in your "religion" eve if it is just only being used for cooking.. The heat prey much kills the alcohol content and just leaves the flavor.
Marc Matsumoto says
You can substitute water. It obviously won't taste quite the same, but it's the closest substitute.
Anantama Virgiawan says
excuse me, what do you recommend to substitute the sake Marc? I'm muslim and sake si not allowed, please answer
Marc Matsumoto says
Sherry and port make decent substitutes for Chinese rice wine, but they have a fairly different flavor profile from sake. That said, Karaage was originally a Chinese dish, so in this case either will probably work.
carley says
Can I use sherry or port instead of sake
Marc Matsumoto says
Nope, I haven't tried. I'm sure it will work, but I think it will have a texture similar to all-purpose flour after it's fried, more crunchy than crispy.
Lisa says
Have you tried using rice flour instead of potato starch? Will that work as a substitute?
Marc Matsumoto says
That would work too, you'll need to experiment to figure out how much sugar to omit.
jaknyf says
Several have asked if they could use mirin instead of sake. Several have commented that the mirin is too sweet. Well the recipe calls for 2 teaspoons sugar. I would think that one could simply adjust the sugar amount accordingly
Jortiz3 says
Its actually one of the lower calorie options out there, if your pieces you fry are large. Its moderately low in carbs, low in Sat Fat, and extremely high in protein.
la fata della zucca says
Yummy! I'll try this!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Denise, if you use chicken thighs this shouldn't be a problem (though I don't know if it will stay crisp). I would not try do that if you're planning on using chicken breasts.
Denise says
I was wondering if I could fry this ahead of time and put it in an electric roaster to keep warm. Would be making it for about 85 people so could not do it last minute. Thanks
Pradipto says
Sorry, but is it okay if i use chicken breast?
Marc Matsumoto says
A ziploc bag will also work (and no bowl to wash), but personally I find this gets too much potato starch on the outside of the chicken.
Ernest says
Just FYI, I find tossing the chicken in potato starch quite stressful. So I dump the chicken and the potato starch in a large container, put a lid on and SHAKE it!!!!! Done
Pam McDonald says
I live in Oregon and have a Japanese aviation student staying with me who says this one of the most favored dishes in Japan. He cooked this for me and it was delicious so I searched the web for a recipe and showed it to him. He says these are all the correct ingredients and I cannot wait to cook it, I love Japanese food and this is one I had not heard of. Thanks for the recipe.
Ernest says
A little Sambal Oelek in the marinade adds a nice subtle kick.
Ernest says
I tried using a cheap one that claimed to be premium sake $4, ended up with slightly bitter/ off kind of taste. After doing some research I went and got a bottle that clearly said Junmai Ginjo on the label. I haven't looked back. Plus side is it is fairly drinkable but I keep a bottle handy just for cooking. I'm a whiskey drinker.
And as for the Mirin, Kikkoman aji mirin is laced with corn syrup. I ditched that and got Eden Foods mirin. The difference is night and day. It is $7 a bottle but it's not like you'll use the whole bottle at once.
SolidTD says
I will agree, that not spending a lot for sake that's going to be cooked, with other ingredients, is probably good practice. At the same time, I wouldn't want to put Nigori Sake in the mix, if it didn't call for it; even though, I can get Nigori for really cheap in my area. These sakes give the chicken different flavor. I'm just trying to find one that will blend the best.
Which type do you have lying around when you make your recipe?
Which type do you regularly use?
Which type do you perfer?
(These questions are assuming you've tried this recipe with multiple types.)
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep breast will work, but it has less fat so will have less flavor and be dryer. If you're worried about the fat content of using skin-on thighs, skinless thighs with the visible fat trimmed off would be a good compromise.
Savrien454 says
is it possible to use any other parts of the chicken besides the thighs? Can I also use this with skinless chicken breasts?
Marc Matsumoto says
If you can't find/use sake for some reason water would be the best substitute, but it will affect the flavor.
Marc Matsumoto says
Great idea! I'm at my grandmothers house right now and she's at the age now where she doesn't cook anymore. I've been cooking for the family all week, and had to go out and buy a bunch of kitchen basics, but since I won't be here long it's been challenging to limit myself to the absolute necessities. Here's a quick list of pantry stuff I've been buying
Olive oil, regular oil, japanese soy sauce, sugar, sea salt, flour, miso, pepper, some kind of hot sauce, sake, dashi, canned tomatoes, canned (or jarred) italian tuna, italian anchovies in oil, whole block
of parmesan cheese, spaghetti, onions, garlic, ginger, scallions.
With these basics (+ veggies, and meat), you can make a ton of dishes.
lmchibisuke says
how would using water instead affect the taste?
lmchibisuke says
what if you leave out the sugar in the recipe? Do you think it would even out?
Ernest says
Marc, I can't express enough how much I appreciate your effort and site. I stumbled on it a few months ago and I thoroughly enjoy everything that I have tried. But the Karaage! I'm addicted to the Karaage.
How about putting together a list of essential kitchen ingredients, if you ever have some time to spare?
And by the way, Lodge makes a 10 inch deep skillet that fries anything beautifully. Less than $30 on Amazon.
Ernest says
Very true. It's just my philosophy on food is to use the best ingredients whenever possible. You wouldn't put regular gas in a Ferrari, would you? LOL
Marc Matsumoto says
While you can't go wrong with a more expensive bottle of sake (such as Junmai Daiginjo), it's a little overkill since you really won't be able to tell the difference in the finished product ( the soy sauce, ginger and garlic, will cover up any differences). That said, since this recipe only uses 1 tablespoon, you could buy a bottle, use a little bit to make the karaage, and drink the rest:-)
Marc Matsumoto says
All three of the ones you mentioned are inexpensive sakes that are fine for cooking. It's a waste of money buying really expensive sake for cooking as most of the subtleties that make them so expensive will get lost amidst the other ingredients.
Ernest says
I normally get ones that say Junmai Ginjo ($7 for a 300ml bottle). Junmai Daiginjo is hard to come by around my area but it's supposed to be top notch.
SolidTD says
What kind of sake should one use?
There's a local Japanese super market and I can get may different types. I was told "Ozeki One Cup" is for cooking.
I was at the general store and there was better deals on bottles. They have
"Gekkeikan Taditional" and "Sho Chiku Bai Classic Junmai"
Jin Ah says
Thank you soooo much for this recipe. I order karaage every time it's available. I made this last night. I agree with Ernest. I like my karaage a bit more seasoned although I only marinated it for 1.5 hrs. I'm going to add some spice next time, maybe some cayenne. Love the curry idea.
Marc Matsumoto says
Nope, you don't need to coat it again to fry a 2nd time. Just stop the first fry before it gets too dark, and then brown it all the way on the second fry. As for substituting mirin for sake, I wouldn't recommend it. Mirin is much sweeter than sake, which isn't a problem if you like it sweet, but the issue is that the sugar will burn before the chicken is cooked.
Marilia says
To fry it a 2nd time do you need to coat it again or just drop it in hot oil? Is mirin a good sub for sake? Mirin is always in my cabinet. Sake not so much.
Ernest says
So I decided to try this again. This time I marinated the chicken overnight. Spiked it with a touch of fish sauce (red boat brand). Fantastic
Ernest says
And just FYI, that Bob's red mill potato starch might be a little expensive but it's worth it. I used some cheap potato starch and it stuck to utensils like super glue. Bob's red mill is the way to go.
Ernest says
I use Yamasa Brand, full sodium, I don't do low sodium.
Ernest says
And just FYI, that Bob's red mill potato starch might be a little expensive but it's worth it. I used some cheap potato starch and it stuck to utensils like super glue. Bob's red mill is the way to go.
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear you liked it. What kind of soy sauce did you use?
Ernest says
I tried tried this yesterday, marinated for about 4 fours. The crunchiness was outrageous!!
Next time I'll up the soy sauce though, it was a tad bit under seasoned.
Ernest says
I tried tried this yesterday, marinated for about 4 fours. The crunchiness was outrageous!!
Next time I'll up the soy sauce though, it was a tad bit under seasoned.
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for the note! I visited Ubud last year and it was stunning. While I didn't get a chance to go to any local markets, let me know if you run into any ingredients you can't find there as I might be able to suggest a substitute.
Emme says
My husband and I moved to Ubud, Bali a year ago and I am always looking for new recipes with 'accessible' ingredients as not everything is easily available here 🙂 I am thrilled to have come across your blog and even more excited to try this recipe! I am looking forward to following your blog and cooking my little heart out 🙂 Terima Kashi
Adrianna says
Delicious and easy! I lived in Japan for many years and always had trouble finding authentic recipes in English. Thank you for the wide selection of favorites, I can't wait to try another recipe soon!
Marc Matsumoto says
The alcohol burns off when it's cooking so it should not be a problem, but if your parents still don't let you use it, substitute water. Rice wine vinegar is rice wine that has undergone the last stage of fermentation and turned to vinegar, it doesn't really taste like sake anymore, and it will make your chicken sour.
Tarla says
Would rice wine vinegar do the trick?
Tarla says
I'm a minor so i can't use alcohol at all, are there any substitutes for sake?
Marc Matsumoto says
Mirin will work, but it will be a little sweeter.
Tania says
what if you cant get sake or use it how about mirin
Marc Matsumoto says
Yep, that should be fine.
Marilia says
Can I put Soju instead of sake?
Syna says
I tried this yesterday! It was full of crunchiness and crispiness! What a wonderful cooking experience! Thank you for this piece of gold!
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks, glad you like it! If you're going to forgo the marinade for the meat and put tomato sauce and cheese on it, why not just make regular chicken parm?
The Hsinru Social says
I need your advice! I LOVE your recipe and have made chicken karaage a few times. I'm having a guest over that eats only chicken Parmesan; so I want to create a Japanese-Italian dish that is inspired by chicken parmesan. Do you think I can deep fry the chicken Japanese style (just not use the soy sauce base), and then put it on a bed of tomato and melt some cheese ontop? What are your thoughts?
http://www.hsinrusocial.com
Marc Matsumoto says
Great idea! I'm gonna have to try that next time:-)
Jen Laceda says
I LOVE this! I sometimes put curry powder in mine, too 🙂 Probably not authentic Japanese, but oh-so-good!
Oui, Chef says
I MUST make this dish....I even have potato starch, yippee!
Thomas Abraham says
It makes me go nom nom nom right now... lovely pics and easy recipe.
Marilia says
It makes me go nom nom nom right now... lovely pics and easy recipe.
PolaM says
That is fried chicken 2.0! Have to try it!
Louis says
Hahaha I was just about to ask the same thing. So are you still in NYC, Marc?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hahaha, nice catch. It's a stove top rice cooker (i.e. a pot with marker lines). I just moved and it's the only pot I have right now.
Opaque.Megane says
Are you frying in your rice cooker bowl?! Why?
Jennie Toyokawa says
I totally agree with you on katakuriko...it's all I use...also I swear by chicken thighs. I am anxious to try your recipe...karage/tatsutaage is a staple in my house such that i don't use a recipe. I've not put garlic in before. Thanks.
Opaque.Megane says
Are you frying in your rice cooker bowl?! Why?
BARBARA LACEY says
where do i fine kara-age? at whatstore and where? i live in apple valley ca. have got to 5
lg. store and can,t fine it .
thanks
Www Jayna says
Is there is a copyright on your chicken karaage photo?
Guest says
No sauce. The Japanese use lemon juice . I don't use any, it tastes fine without a sauce/dip. 🙂
alex says
theres specific sauce for chicken karaage??????
Marc Matsumoto says
If you can't get corn starch where you live, you can also use katakuriko, or
potato starch.
Agha Ata says
Keri, if you are in the USA, ytou can get it from any grocery.
Keri says
where do i get corn starch??? from???
Potters says
Absolutely correct...katakuriko is what is traditionally used in Japan. thanks for posting!
Bensanderson says
Love your blog but I have to disagree with the use of cornstarch for karage. Use potato starch, katakuriko, instead. It available in most grocery stores in NY; it works much better and is far more commonly used for karage in Japan. The main difference is that it locks in the marinade without getting sticky or too clumpy as corn starch can do once it is fried. It also has a sharper more angular crunch (cornstarch rounds off the fried edges and congeals into little globules, which you can see in your picture). Potato starch also leaves an interesting white surface on parts of the fried chicken (it is hard to explain this white surface but it actually looks very nice).
Give it a try and I'm sure you'll never go to cornstarch! Thanks for all the good recipes. Going to try you monkfish nabe tomorrow!
Marc Matsumoto says
It's not really like American fried chicken in that it's not really a "meal". It's often had as-is with beer, or is packed in a lunch box with rice. You could turn it into a meal I guess by serving it with a salad or some other vegetable you like.
The_Big_L says
What kind of vegetable sides do u serve with this? Thanks
Spamusubimom says
Thank u thank u very much for this oh so easy delicious recipe! It beats the one in my japanese methodist church cookbook. Its hard to believe how tasty it is with such simple ingredients. My family ate it all. I used both tenders and thighs with great results. Crunchy on the outside, tender and moist inside. I only had 10-15 min to marinade. I also added a bit of lemon juice. The kids used ranch (I know sacrilege!) and tonkatsu sauce for dipping. Soo grateful for this quick oishi dish! Keep up the good work!
Marc Matsumoto says
You could use regular all-purpose flour, but the texture of the crust will
be more like American fried chicken.
Cryptmagelvl11 says
Is there a sub for cornstarch? because I have cornflour and the taste isnt the same.
Writer352 says
Marc. Could you recommend one more JAPANESE MEAT dish, like Kara age? Simple. easy, using any meat with any vegetable? Thank you?
Writer35eter Smither says
Marc. What mixture is better? Ginger OR Garlic, OR both? Besides, what was it you squeezed out of a tube on your kara age before you ate it? Thank you. I have always been a very bad cook, and hope this time my family memebers will eat what i cook.
Michael says
use some kewpie mayonaise with it.....OMG people
Ralph says
Just my 2 cents. I've tried ALL batters for this dish. Potato starch is the key!! The chicken comes of the fryer not too stiff and not overwhelmed with batter ( that cornstarch tends to do).', '0
Ralph says
Just my 2 cents. I've tried ALL batters for this dish. Potato starch is the key!! The chicken comes of the fryer not too stiff and not overwhelmed with batter ( that cornstarch tends to do).
Maru-chan says
I just finished making karaage for my family tonight, and it was amazing. We used spicy korean bbq sauce, teriyaki, and a homemade honey smoke sauce I made for dipping sauces. I covered the leftovers with the different sauces and baked for 5 minutes. I'm sure they'll taste great tomorrow!
Thanks for the great recipe!
pablopabla says
Apart from teriyaki chicken, this is also my other favourite chicken-dish Japanese style. I am just dumbfounded that there is no special ingredients to make the fried parts crispy - just plain cornstarch. Now I got to go back to my cooking book.
sk says
In Korea this is called "Tang Soo Yook" and it's accompanied with a sweet/sour sauce and veggies!', '0
sk says
In Korea this is called "Tang Soo Yook" and it's accompanied with a sweet/sour sauce and veggies!
Rasa Malaysia says
Sorry, spelled your name wrong, Marc. 😉
Rasa Malaysia says
I loooooove this Mark. I have a recipe of this on RM too. I love it that this is so simple to make yet so flavorful that you think there are more secret ingredients in the recipe, but no in reality. Do you like Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken. It's similar but more peppery and 5-spice taste, and served with fried basil leaves. Going to make it soon.
manggy says
Filipino fried chicken can be quite awesome 😉 In fact, I don't think there's a fried chicken I don't like! (it's a miracle I'm not obese.) Hmm, I think I may be overdue for a karaage-don...
Vibi says
Japanese beinng masters of the tempura style, I find all this very interesting and am keeping the recipe in my "to make" folder!
I'm very anxious to try that... thanks for sharing.
Kamran Siddiqi says
Marc, my favorite fried chicken is my grandmother's fried chicken (she's from India, so she gives it a bit of Indian flare), but I think this will be my new favorite! Don't tell my grandma that, though! :P', '0
Kamran Siddiqi says
Marc, my favorite fried chicken is my grandmother's fried chicken (she's from India, so she gives it a bit of Indian flare), but I think this will be my new favorite! Don't tell my grandma that, though! 😛
Helen Yuet Ling Pang says
Yum! I like kara-age. I'll be having this in Japan in a few months...
noobcook says
another one of my fave Japanese food. Your plate looks delicious!
diva says
we used to order this all the time in Japanese restaurants until mum stopped us for health reasons! she pretty much banned fried foods at the dinner table. But now i've got your recipe. woohoo!', '0
diva says
we used to order this all the time in Japanese restaurants until mum stopped us for health reasons! she pretty much banned fried foods at the dinner table. But now i've got your recipe. woohoo!
colloquial cook says
Wow you're posting like crazy lately. You make me feel so lazy 🙂 I'll also *shamefully* confess that I have never fried chicken nor eaten fried chicken, as far as I can remember. I've done lots of things to chicken (no, not that kind of meat porn, thanks a lot), but I never fried it. And Zenchef never let me go to a Popeye's. It must be a French thing.
jen says
This takes me back to college days!!
Mochiko chicken or corn flake drummettes have to be my all time favorite, though!
Howard says
One of favs by far, I didn't know the marinade was so simple ? I've gone through the hassles and complexity of making a Thomas Keller fried chicken before, but I might as well just make the karaage.', '0
Howard says
One of favs by far, I didn't know the marinade was so simple ? I've gone through the hassles and complexity of making a Thomas Keller fried chicken before, but I might as well just make the karaage.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hah, well if you want to get all technical, it should be written "kara-age"(it's two separate words), unfortunately it seems that most people searching on Google type in "karaage" which is why I chose to spell it like that.
katiek says
asian people love the cornstarch! love fried chicken...
my Thomas Keller ones or this lovely karraage. isn't frying so much easier in cubes? quick n easy and perfect. no bones to through off your whole frying qi.
Carolyn Jung says
My Japanese-American hubby will scream when he sees this. Karaage chicken is one of his fave foods. We always order it at a Japanese restaurant. Yours looks like deep-fried perfection!
pigpigscorner says
A must order at Jap restaurants! Love this!
Kristy says
Hi, I'm sure you meant no harm, but the term "Jap" is derogatory and was used in a negative way during Wll. Just don't want you eating at a nice family restaurant and offending someone's grandparent's! Old post, old war... I know but still relevant.
Frank M. says
It’s a post silly. Instead of spelling entire word it was short for time, space and getting to the point. Not derogatory at all. Take a chill pill, quit being a pc monitor and get a life! Now go make some Karaage.
Renee K Moriguchi says
Lack of awareness in these times is astounding ! Especially when they’re posting on a Japanese/Asian leaning website !
Holly says
Karaage chicken is a favorite in Hawaii, often served on Hawaiian plate lunches. I also like Korean fried chicken.
Natasha aka 5 Star Foodie says
I love the marinade here, these fried chicken must be so flavorful! I would love to try this recipe soon!
chef E says
How funny...once I left my parents house (Texas) I thought I would never want to see another piece of fried chicken again (mom's favorite, and had it every week), but of course my room-mate in college loved going out late and night and it was her choice, as she was from Indiana and had not ever had it before.
Now I too have come to like it again, and would squeeze that lemon all over it! Citrus seems to be a favorite of mine...
Ravenouscouple says
this is one our favorites...we'll have to try this! like the idea of skinless...though the crispy skin on is too tempting!
The Duo Dishes says
You were right when you said meat porn. This is looking good. Yours looks better than what we've both had at restaurants before.
Marc Matsumoto says
Nope, it can be made with skin on chicken as well. In fact, you could probably just use a whole thigh, but that would take longer to fry.
veron says
Can't wait to try this. Must it absolutely have to be skinless chix?
Claudia (cook eat FRET) says
as usual something i really really want to eat NOW
Jenni Field says
I would happily join you for your last meal on Earth if this is going to be a part of it:)