I was born in Nobeoka, a small coastal city nestled in Miyazaki Prefecture. It might not be famous for many things, but there’s one hidden gem worth mentioning: a cozy diner called Naochan, near Nobeoka Station, where my favorite version of Chicken Nanban originated. It's based on a Portuguese dish that arrived in Japan centuries ago with Jesuit missionaries. In my version, juicy chicken thighs are wrapped in a crisp, golden crust and dipped into a vibrant, tangy-sweet nanban-zuke sauce. Its irresistible balance of flavors has earned Chicken Nanban fans worldwide, myself included, which is why it made the cover of my cookbook, Ultimate Bento. Here’s how to make sure your Chicken Nanban turns out perfectly every single time.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Egg-Bloom Batter — Instead of using flour or starch, Naochan's original chicken nanban is crusted in lacy tendrils of egg. This creates a resiliently crispy crust that soaks up the glaze without going soggy.
- Thigh Meat: Juicy thigh meat remains moist and flavorful even after frying, making it superior to breast meat for this dish.
- Brief Sauce Bath — A 5-second dunk in the tangy sweet sauce lets capillary action pull the nanban sauce into the egg crust without losing its crispness.
- Chunky Lemon Tartar — Serving this with a chunky Japanese-style tartar sauce creates a creamy contrast, while the bright lemon zest keeps it from getting too heavy.
Ingredients
- Chicken Thigh — Juicier and more forgiving than chicken breast; buy fresh, boneless skin-on thighs if you can, or use my tutorial to debone whole chicken legs. It's worth noting that in Naochan's version of Chicken Nanban, they use breast meat.
- Egg — While a flour coating helps the egg adhere to the chicken, it's really the egg itself that creates the signature crispy crust. When the coated chicken meets the hot oil, the egg batter expands into delicate, lacy edges that fry up golden brown and crisp.
- Usukuchi Soy Sauce — This is the main seasoning for the Nanban sauce, adding savory umami and saltiness. Usukuchi soy sauce has a lighter color and higher salt content than typical Japanese soy sauce, making it ideal for this glaze. If you don't have usukuchi soy sauce, regular soy sauce with a pinch of extra salt works too.
- Sake — Sake is a Japanese beverage made through the alcoholic fermentation of rice, which also breaks down the proteins into amino acids, which create the taste of umami. That's why it's often used as a flavor enhancer in Japanese cuisine. Boiling the sauce burns off the alcohol, so you don't need to worry about that. If you want to use mirin as a substitute, cut the amount of sugar in half.
- Sugar — It balances the saltiness and acidity, creating that signature sweet-and-sour flavor profile. I prefer using evaporated cane sugar for its subtle caramel notes, but regular granulated sugar works fine.
- Japanese Rice Vinegar — Provides bright acidity and a fruity aroma that's essential for authentic Nanban zuke sauce. You can substitute apple cider vinegar if you can't find it.
- Mayonnaise & Egg — Japanese mayo (such as Kewpie mayonnaise) provides the tartar sauce with its creamy, tangy foundation, while a medium-boiled egg adds a chunky texture and richness. Together, they elevate this sauce into something more substantial—almost like a side dish rather than just a condiment.
- Whole Grain Mustard — The tiny seeds pop for a contrast of textures, while the mustard adds a spicy edge that balances out the richness of the mayo.
- Celery & Scallions — Minced celery and scallions(green onions) add a crisp, crunchy texture and bright herbal notes, offering a refreshing contrast to the creamy richness of the tartar sauce.
- Lemon — I use both the zest and juice from fresh lemons, which brighten the tartar sauce and add a vibrant, refreshing flavor.
How to Make Chicken Nanban
Prep the Sauces
- Stir chopped egg, celery, scallion, mayo, mustard, lemon zest, and juice in a bowl. Season with salt and white pepper; cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld.
- In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, sake, sugar, and ginger. Boil for 1 minute to reduce, then remove from the heat and stir in rice vinegar. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl.
Prepare the Chicken
- Trim off excess fat, season the thighs lightly with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. The flour layer helps the egg adhere uniformly.
Batter and Fry
- Beat the egg until it is uniform in color. Dip each piece of chicken to coat it fully, then gently lower it skin-side down into vegetable oil that has been preheated to 170 °C.
- Immediately drizzle some of the remaining egg over the top of each piece of chicken. It will bloom into lacy strands. Fry for 6–8 minutes, flipping carefully after the crust sets to avoid breaking any of it off.
Glaze and Finish
- When the chicken is cooked, transfer it straight from the oil into the bowl with the Nanban sauce and quickly flip it over several times to coat both sides. Let the excess sauce drip off.
- Slice and arrange the fried chicken onto plates. Serve while hot, accompanied by a dollop of tartar sauce. If you are packing it into a bento box, let the chicken cool on a wire rack after glazing, then slice and pack it.
Serve This With
For a classic teishoku-style meal, I love serving this Chicken Nanban on a generous bed of shredded Japanese cabbage salad, which offers a crisp, refreshing balance to the richly flavored crispy chicken. On the side, my mom’s Japanese potato salad provides comforting heartiness that makes it a favorite in our household. Round out your meal with steaming bowls of Japanese short-grain rice, a soothing miso soup, and a small plate of wasabi cucumber pickles—their cool, fragrant crunch makes a delightful contrast!
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
Tartar Sauce
- 1 medium-boiled egg peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon celery finely chopped
- ½ scallion minced
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise Japanese mayo works best
- ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper (to taste)
- 1 pinch salt (to taste)
Nanban Sauce
- 2 tablespoons usukuchi soy sauce light color , not low sodium
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Chicken
- vegetable oil for frying
- 450 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour for dusting
- 1 jumbo egg
Instructions
- To prepare the tartar sauce, add 1 medium-boiled egg, 1 tablespoon celery, ½ scallion, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to a bowl and stir to combine. Add 1 pinch salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper to taste.
- To make the nanban sauce, add 2 tablespoons usukuchi soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sake, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon fresh ginger to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling for 1 minute and then turn off the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons rice vinegar.
- Add 2-inches of vegetable oil to heavy bottomed pot and heat to 340 degrees F (170 C) and prepare a wire rack and pan.
- Trim any excess fat off of 450 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Dust the chicken with ¼ cup all-purpose flour.
- Beat 1 jumbo egg in a bowl until uniform and then dip the chicken in the egg to thoroughly coat.
- Gently lower the egg coated chicken skin-side down into the hot oil and then drizzle a little of the remaining egg onto the tops of each piece of chicken. The egg will quickly "bloom" and spread out.
- Use tongs or chopsticks to fold the egg back over the chicken.
- Fry the chicken until it's golden brown and cooked through (about 6-8 minutes). You'll want to flip the chicken over a few times, but be careful not to break the crust off off the chicken.
- Dip the fried chicken in the sauce, flipping it over a few times to coat it evenly.
- Slice and serve the chicken with the tartar sauce.
Nutrition Facts
FAQs
Chicken Nanban is a beloved type of yōshoku, Japan's Western-influenced cuisine, originating from Miyazaki Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu. It's made by deep-frying chicken coated in an egg batter until crisp, then glazing it while piping hot in a tangy-sweet nanban-zu (南蛮酢)—a mix of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. A staple dish at casual teishoku-ya (定食屋) eateries across Japan, Chicken Nanban is typically topped with a chunky Japanese-style tartar sauce that blends creamy mayo, jammy egg, crunchy celery, and onions for added texture and flavor.
The technique known as nanbanzuke (南蛮漬け, literally "soaked Southern barbarian style") can be traced back to 16th-century Portuguese missionaries who introduced a fried fish dish marinated in vinegar, similar to what we now know as escabeche. Chicken Nanban itself was first created in the mid-1950s at Restaurant London in Nobeoka City as a staff meal. Two apprentices from that restaurant, Naoya Gotō, and Teruyuki Kai, later brought the concept to their eateries. Gotō opened Naochan, near Nobeoka Station, where he served chicken soaked in soy-vinegar sauce. Meanwhile, Kai's restaurant, Ogura, located in Miyazaki City, topped their Chicken Nanban with a creamy tartar sauce. It's Kai's rich, tartar-topped version that has become particularly beloved throughout Japan.
To achieve a crisp egg coating, it's crucial to fry the chicken in hot oil. This high heat lets the egg quickly expand into delicate, crispy edges. If you try to make this in an air fryer, the egg tends to turn into a flat, omelet-like sheet and usually sticks stubbornly to the basket, so I don't recommend it.
Karaage involves chicken coated in starch that's fried crisp and typically enjoyed without sauce. Chicken Nanban, meanwhile, can be prepared similarly with a starch coating, though it's more commonly dipped in egg batter before frying until golden. What distinguishes Chicken Nanban is the step afterward: soaking the crispy fried chicken in a tangy, sweet-and-savory sauce, giving it an irresistible flavor and texture that's entirely different from karaage.
To keep your Chicken Nanban crisp in a bento, make sure to drain off excess glaze thoroughly and let the chicken cool completely to room temperature before placing it in your bento box lunch. The egg batter in this recipe stays crunchy much longer than coatings based solely on flour or starch, making it perfect for packed lunches.
Anastasia says
Hi Marc! I’ve made this recipe before and it’s always so delicious. I can’t remember if I used usukuchi soy sauce before, but what would be a good replacement if I can’t easily find it where I live?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Anastasia, sorry for the delayed response! You can use regular Japanese soy sauce, but there are 2 things to keep in mind: 1) Regular soy sauce will make the color darker 2) Regular soy sauce has a lower sodium content so you may need to add a touch more (like 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon). I hope that helps!
Anastasia says
I did exactly what you said and the recipe turned out BEAUTIFULLY! My partner, who has never had this dish before, was at a loss for words because of how good it was. He was especially in love with the marinade sauce! Thank you so much for an outstanding recipe, as always, Marc. I knew I love this dish, but your version is definitely becoming a staple wherever I go ❤️
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Anastasia, I'm happy to hear you and your partner enjoyed this so much! It's one of my favorite dishes.
David says
I can say WOW! As a cook I am very careful with recipes I follow and ready to adjust but this was so good. I am very pleasantly surprised. The only thing I did was add chili sauce before the tartare sauce. Wife said she didn’t need it LOL. But yes a really good recipe and I live in Japan!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi David, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed this! Thanks for stopping by to let me know. I love the idea of adding chili sauce to the marinade. I'm gonna try it next time!
Martin Hendrikx says
I've totally subscribed. I love the way you presented the article. I haven't made the dish yet but I had to leave a comment. I've made other versions of it but I am excited to try this recipe
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks Martin, I hope you enjoy it! This is one of my favorite dishes.
Clement says
Thanks Marc. Great recipe. We haven’t been able to go to our favorite local Japanese restaurant (in Toronto Canada) for chicken Nanban due to the lockdown. It’s my daughter’s favorite dish and thanks to you I am making it at home now! Tastes awesome 😎
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Clement, I'm glad to hear you and your family enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know!
Tom says
I lived in Nobeoka back in the early 90s. I miss chicken nanban so much. Thank you for this recipe - I’m definitely going to try it.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Tom, thanks for dropping by to share! I hope you enjoy this and it's able to bring back some memories😉
Suzanne says
Me too! I was in Nobeoka as an alt 95-96! We were on a family holiday and had chicken nanban in Singapore before going back to Uk. Oh my goodness, it was like stepping back in time to Nobeoka. I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed it and Nobeoka! Just the best comfort food. My boys and husband fell in love with it too and now I’m going try it on Wednesday for my eldest’s birthday dinner! Wish me luck! Just hope I can find sake in Sutton Coldfield!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Suzanne, thanks for dropping in to share your story! Good luck, and I hope your family enjoys it!
Cykii says
Tried the recipe, with a few mishaps but still good. At least now I don’t have to get the bento version from the combini when the craving strikes. Thank you.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Cykii, sorry to hear you had some mishaps, can I ask what went wrong? Would love to have a chance to clear up any confusing parts of the recipe.
Eileen says
Love this recipe! Thanks again for another great recipe.
Marc Matsumoto says
You're welcome Eileen!
Ilonka Oszvald says
It's incredibly hard to find skin-on, boneless chicken on the east coast of the US. Any ideas? I love skin-on teriyaki, etc. but everything here either has bones or is boneless and skinless...
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Ilonka, I’m not sure where on the east coast you’re on, if you’re near a big city you can try a Japanese grocery store. Otherwise you should be able to ask a butcher to debone either whole legs or thighs. The last option and the one I used to do when I lived there is to buy whole thighs and debone them yourself. It’s not hard and there are tutorials online if you’re not sure how.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Charlie, I've never tried this with an air frying however based on what I know of air fryers(which isn't much), I don't think this will work. For the egg to form the tendrils that makes the breading, it needs to be suspended in a liquid. If you made this in an air frying I think you're going to end up with chicken surrounded by an omelette.
Charlie Ralph says
Hi Marc: Let's try this again. I have a tfal airfryer. It has a paddle inside that rotates around. Could I do the chicken in this. If so for how long? It looks so delicious!
Charlie Ralph says
Hi Marc:
Oksana says
Hi Marc!
We just finished the Nanban dinner. It was something really special! Very easy to prepare. Also I have made last week the beef hamburger. This is will be in our menu very often. Thanks a lot! Oksana
Audrey says
Thank you so much for your professional advice. Japanese cuisine is one that I have very little experience in. I'm looking forward to improving my skills!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Audrey, it's hard to say by price, because there's so much variance, but when you cook sake, the alcohol and most of the aroma gets vaporized, so the real purpose is to add umami to a sauce/dish. This is something that even an inexpensive sake should be able to do just fine, so as long as it's sake (not "cooking sake") you should be fine. Aside from being labelled as such, cooking sake usually has stuff like salt and preservatives added, which can ruin a recipe.
Audrey says
Hi Marc, thanks for your fast reply. I only recently started cooking with mirin and it never occurred to me that there is an issue with the ingredients/brand when buying mirin. If I had known earlier, I would've been more careful before purchasing that huge bottle of mirin. Thank you for your advice because I do find it quite sweet and I use very little each time I make a sauce. What kind of sake is good for cooking? Around what price range ($) should I be looking at? Thanks a lot!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Audrey, a couple of things with mirin. I don't use it much in my recipes because most mirin you can buy outside Japan is fake (i.e. it's alcohol, corn syrup, salt, flavorings and preservatives). If you can get your hands on real mirin (only ingredients should be rice, water and koji), it can be a great way to add some more flavor to a dish, but it has a vey powerful flavor, which is why it's used sparingly. If you were to replace the sake with real mirin in this recipe, I think the flavor of the mirin would overpower the other ingredients, which is why I'd recommend using a mixture of mirin and sake. The other thing you will need to do is lower the amount of sugar since mirin is pretty sweet.
Audrey says
Wow! I had chicken nanban for the very first time on Friday and I was very interested in knowing where this recipe originated. It's actually quite a westernized dish at first sight. Thanks for the history lesson! I have to try this at home. By the way, can I use mirin in the nanban sauce in replace of the sake?
Laura says
I love everything about this--it is pretty much my ideal food blog post. Great pics, interesting international food, great back story. Thanks for sharing!
Mary Bostow says
WEll my goodness there's so much information in your post, I love it. Your chicken looks delicious!
Valerie Hoff says
Yum! I'm a little timid with anything that involves more than a few tablespoons of oil but it looks sooo good and I love Asian food so much I'm trying it. Thanks!!
Shinee says
Oh I love this recipe, Marc! I had no idea what chicken nanban was, but thanks to your explanation now I know! Learning something every day... 🙂
Dorothy at ShockinglyDelicious says
This looks incredible!
zhipinjie says
Just tried the recipe! Been drooling over it since I saw it! My kids LOOOVED it, even my hard-to-feed, picky eldest son.
This is definitely not the last time we are making this. Thank you for sharing! Happy New Year's!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Stephen, what a coincidence, my grandfather was from Miyakonojo and I still have family there. Anyway thanks for sharing and I hope you enjoy!
srmatheson says
I spent two years living in Kyushu, not as an esl teacher or a student but to do community service. I spent most of my time in Miyakonojo which is a small town in Miyazaki. I loved it there. One family that I got to know well cooked Chicken Nanban as a regular meal, and it was always amazing. Hokka Hokka Tei serves a mediocre bento version, but this recipe reminds me of the food I came to love. Thanks Marc for taking the time to prep this dish!