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Japanese Chicken Sandwich

Updated: 02.13.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 2 Comments

4.84 from 6 votes
With a crisp, juicy slab of Japanese fried chicken stuffed into a pillowy butter roll slathered in yuzu mayonnaise, this is the ultimate fried chicken sandwich that will beat any restaurant in taste and texture.
Recipe Video
With a crisp, juicy slab of Japanese fried chicken stuffed into a butter roll slathered in yuzu mayonnaise, Chick-fil-A and Popeye's ain't got nothing on this Japanese Chicken Sandwich.
What is a Japanese Chicken Sandwich?

Like most countries, Japan has several types of chicken sandwiches, including Chicken Katsu sandwich and Chicken Salad sandwich, but the closest thing to the ones at Chick-fil-A and Popeyes is a fried chicken sandwich stuffed with Karaage.

What kind of chicken do you use for a chicken sandwich?

Both Chick-fil-A and Popeyes use breast meat for their sandwiches, but I suspect they've been heavily processed, or at the very least brined. For my sandwich, I prefer using thigh meat which tends to be more juicy and flavorful. I also like to use skin-on chicken as the fat in the skin renders out while frying, leaving it ultra-crisp. It also helps insulate the meat on the skin side from the high-temperature oil, which keeps the meat from getting dry.

Is breast meat okay for a chicken sandwich?

This is a matter of personal preference, but thigh meat will always be juicer and more flavorful as it contains more fat, and the muscles tend to get more exercise. Thigh meat is also more forgiving, especially if you don't have an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken.
That being said, you can still make breast meat work, by cutting or pounding it to roughly the same thickness, and being very careful not to overcook it.

What do you coat the chicken with?

Karaage (a.k.a. Japanese fried chicken) is chicken that's been marinated with soy sauce, sake, and ginger and then coated in potato starch before frying it. Potato starch has relatively large granules and a high ratio of amylopectin to amylose, which gives it a unique texture as a coating that ends up being quite similar to potato chips when fried. Unlike wheat flour or cornstarch which tends to end up more crunchy than crispy, potato starch creates an airy crisp coating that's a delight to bite into. Japanese chicken sandwich stuffed with shatteringly crisp chicken karaage shredded cabbage and tomato between a butter roll slathered with yuzu mayonnaise.

What's the proper bread for a Japanese Chicken Sandwich?

Although Japan is traditionally a rice and noodle culture, western-style bread has been around for at least three hundred and fifty years. Over the past hundred and fifty years, eating bread has gone mainstream, and you're more likely to find a bakery than shops selling rice. Butter rolls are a staple in Japanese bakeries, and they have a light, fluffy texture that's similar to brioche. They're most commonly shaped like croissants, but you can also find dome-shaped ones that look like a hamburger bun. Similar bread is often available in Asian bakeries, but if you can't find one near you, you can substitute a brioche bun or a challah roll.

What else goes into a Japanese Chicken Sandwich

There are no hard and fast rules, here, but after trying many different combinations, I like spreading a mixture of Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie) flavored with yuzu kosho (yuzu chili paste) on the buns. Kewpie is a little more tart than American mayonnaise and has a more eggy flavor, which makes it closer to a homemade mayo or aioli. Yuzu kosho is a chili paste that's made with chili peppers and yuzu zest, along with salt. It's wonderfully fragrant and imparts a spicy kick to the sandwich without being overtly spicy.

To balance out the savory chicken, I like to include a thick slab of tomato, which adds a hint of balancing sweetness to sandwich, while making it even juicier.

In Japan, fried foods are often served with a thinly shredded cabbage salad, so it's the natural choice to include in the sandwich. When soaked in water and sliced into thin threads, it makes for a refreshing addition to the sandwich which works hand-in-hand with the yuzu mayo to make a kind of coleslaw in your mouth.

📖 Recipe

With a crisp, juicy slab of Japanese fried chicken stuffed into a butter roll slathered in yuzu mayonnaise, Chick-fil-A and Popeye's ain't got nothing on this Japanese Chicken Sandwich.

Japanese Fried Chicken Sandwich

By: Marc Matsumoto
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Yield 2 sandwiches
YouTube video

Units

Ingredients 

For Chicken

  • 380 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs (2 large thighs)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sake
  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger
  • ⅓ cup potato starch
  • vegetable oil (for frying)

For Yuzu Mayo

  • ¼ cup Kewpie mayonnaise
  • ½ teaspoon yuzu kosho
  • ½ teaspoon yuzu juice (optional)

For Chicken Sandwich

  • 2 butter rolls (sliced in half horizontally)
  • 1 large tomato (cut into ¼-inch thick slices)
  • shredded cabbage

Instructions

  • Combine the soy sauce, sake, and ginger in a bowl and add the chicken thighs. Let this marinate for around 3 hours.
    Chicken thighs in a soy sauce, ginger, and sake marinade.
  • To make the yuzu mayonnaise, whisk the mayo, yuzu kosho, and yuzu juice together in a bowl.
    Yuzu mayonnaise in a glass bowl.
  • When the chicken is done marinating, add 2-inches of oil to a heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 320 degrees F (160 C).
  • Drain the marinade from the chicken, and add the potato starch to a bowl.
    Marinated chicken thighs for chicken sandwiches.
  • Dust the chicken in a thick coating of potato starch.
    Chicken thighs dusted in potato starch.
  • Fry the chicken until it's golden brown and it has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 C). This will take about 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your chicken is. If your chicken starts browning too quickly, turn down the heat.
    Golden brown Chicken Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) being removed from oil.
  • When the chicken is done, transfer it to a paper towel-lined rack and let it rest for about 5 minutes.
  • To assemble the sandwich, divide the yuzu mayo between the four halves of bun and spread it around.
    Spreading yuzu mayonnaise on two halves of a bun.
  • Top the bottom bun with the fried chicken.
    Adding a piece of Japanese fried chicken to a bun.
  • Top the chicken with a slice of tomato and a pile of shredded cabbage and finish with the top bun.
    Chicken sandwich with tomato and shredded cabbage.
  • Give the sandwich a little press to make sure everything holds together.
    Smashing a chicken sandwich down to make the layers adhere.
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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 889kcalCarbohydrates • 53gProtein • 45gFat • 54gSaturated Fat • 12gCholesterol • 198mgSodium • 2144mgPotassium • 934mgFiber • 4gSugar • 9gVitamin A • 906IUVitamin C • 14mgCalcium • 197mgIron • 4mg

Comments

    4.84 from 6 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Sabena says

    January 22, 2022 at 2:17 pm

    5 stars
    Another winning recipe! My family wolfed this down so fast. Served with Norecipes japanese potato salad which is also divine.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      January 24, 2022 at 11:48 pm

      Hi Sabena, I'm so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed this and great call pairing it up with my potato salad! Thanks for taking the time to drop by and let me know!

      Reply
Marc Matsumoto

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