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 My 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.
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:)