Name: Crispy Fried Chicken (Karaage)
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese Cuisine
Ingredients: 1 chicken thigh (250g); 1 tbsp potato starch; 1 tbsp all-purpose flour; [A] 1 tbsp sake; [A] 1.5 tbsp soy sauce; [A] 1 tsp grated garlic; [A] 1 tsp grated ginger (juice only); Vegetable oil to taste

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Original: English

Crispy Fried Chicken (Karaage)

by macaroni | マカロニ

Here's a keeper recipe for fried chicken that won't fail。 Learn how to make exquisite fried chicken by mastering the marination, batter, and frying techniques. Enjoy authentic, crispy, and juicy fried chicken easily at home. Give it a try!

Ingredients

Scale:

Main Ingredients (2 servings)

1 chicken thigh (250g)
1 tbsp potato starch
1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Seasonings

[A] 1 tbsp sake
[A] 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
[A] 1 tsp grated garlic
[A] 1 tsp grated ginger (juice only)
Vegetable oil to taste

Steps

Trim off the yellow fat from the chicken thigh. 【Key Point!】 Excess fat can cause an off-odor.
🕒 00:07
Cut the chicken thigh into large bite-sized pieces. 【Key Point!】 Cutting slightly larger pieces will result in a juicier texture.
🕒 00:11
Place the cut chicken thigh in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp sake, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp grated garlic, and 1 tsp grated ginger (juice only). Mix well. 【Key Point!】 Adding only the juice of the ginger will create a smoother mouthfeel.
🕒 00:30
Cover the chicken thigh with plastic wrap to act as a lid and marinate for about 15 minutes. 【Key Point!】 Marinating for too long will draw out the moisture from the meat, so 15-30 minutes is a good guideline.
🕒 01:00
In a tray, combine 1 tbsp all-purpose flour and 1 tbsp potato starch and mix to create the coating. 【Key Point!】 Mixing flour and potato starch together will result in a crispy and juicy texture.
🕒 01:10
Stretch the skin of the marinated chicken thigh taut and evenly coat with the flour mixture. 【Key Point!】 Stretching the skin and applying the coating firmly will make the skin crispy.
🕒 01:30
Heat about 4-5cm of vegetable oil in a pot to 170℃. 【Key Point!】 The oil is ready when it starts to shimmer and after 1-2 minutes, when placing a wet chopstick in the oil produces large, bubbling bubbles.
🕒 01:43
Gently place the coated chicken thigh into the oil heated to 170℃ and fry for 4-5 minutes. 【Key Point!】 Put the chicken in the oil with the skin side stretched taut, and do not touch it until the coating has somewhat solidified.
🕒 01:59
Once the coating has somewhat solidified, fry while occasionally turning the pieces.
🕒 02:12
Remove the chicken from the oil once and let it rest for about 5 minutes to cook through with residual heat. 【Key Point!】 Cooking with residual heat allows the chicken to cook thoroughly to the center without burning the coating.
🕒 02:19
Skim off any bits of coating floating in the oil, then raise the oil temperature to 190℃. 【Key Point!】 The oil is ready when it starts to shimmer and after 2-3 minutes, when placing chopsticks in the oil produces continuous large bubbles.
🕒 02:32
Return the chicken thigh to the oil heated to 190℃. 【Key Point!】 Be careful of burns as the oil will bubble vigorously.
🕒 02:47
Fry for about 2-3 minutes, occasionally lifting the chicken with chopsticks to expose it to air. 【Key Point!】 Exposing the coating to air allows moisture to escape, resulting in a crispy texture.
🕒 02:58
Remove from the oil once it has a golden-brown color all over.
🕒 03:08
Serve with lemon wedges if desired. Finished!
🕒 03:44