Karaage is Japanese-style fried chicken (two words: kara age). It is a great appetizer to go with drinks, a kid (and adult) friendly dinner entree, and also a perfect item for a Bento lunch box. Japanese Karaage is usually seasoned with garlic and ginger along with soy sauce, coated lightly with flour, and deep fried. Because it’s fried in oil, Karaage may not be the healthiest Japanese food, but it’s certainly a very popular dish in Japan.
Karaage means deep fried food with no batter in Japanese (in contrast to Tonkatsu or Tempura, for example), so you could also call fried fish Karaage. However, even if it is not specified, Karaage most often means fried chicken. You can get Karaage absolutely anywhere in Japan. Izakaya Japanese bars serve a lot of little appetizers (like Tapas restaurants), and Karaage is a staple dish there. Local diners, Bento stores, and even Chinese restaurants all have their versions of Karaage. Hot delis in supermarkets have freshly fried chicken pieces for people to take home. Even convenience stores today sell Karaage as hot snacks in the hot deli boxes next to the registers. And it’s one of their best seller items, such as “fami-chiki” at Family Mart and “L-chiki” at Lawson.
Although you can find Karaage many places, it is easily made at home too. The ingredients are very simple and found in any markets. Piping hot, freshly fried Karaage is so good, and we definitely recommend making it yourself. Karaage is already seasoned well and should be enjoyed as is, but you can arrange its flavor the way you like. If you add Mirin or honey to the marinade, that gives a hint of sweetness to the chicken. A classic add-on flavor is fresh lemon juice, but Ponzu Sauce with chopped green onion is a great accompaniment too. Watch our video and find more flavor changing suggestions and inspirations!
This video and article is newly updated from December 2012.
Karaage Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut each chicken thigh into 3-4 pieces. In a medium size bowl, mix Sake, Soy Sauce, salt, garlic and ginger with chicken. Let it sit for 1/2-1 hour.
- Mix flour and corn starch in another bowl. Coat marinated chicken pieces with flour mixture.
- Heat oil at medium high heat (350F). Deep-fry chicken for 6-8 minutes or until it's cooked through.
Video
Notes
