You might have thought you had already eaten all the fried chicken there is to eat – but you would be wrong. Karaage chicken is a Japanese delight that involves being wonderfully juicy yet incredibly crispy.
It is often a home cooked dish, but you can also find it hiding inside bento boxes, being ordered at restaurants, and being bought at food stalls on the street.
It is a highly popular deep-fried side dish that is also easy to make with the correct know-how and ingredients. In this article we shall take a look at what karaage chicken is, and show you 5 recipes on how to make it.
What Actually Is Karaage Chicken?
Karaage, which is pronounced like “ka-ra-ah-geh”, actually refers to a cooking technique in Japan.
This cooking technique it references is about lightly coating an item of food with some flour and then deep-frying it in oil.
However, since the day karaage first came about, the meaning behind it is a little more flexible than what it was. For example, originally karaage did not involve any form of marinade and now it often does.
Also, while it is more often than not referencing chicken when karaage is mentioned, it can also refer to veggies and fish too.
These food items can also be made into deep-fried delights using the same method.
However, when it comes to chicken, karaage involves cutting bite sized pieces of a marinated chicken’s thigh and dusting it all with flour. They are then put into hot oil to create a crispy outer coating.
Where Is Karaage Chicken Available?
While karaage chicken is often made at home as part of the main dish or an appetizer, it can also be bought in several places across Japan. It is a highly enjoyed accompaniment to a dish.
Karaage teishoku is the kind of meal you can buy from a restaurant. It is often served as a set meal.
You can also eat karaage chicken at an izakaya bar as an appetizer with a beverage. It is also a great way to meet the locals too.
Karaage chicken is often put into bento boxes. You may also find karaage chicken in a convenience store or a grocery store.
You may also want to sample karaage as part of the street food scene too.
Is Karaage Similar To Tatsutaage?
There are a few dishes that seem similar to karaage, but in fact are not. One of those is tatsutaage.
This involves marinating a chicken with mirin and soy sauce and then coating it with lots of katakuriko (otherwise known as potato starch).
The chicken then would need to be deep-fried until it turns a lovely golden brown color.
When it comes to karaage, it did originally have a way to make it but over the years people have been flexible with its preparation.
This includes many different types of seasonings and marinades. On the other hand, tatsutaage has only one way to make it.
This means the ingredients cannot be changed or experimented with.
Is There A Difference Between Both Katsu And Karaage Chicken?
You might think katsu and karaage chicken are similar but they are not. Katsu chicken uses cutlets taken from the chicken breast. They are covered in panko bread crumbs before they are deep-fried.
It is then often served with a sweeter sauce that is brown in color. The main sauce used is tonkatsu.
Karaage on the other hand uses bite-sized chunks of chicken thigh that are covered in either corn starch or potato starch before being deep-fried. It is then served with lemon juice or a Japanese mayonnaise.
Is Tempura The Same As Karaage?
Lastly, you might think tempura is the same as karaage, but again, they are different. They do both require chicken (often in bite-sized pieces) and something like potato starch to produce a crispy batter.
However, it is how they are fried and then eaten when it comes to noticing their differences. Tempura is dipped into the batter while karaage is not.
Also, tempura is often eaten with a dipping sauce and again, karaage is not.
Also tempura is used for other food items such as veggies too, and it is less likely to be marinated.
What Are The Main Ingredients Of Japanese Karaage Chicken?
The Chicken
The star of the show is the chicken thigh. The kind you will need to use when making a karaage recipe is a chicken thigh with the skin on, but no bones.
If you don’t have any boneless chicken thighs, then you can use the chicken breast. However, this area of the chicken isn’t as tasty.
In the US, you will likely struggle trying to find a chicken thigh with no bones. Ask your butcher to remove them, or learn how to remove them properly yourself.
Keeping the skin on the chicken allows it to go crispy while leaving the flesh of the chicken to be tender and very juicy, yet cooked all the way through.
Coating
When it comes to the coating of the chicken, you can be flexible with what you choose. This helps if you cannot find a specific ingredient that you need.
However, you still might prefer a coating over the other, so it is always worth experimenting. Some of the ratios and ingredients to try are:
- Potato Starch – the most common ingredient to use when making karaage, especially in Japan.
- Flour – no doubt you will have flour in your cupboard already. Fortunately you can use both all-purpose and cake flour to make karaage.
- Rice flour – rice flour is great to use if you want something gluten-free. You can also mix it with potato starch too.
Seasoning And Marinade
The seasoning is also something you can be flexible with when it comes to karaage. However, what you will want to try to do is stick with umami and Asian inspired flavors to give it an authentic taste.
Having said that, there is nothing stopping you from experimenting with further flavors to try something new and delicious. You could also make the karaage spicy.
However, the base flavors of karaage are sake, ginger, and soy sauce. The sake itself is used to help tenderize the chicken, while the ginger removes some of the meaty flavor.
Other things you could try using are egg yolk, garlic, curry powder, mirin, sesame oil and oyster sauce.
The Oil
You will need oil to allow the deep-frying process to happen. If you aren’t into deep-fried foods, then karaage is not for you. If you are, then you might want to think about the oil that you are using.
Any will do, but we like safflower oil, sunflower oil and vegetable oil.
Tips On Cooking Karaage Chicken
Before you begin looking through the below recipes, you may want to check out these tips to ensure you make karaage to the best of your ability.
- Remember to cut each of the chicken pieces into similar sized chunks. Doing so will ensure that they cook at the same rate and evenly. It Will also look better on the plate.
- When marinating, never leave it overnight. Marinating the chicken for around half an hour is enough time to get the flavors into the chicken flesh. Any longer and you will begin ruining the dish.
- Unlike something like tempura, you will only want to coat the chicken very lightly – though this does need to cover the whole chicken. It will allow for a crispy batter, as well as an even crisp overall.
- Always double fry the chicken. Start at a lower temperature, let it fry, and then blast it with a higher heat at the end to really make it crisp and sizzle.
Karaage Chicken Recipes
Here are some recipes to help you get started with making karaage chicken:
1. Sesame Oil Karaage Chicken Recipe
Using sesame oil to deep-fry the chicken is a great way to add some extra flavor. With every crunchy bite you will taste notes of the marinade along with the delicious sesame oil.
2. Karaage Chicken With Ranch Recipe
This recipe not only tells you how to make karaage chicken, but also gives you lots of serving options. The recipe also calls for sugar, an egg, and some salt and pepper to season.
3. Skinless Karaage Chicken Recipe
If you would prefer to not use skin on chicken thighs, then this recipe calls for skinless chicken thighs (as does the above recipe).
4. Gluten-Free Karaage Chicken Recipe
Finding delicious gluten-free meals can be difficult, that’s why it’s often easier to make your own. Fortunately, you too can enjoy karaage chicken. However, you will need to find some substitutions.
This includes using a gluten-free soy sauce and finding an alternative to flour. This recipe suggests using a combination of potato starch and rice flour.
5. Spicy Karaage Chicken
If you are looking for a spicy take on the original karaage chicken recipe, then this is it. It includes using ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and fresh ginger.
It also has sugar, mirin and sesame oil in the ingredients list. If you are after something with a wow factor, then this recipe is for you.
Final Thoughts
Karaage chicken is a wonderful deep-fried Japanese delicacy that you can make at home. So, if you tried it in Japan, why not make it at home?
I hope that, by exploring this website, you all will develop a much deeper appreciation for Japan, and that it may even influence you to pay it a visit yourself eventually! It is definitely a trip of a lifetime, and whether you experience it firsthand, or through my own website, I’m sure you will become just as passionate as I always have been!
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