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A white plate filled with golden, crispy Tori Karaage (Japanese fried chicken), served with a portion of creamy mayo and garnished with fresh lemon slices (Cover Photo)
Print Recipe

Tori Karaage (Japanese-style Fried Chicken)

Experience Japan's Best Fried Chicken.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinate20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: chicken karaage, Japanese fried chicken, tori karaage
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 300kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 pieces of Boneless, skin-on thighs
  • Salt and pepper to taste (to season the chicken)
  • 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
  • Oil for frying

Ingredients for the Marinate

  • 1 Garlic clove, minced
  • ½ teaspoon Ginger, grated
  • ½ Tablespoon Soy sauce,
  • ½ Tablespoon Sake (or Chinese cooking wine)
  • ¼ Tablespoon Sesame oil

Instructions

  • Start by chopping the chicken thighs into similar-size pieces and season with a bit of salt and black pepper to taste.
    bite-sized skin-on chicken thighs on a cutting board, seasoned with salt and black pepper
  • Prepare the marinade. Add all ingredients into a bowl and mix it well.
    a small glass bowl with all ingredients for the Japanese marinade
  • Add the chicken into the marinade and mix it so the chicken is completely coated by the marinade. Let is rest from 20min - 1hour.
    A glass bowl with the bite-sized chicken thighs and marinade mixed together.
  • Coat the marinated chicken with the cornstarch.
    a white plate with the bite-sized chicken thighs coated in cornstarch
  • In a medium-high heat pan, add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot (if you have a thermometer, it is about 350ºF (175ºC)), add the chicken. Do not overcrowd the pan.
  • Fry the first time for about 90 seconds. Remove the chicken and place it into a plate with paper towel. Keep doing it until all chicken is fried.
    a plate covered with paper total with fried chicken
  • Now, you will fry for a second time. Add the fried chicken again for an extra 45 seconds or until the outside is golden and crispy. Remove and place it into a plate with paper towel on top.
  • When serving Tori Karaage, you can opt to squeeze a lemon on top and add a side of mayo (Japanese mayo would be the best option). Serve it on top of white rice. It also combines really well with Japanese curry (Kare Raisu)
    A white plate filled with golden, crispy Tori Karaage (Japanese fried chicken), served with a portion of creamy mayo and garnished with fresh lemon slices (Thumbnail)

Notes

How to know if the oil is hot for frying?
If you have a food thermometer:
  • when the oil temperature reaches about 350ºF (175ºC)
If you don't have a thermometer:
  • place a wooden spoon into the oil; if some bubbles form around the spoon the oil is ready for frying.