Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
posted on 29 Apr 2004 by maki ::
17 comments
I haven't posted many Japanese recipes in a while, so it's about time I did. This is one of my favorite chicken recipes, karaage. The word kara refers to China, meaning that this method of preparing chicken originated in Chinese cooking (age means deep-fried). However I really haven't encountered a Chinese dish that is exactly like this, though there are many deep-fried chicken dishes there (such as my favorite takeout, orange chicken.) The method of marinating meat in fresh ginger to get rid of any gaminess or so, which is quite disliked in both Japanese and Chinese cooking generally, is fundamentally Chinese I believe.
This is a very simple and very tasty way to do chicken. Unlike other kinds of fried food, it tastes quite light, and maintains its crispness quite well because of the cornstarch coating. It's great piping hot but is equally as good cold. It was a frequent ingredient in the obento (boxed lunch) my mother used to make for us.
You can make karaage with breast meat, but I think it's much better with the dark thigh meat. I would make this a lot more often, except for the fact that here in Switzerland boneless chicken thighs are impossible to get, and so I have to bone them myself, which is sort of a bother.
Chicken karaage
- 2-4 boneless chicken thighs, depending on how big they are
- A piece of fresh ginger about the size of your thumb, grated
- 3 Tbs soy sauce
- 1 Tbs sake or sherry
- cornstarch
- peanut oil for deep frying (you can use another kind of oil; I just prefer peanut oil)
Cut up the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. You can take off the skin if you like, though it does make the chicken crispier.
Put the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add the grated ginger, soy sauce and sake, and mix well. Let marinate for a minimum of 1/2 hour, and up to about 1 hour (not too long or the salt in the soy sauce will toughen up the chicken.)
Heat the oil. Toss in enough cornstarch into the marinated chicken so that each piece is completely coated. Fry the chicken pieces a few at a time until a deep golden brown.
Drain well, and eat with a squeeze of lemon juice.
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Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
Maki — that chicken looks absolutely delicious! I love all kinds of Asian (and Pan-Asian) food, but what could be better than deep fried anything (I sound like my mother here).
There is a favourite dish I have from a Chinese Restaurant “Crispy Ginger Beef” that I am trying to develop a recipe for — I wonder if this style of marinating and coating with cornstarch would work…? Any suggestions?
Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
Thanks Maki! I haven’t had these since I was eating them from food stall to food stall, while doing the tourist-walking in KL, Malaysia.
Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
Hey Maki, This looks very similar to something we get at a local Japenese restaurant. They call it “Tatsuta-age” (maybe misspelled) — possibly the same thing?
Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
I used eat Karaage or something similar; once a week, when it was a regular lunch special, at the Sakura Japanese Restaurant, located in the Food Court at the Moorestown (NJ) Mall and I would make a dipping sauce with light soy sauce, pickled ginger (Gari) and wasabi paste. It gave it a pleasant spicy flavor, to go with the crunch.
Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
Liz, yes I think tatsuta-age is basically the same as kara-age. In some recipes I have seen the use of mirin (fortified sweet sake) instead of sake.
Jennifer, using corn starch as a coating before deep frying may work with your beef recipe. Cornstarch seems to give a crispier coating than flour. Worth trying anyway. :)
Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
peanut oil is the best for frying in terms of taste. i usually mix corn flour and tapioca in 3:1 ratio to get a crispier mix.
Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
hi! i’m looking for a nankotsu no karaage special recipe. I ate them once but I couldn’t tell what there was inside, I could only tell they weren’t you average nankotsu no karaage. Is it possible that what there was inside was cheese… or garlic? Have you ever heard of any of those possibilities? i’d also be greatful if you know of any good recipe for cooking nankotsu no karaage.
thanks! ^^
Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
how do i cut a duck (peking or chinese roasted) traditionally diagrams much appreciated.
Karaage: Japanese-Chinese style fried chicken
wow, this is the best recipie for karaage, i was always stuck between breast or thigh, but now i know to use thigh, and i was also confused between the flour mix, i used too mix cornstarch and plain flour together.
i was also confused about the marinade, i always used about a cup of soy, and put garlic as well, and sumtimes marinated for couple hours! (by accident though, i knew that i had to leave for 1/2 or so, but i thought over night wudn’t kill it, which it did)
thanks for clearing it all up~!
Love them
Hey!
I’ve been getting tons of recipies off your site, and they’re all really good.
I spent a year living in Japan when I was in High School, and it was a blast. Because I’m such a picky eater, my host mother(s) had a really difficult time thinking up things to cook me. But one thing was for sure, I really, really loved Karaage, so they used to say “when in doubt, make Karaage!”
I’ve also used this recipie to prepare appetizer trays for parties I have at my place when my friends come over.
Thanks a lot!
Mmm, this sounds delicious!
Mmm, this sounds delicious! Is there a substitute you would recommend for the sake or the sherry? I don’t do alcohol, even for cooking. Thanks!
There really is no
There really is no substitute for the alcohol here, since it serves a specific purpose - of getting rid of the gamy quality of the chicken. If you can’t use alcohol, just leave it out.
Substitute
The Alcohol in the Sake does indeed help with the gameness of the chicken but it also adds flavour you could try substituting the Sake with Amasake (sweet sake) it has little if any alcohol content. Although it will give the Chicken a sweeter taste. Also if you are unable to find cornstarch. Substitute with Potato Starch (recommended) or last choice Wheat Starch. I actually brew my own Sake so i know whats in it. A lot of the commercially available Sake is not properly brewed and has Spirits added to the mixture. Properly fermented Sake with no added spirits has a much smoother and fruitier taste. Much nicer on the palate.
Thank you very much! :-)
Thank you very much! :-)
this recipe is delish!
i made this today and i tell you, its delicious! i didn’t have the sake so i used some plum wine (from the amish amana colonies) and it worked just fine. i love how the cornstarch makes such a nice light breading. this is definately going to be a regular dish in my household.
I recently tasted karaage in
I recently tasted karaage in a japanese restaurant in Paris, and fell in love with it !
Thanks for the recipe, I’ll try to find boneless chicken thighs next week.
I use mirin instead of
I use mirin instead of sherry and potato starch instead of cornstarch and it tastes great, the recipe I use was given to me by a japanese friend
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