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Karaage or chicken karaage is a Japanese fried chicken dish. This homemade karaage recipe is easy, delicious with simple ingredients. The end results are juicy and crispy chicken that tastes just like Japanese restaurants!
What Is Karaage
Karaage (唐揚げ) is Japanese fried chicken where small bite-sized pieces of chicken are marinated and then deep-fried to crispy perfection.
Karaage is a very popular item at Japanese restaurants here in the US. It’s often served as an appetizer or as part of a Japanese combo or bento meal, it’s also called sesame fried chicken.
In many Asian countries especially Taiwan, a similar street snack called is Taiwanese salt and pepper chicken.
How To Make Karaage
- Use chicken thighs or chicken legs for the best chicken karaage. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, Japanese cooking sake, ginger, garlic and sesame oil for as little as 15 minutes.
- Coat each piece of the chicken generously with potato starch or corn starch.
- Deep fry the chicken. They should be brown on the outside but the meat should be juicy and bursting with flavors.
The Secret To Good Karaage
For the best karaage recipe, you should marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or best overnight so the flavors seep inside the chicken meat.
Serve the chicken with mayonnaise and lemon wedges. Squeeze the lemon juice on top of the karaage and dip it with the mayonnaise.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 361 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Chicken Karaage
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Japanese Deep Frying Recipes
Chicken Karaage (Sesame Fried Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 pound (500g) boneless and skinless chicken breasts, or thighs, cut into cubes
- 6 tablespoons Japanese cooking sake
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 inches (7cm) fresh ginger, peeled and pounded with a mortar and pestle to extract 2 tablespoons ginger juice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- cornstarch
- oil, for deep frying
Instructions
- Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry and transfer it to a bowl. Add the sake, soy sauce, ginger juice, and sesame oil, and marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours for best results). Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and coat them evenly with cornstarch in a plastic bag, such as a Ziplock. Shake off the excess cornstarch.
- Heat a wok or pot of cooking oil. When the oil is hot enough for frying (350°F – 375°F or 176°C – 190°C), carefully drop in the chicken and quickly deep fry until the pieces float. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
- Return the chicken to the oil and deep-fry again until golden brown and crunchy. Transfer to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve hot with a slice of lemon and mayonnaise.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
made the chicken and was delicious and juicy kids and the adults loved it make this twice a week
Hi Neli, thanks for the comment and 5 star rating. Please try more recipes on my site, they are all delicious! :)
Can you cook this in an air fryer?if so. Do you have to do anything differently ie spray it with vegetable oil?
You can try air fryer.
That didn’t really answer her question. Can you help with some other tips for the air fryer?
As this recipe was developed for authenticity, it was not tested in the air fryer. However, you can pretty much just put it in the air fryer (follow same temperature in recipe) after coating the chicken for about 10 mins at a time. If you prefer, you can spray on some oil.
Is cooking Saki nonalcoholic? If not, what is a substitute to use that is also nonalcoholic?
No substitute. Sake really makes this recipe tastes the authentic taste.
But if you are allergic to alcohol, then you can’t have it.
Hi. It’s true that there’s no substitute in terms of authenticity. However, feel free to omit it from the recipe, but please note that it will not taste the same.
any suggestions for a dipping sauce or aioli for the karaage?
You can just dip with mayonnaise.
love to learn the crispy karaage chicken, my favorite
Please try!
we are in Lockdown here in Brisbane. Can I use Mirin sauce instead of Japanese Sake which I dont have and have to wait till another 10 days or so before I go out to the Chinese grocers? I have all the other ingredients including potato starch and chicken
I don’t have cooking sake. Only have sake for drinking. Can I use that instead?
Yes you can.
I wasn’t able to get it to crisp up. How much corn starch should I have used? I wonder if I didn’t take enough of the marinade off the chicken? I did fry it twice but it still did not crisp. I’d love to try making this again. Even though it didn’t crisp, the chicken was delicious and juicy! Loved the marinade.
You need to shake the marinade off and then coat thickly with corn starch.
I wasn’t able to get it to crisp up. How much corn starch should I have used? I wonder if I didn’t take enough of the marinade off the chicken? I did fry it twice but it still did not crisp. I’d love to try making this again. Even though it didn’t crisp, the chicken was delicious and juicy! Loved the marinade.
Looks delicious. Cnt wait to try it.
What would be a non alcoholic substitute for Sake?
Hi Amna, I am not sure. Almost all Japanese recipes has sake or mirin, both are alcoholic.
Unfortunately there is no substitute for these liquids. The alcohol cooks out so only the flavour is left. Never take short cuts from great recipes.
Yes don’t change anything!