What is karaage?
In Japan, karaage describes a frying method. You dust seasoned pieces with starch or flour and put them into the oil without a liquid batter. You meet it most often with chicken, in izakayas, in bento boxes and at the deli counter in the supermarket. For tempura you pull the food through a batter, and for chicken katsu you bread a whole cutlet with panko. Karaage stays smaller and more savory, because the marinade soaks into the meat.
The right ingredients
- Chicken: Use boneless thighs with the skin on. They stay juicy even through the second frying. Breast works, but dries out faster.
- Soy sauce: A light Japanese soy sauce seasons without turning the meat dark. The post on light and dark soy sauce explains how the types differ.
- Mirin and sake: Mirin adds a light sweetness and helps with browning. Sake tenderizes the meat and takes away the chicken's own flavor. You can find both in an Asian grocery store.
- Ginger and garlic: Grate both finely, so the pieces carry no burnt crumbs after draining.
- Potato starch: In Japan it is called katakuriko. It forms a thin, almost glassy crust. Cornstarch makes the coating a little firmer.
How to get karaage right: the key steps
- Cut to the same size: Pieces of about 4 cm (1.5 in) cook evenly. Small pieces dry out, and large ones stay raw inside.
- Marinate briefly: 30 minutes is enough. After more than 2 hours the meat turns salty and the surface goes soft.
- Dust with starch just before frying: If the starch sits on the wet meat for too long, it turns to paste and the crust stays tough.
- Fry twice: The first round at 165 °C (329 °F) cooks the meat. During 4 minutes of rest on the rack, the heat travels to the center. The second round at 185 °C (365 °F) takes only 1 minute and makes the crust dry and crisp.
- Check the temperature: A kitchen thermometer is the safest way to work. Without one, hold a dry wooden stick in the oil: if fine bubbles rise right away, it is hot enough.
Common mistakes
- Too much at once: The oil cools, the pieces soak up fat and turn pale. Fry in 3 to 4 batches.
- Fried only once: The crust goes soft after a few minutes.
- Marinade not drained: Liquid spatters in the oil and the starch clumps.
What to serve with it
In Japan you eat karaage with lemon wedges, Japanese mayonnaise and finely shaved cabbage, plus a bowl of rice and miso soup. As a snack with beer, lemon and a pinch of salt with a little shichimi pepper are enough. Cold, it belongs in the bento box next to onigiri. If you like it hot and glazed, try the Korean relative, Korean fried chicken.
