Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

Name: Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 47 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 tablespoon sake (Japanese rice wine); 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger; 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces; 2 cups vegetable oil for frying; ¾ cup cornstarch

Rating: 4.88 stars

8 Ratings
5 Reviews
6 Photos

This is a simple yet delicious Japanese-style fried chicken flavored with ginger, garlic and sake and soy sauce. Serve as an appetizer or with rice and veggies to make a yummy meal. It even tastes good cold; my mom used to make this to take with us on picnics.

By Brenda Sawyer Adamson

Recipe Summary

prep:

15 mins

cook:

2 mins

total:

47 mins

additional:

30 mins

Servings:

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 4 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sake (Japanese rice wine)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
¾ cup cornstarch

Directions

Step 1

Combine soy sauce, sake, and ginger in a large bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.

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Step 2

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 3

Place cornstarch in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag and toss until chicken is coated with cornstarch.
Step 4

Fry chicken in batches until juices run clear and it is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels or on a wire rack.

Cook's Note:

Make sure you use regular rice wine (sake), not sweet rice wine (mirin) or rice vinegar.

Editor's Note:

We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. Amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and specific type of oil used.

Partner Tip

Reynolds® Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

495 calories; 26.1 g total fat; 97 mg cholesterol; 767 mg sodium. 33.1 g carbohydrates; 28.9 g protein; Full Nutrition

Reviews (5)

Most helpful positive review

Joseph Dubon

07/30/2019

I couldn't find sake... but I used white wine and it worked really good... it is a simple recipe but a really delicious one. Read More

8 Ratings

5 star values: 7
4 star values: 1
3 star values: 0
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Joseph Dubon

07/30/2019

I couldn't find sake... but I used white wine and it worked really good... it is a simple recipe but a really delicious one. Read More

Felix

07/26/2016

Great recipe! I recommend adding a liberal amount of black pepper and serving with chili oil for a spicier version. Read More

Joseph Dubon

07/30/2019

I couldn't find sake... but I used white wine and it worked really good... it is a simple recipe but a really delicious one. Read More

mihart.m

05/27/2017

Made as directed. Great flavour but I let the cornstarch get wet on the meat so it 'globbed' up a bit. Next time I will put in the oil right after dipping in cornstarch. Read More

Alicia Martinez

09/14/2016

It's not exactly like real Japanese Karaage because it uses cornstarch but it definitely still comes out really yummy. I personally didn't have Japanese sake so when marinating the meat I just used soy sauce grated ginger and minced garlic. Hopefully I will have sake next time so I can taste what the original recipe is actually like! Read More