Chicken Karaage (Sesame Fried Chicken)
Chicken Karaage - crispy Japanese sesame fried chicken, the best chicken karaage recipe that is better than Japanese restaurants.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 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
- 1
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.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.