Chicken karaage is a Japanese fried chicken recipe that turns marinated chicken pieces into a crispy, crunchy, and juicy dish with deep savory flavor. The chicken is usually cut into bite size pieces and marinated with soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, salt, pepper, or a little sugar so the flavor reaches the inside before frying. Potato starch or a mix of starch and flour creates the light rough coating that becomes crisp in hot oil. Frying once cooks the chicken through, while a second fry can make the outside crunchier without drying the meat. Lemon, Japanese mayo, shichimi, green onion, or cabbage makes the final plate brighter and more balanced. The finished karaage is golden, juicy, and easy to serve with rice, bento boxes, salad, miso soup, noodles, or izakaya-style side dishes at home.
