Tori no Karaage/ Japanese style fried chicken

You may have your version of fried chicken where you’re from, but Tori no Karaage has a taste that’s absolutely unique to Japan. Tori no karaage is written as 鶏の唐揚げ in Japanese. 鶏(tori) means chicken. 唐揚げ(karaage) is a dish which is lightly coated with flour and deep-fried. Many ingredients can be used for Karaage, but chicken is most commonly used in it.

Tori no karaage is really popular and is readily available just about everywhere in Japan. It can be found anywhere from specialty shops to convenience stores. Since many shops want their flavor of Karaage to stand out as unique, they are trying new recipes.

Many foodies have also tried to make their own versions of Tori no Karage. I am no exception! After many attempts to make my own version of this dish, here’s my best recipe. Following this recipe, you can make a perfect Karaage that is juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. I hope you’ll give it a try!

Tori no Karaage

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by MikaDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 500 g chicken thighs (bite-size pieces)

• Enough canola oil, for deep-frying

• For marinade

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons sake

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

• 1 teaspoon grated garlic

• Pinch Salt and pepper

• For coating

• 1/2 cup potato starch (or flour)

• Garnish

• 1/2 lemon

• 4 shiso leaves

Directions

• Prepare these ingredients.
• In a bowl, combine chicken, salt, pepper, soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, and mix thoroughly using a light kneading motion. Marinate for about 30 minutes.
• Heat oil to 170 degrees Celsius (338 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Drain extra marinade from the chicken. Dredge the chicken in potato starch, and then, pat the excess flour off the chicken.
  
• Deep-fry the chicken right away for about 4 to 5 minutes. Don’t touch the chicken for the first one minute to prevent the flour coating from coming off the chicken.
• After one minute, stir the chicken several times. It helps the moisture to evaporate, and it makes the chicken crispy.
• Take the chicken out and drain excess oil.

Notes

• You can substitute flour or corn starch for potato starch if it’s not available in your area.
• You can substitute other acidic ingredients such as vinegar or wine for lemon juice. Adding a little acid into the marinade simply tenderizes the chicken by breaking down the proteins in the meat.

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