Ginger Karaage Chicken Recipe
Prep Time:
1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook Time:
10 minutes
Servings:
2 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 heaping tablespoon + 2 heaping teaspoons ginger, grated, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ½ tablespoon cooking sake
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons potato starch
  • neutral oil (canola or vegetable), for frying
Directions
  1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Combine 2 teaspoons of grated ginger, grated garlic, soy sauce, cooking sake, sesame oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
  3. Coat the chicken with the marinade in a large bowl and mix thoroughly by hand.
  4. Cover the chicken and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
  5. Mix the Kewpie mayo and 1 tablespoon of grated ginger in a bowl.
  6. Refrigerate the ginger mayo until ready to serve. (If desired, add a squeeze of Sriracha for spice.)
  7. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot or skillet 1 inch deep with neutral oil and heat.
  8. On a large plate, make a pile of all-purpose flour and another with potato starch.
  9. Coat each piece of marinated chicken first in the all-purpose flour, then in the potato starch, making sure to dust off the excess.
  10. Line a wire rack with a couple of pieces of paper towel to absorb excess oil from the fried karaage.
  11. Once the temperature reaches 325 F, the oil is ready for frying. (Test by inserting a wooden chopstick into the hot oil to see if it creates small bubbles.)
  12. Add 4 to 5 pieces of chicken at a time, being careful not to crowd the pan.
  13. Deep fry the karaage for about 1 ½ minutes or until it is a pale golden color before transferring it to the paper towel-lined wire rack.
  14. After all the chicken has been fried once, raise the oil temperature to 350 F for a second fry.
  15. Return each piece of chicken to the pan and fry for 1 minute or until the exterior is golden brown in color.
  16. Serve the ginger karaage hot with freshly-squeezed lemon and a side of ginger mayo.