Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Chicken Karaage
Ginger-garlic-soy marinated chicken coated in potato starch and fried twice for a shatteringly light, juicy crunch.
Japanese (Kyushu) · easy · serves 3
prep 25 min · cook 15 min
~545 cal · 57g protein · 39g carbs · 15g fat · 1g fiber · 1g sugars · 4g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
↓ Jump to Recipe
AI-generated illustration
Karaage is Japan's beloved fried chicken, bite-size pieces marinated in soy, sake, ginger, and garlic, dusted in potato starch, and fried until shatteringly crisp with a juicy interior. The potato-starch coating is the secret to its signature light, crackly crust, distinct from Western batters.
The technique of 'kara-age' (Chinese-style frying) arrived from China and was thoroughly adopted into Japanese home and izakaya cooking. The ginger-garlic-soy marinade gives it a savory depth that holds up whether hot or at room temperature.
A staple of bento boxes, izakaya menus, and family dinners across Japan, karaage is served with a wedge of lemon and often Japanese mayonnaise.
Saved recipes and passport stamps are kept on this device. Sign in to keep them across your devices and leave reviews.
Make it yours
✓ Naturally dairy-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 3
1.5 lbs boneless chicken thigh, bite pieces
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tbsp garlic, grated
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3/4 cup potato starch (katakuriko)
as needed , for frying
a few lemon wedges, to serve
plenty Japanese mayo, to serve
Instructions
1
Marinate the chicken (or mushrooms and tofu) in soy, sake, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil for 20 minutes.
2
Toss each piece in potato starch, pressing on a craggy coat; rest 5 minutes so it hydrates.
3
Fry at 325°F for 90 seconds, then rest the pieces 3 minutes.
4
Fry again at 375°F for 60-90 seconds until deep gold and glass-crisp, the double fry is the secret.
5
Drain, salt lightly, and serve piled with lemon and mayo. Best eaten standing by the fryer.
Kyushu izakaya tradition.
Ratings & reviews
Cooked it? Rate this dish:
No account needed. Sign in to leave a full review with a comment.
Cooked it?
Kept on this device, no account needed. Sign in to leave a review and keep your passport across your devices.
No reviews yet, be the first to cook it.
🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Kyushu (Fukuoka). Southern Japan's Kyushu is ramen country: the rich pork-bone tonkotsu broth was created at a Kurume noodle stall in 1937 and made world-famous as Hakata ramen in Fukuoka, alongside shochu spirits and fresh seafood. A gateway to the mainland, it cooks bold and hearty.
🗺️
Japan. Dashi does the quiet work in a Japanese kitchen. Kelp carries one savoury compound and dried, smoked skipjack carries another, and combining the two multiplies the effect well beyond either alone. The taste was named umami in 1908 by Ikeda Kikunae of Tokyo Imperial University, who went looking for it after eating tofu simmered with kelp.
🌍
Asia. A grain line runs across the continent. Rice dominates the wet south and east, wheat the drier north and west, and the tools follow it: the wok and the steamer where rice is milled, the tandoor and the griddle where wheat is ground. Tea travels the other way, drunk green, black, salted, buttered or with milk depending how far it got from China.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Japan
Osaka-Style OkonomiyakiA crisp-edged cabbage pancake griddled with pork belly, painted with sweet-savory sauce and mayo.
Goya ChampuruOkinawa’s signature stir-fry of bitter melon, firm tofu, pork, and egg, humble food from the island of long life.
Sapporo Miso RamenSnow-country ramen: a rich miso broth with wok-seared vegetables, springy noodles, and butter melting on top.
Browse all Japan recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Fried food is best eaten fresh while crisp. Re-crisp leftovers in a hot oven or air fryer; the microwave makes them soft.
Make it a Japan meal
AmazakeDrink
DorayakiDessert
TonkatsuLunch
Similar dishes from around the world
Chicken KyivUkraine
Kottu RotiSri Lanka
Lahori Chicken KarahiPakistan
Kung Pao ChickenChina
Pad Krapow Gai (Holy Basil Chicken)Thailand
CoxinhaBrazil
Cuisine
Diet
Frequently asked questions
What is Chicken Karaage?
Ginger-garlic-soy marinated chicken coated in potato starch and fried twice for a shatteringly light, juicy crunch.
Where does Chicken Karaage come from?
Chicken Karaage is a Japanese (Kyushu) dish from Kyushu (Fukuoka), Japan.
Can Chicken Karaage be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Chicken Karaage recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Chicken Karaage safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Chicken Karaage take to make?
About 40 minutes total (25 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking), serving 3.
Get the Sunday Spin
One dish from somewhere in the world, in your inbox every Sunday. No spam, just dinner inspiration you can cook that day.