Chicken Karaage
A satisfying Japanese chicken built around chicken, sake and potato starch — roughly 60 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Soy
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Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Add the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sake and sugar to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chicken, then stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Add 1 inch of vegetable oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat until the oil reaches 360 degrees F. Line a wire rack with 2 sheets of paper towels and get your tongs out. Put the potato starch in a bowl
- Add a handful of chicken to the potato starch and toss to coat each piece evenly.
- Fry the karaage in batches until the exterior is a medium brown and the chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer the fried chicken to the paper towel lined rack.
- If you want the karaage to stay crispy longer, you can fry the chicken a second time, until it's a darker color after it's cooled off once.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Large pot · Whisk
Watch how it's made
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Ingredient substitutions
- Soy Sauce
- tamari (gluten-free) · coconut aminos
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Chicken Karaage
- Honey Teriyaki Salmon Seafood
- Yaki Udon Seafood
- Tonkatsu pork Pork
- Japanese gohan rice Side
Tips & common questions
How long does Chicken Karaage take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of soy sauce?
Try tamari (gluten-free). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Structured source recipe — not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Recipe data for Chicken Karaage via TheMealDB (open database). ▶ Video. Original source. Consomee adds the scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.