Grandma Ariko's Karaage (Fried Chicken) with sweet and savory sauce
My mom’s Karaage is crispy, juicy Japanese-style fried chicken coated in a sweet, savory sauce. It’s perfect for everyday meals, bento lunches, or as a crowd-pleasing party dish.
My mom used to make this chicken dish for my bento lunches when I was in school, and it was one of my absolute favorites. Even now, it brings back the best memories with every bite. It’s simple — you just deep-fry the chicken and coat it with a sweet and savory sauce, but it tastes so good! Unlike tatsuta-age, you don’t need to marinate the chicken. Just sprinkle it with salt and white pepper, and you’re ready to go.
Serve 4
Ingredients
For chicken:
2 chicken thighs, skinless/boneless (about 1 lb), cut into a few bite-sized pieces
about 1/2C AP flour
about 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) or corn starch
salt and white pepper
about 2C vegetable oil, for frying
For sweet sauce:
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp mirin
1 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
Instructions
In a small size bowl, mix sugar, mirin, sake and soy sauce. Set aside.
Heat oil in a deep frying pot over medium heat. To check if the oil is ready, drop in a pinch of flour. If it immediately floats to the surface, you’re good to go.
While the oil is heating, lightly sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and white pepper. Working in batches, toss the chicken in flour/potato flour mixutre using a bowl, making sure each piece is evenly coated.
Shake off the excess flour and carefully add a few pieces of chicken to the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry for 3~4 minutes, or until crispy and cooked through, turning them a couple of times. Transfer to a wire rack to drain the excess oil. Repeat with all the chicken. (Note: If you want extra crispy, you can double-fry them — just increase the heat slightly and fry for another 45~60 seconds.)
Add the sauce to the bowl first, then add the chicken and toss until it’s well coated. Or, you can add the chicken to a bowl, drizzle the sauce over it, and toss. I’ve done it both ways — as long as the chicken’s nicely coated, either method works!
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