Double-Fried Karaage Chicken Recipe

Bite-sized karaage, as recipe developer Kevin Chen tells us, is "one of my favorite forms of fried chicken." While the dish can be found in bars and restaurants throughout Japan, Chen notes that "it's just as commonly seen in home cooking, often packed into a bento for the next day's lunch." This should tell you something about the relative ease of making this chicken, which Chen calls perfectly straightforward, especially if you're familiar with frying.

"Karaage, at least in Japan, isn't necessarily always chasing that ultra crispy and crunchy texture the way American fried chicken tends to," he explains. "The crust often has a softer crunch, with a lightness that's wonderful paired with the juicy and umami interiors." In this recipe, Chen marries the two styles of fried chicken, double-frying the chicken for that extra crunch loved by Americans while still retaining the lightness of the Japanese variety. He also points out that the potato starch and rice flour batter he uses is gluten-free, which means that the entire dish can be as well, if you substitute tamari for soy sauce.

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, soy sauce, sake, vodka, ginger, garlic, chicken powder, sesame oil, and egg white.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a wire rack over a second rimmed baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice flour and potato starch.

Add 1 piece of chicken at a time to flour mixture and turn to coat, making sure all the crevices are coated.

In a wok or large Dutch oven, heat oil to 350 F.

Fry until chicken is light golden brown and just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Using a spider, transfer fried chicken to the wire rack.

Repeat with the remaining chicken and allow the meat to cool for 5 minutes.

Increase oil temperature to 400 F.

Using a spider, transfer the chicken back to the wire rack. Season immediately with salt to taste. Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

Even though this recipe is a relatively simple one, there are still some substitutions you can make if need be. For one thing, Chen tells us that chicken breasts can be used in place of thighs if you prefer, but "bear in mind that they will be slightly drier because there's less fat." Fortunately, he adds, "The soy sauce in the marinade acts as a brine, so it will help prevent the chicken from drying out too much." 

Chen also says that while potato starch is traditionally used for karaage batter in Japan and results in a "slightly crispier and lighter texture," cornstarch makes a perfectly good substitute. As for the alcohol in the batter, Chen explains that the vodka "cooks off more rapidly than water, thereby delivering a slightly crispier crust." Sake is used for flavoring and could be replaced with similarly acidic white wine, but you're free to omit either or both boozy ingredients.