Prep Time: 5 minutes + 30 mins marinating time
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Level up your homemade chicken karaage with this simple shio koji marinade for incredible umami and melt-in-your-mouth juiciness!
Ingredients
- 450 g boneless chicken thighs - skin-on
- Cooking oil - neutral flavour and high smoke point for deep frying
Marinade
- 2 tbsp shio koji
- 1 tbsp sake, dry sherry, white wine or water
- ½ tsp Japanese light soy sauce or regular Japanese soy sauce
- ½ tbsp grated ginger root or ginger paste
- 1 clove grated garlic or garlic paste
Coating
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or cake flour, don't use bread flour
- 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko), cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 4 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) for final coating
Method
- Cut 450 g boneless chicken thigh into large bitesize pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp shio koji, 1 tbsp sake, ½ tsp Japanese light soy sauce, ½ tbsp grated ginger root and 1 clove grated garlic.
- Mix well until evenly coated, then cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 mins (2 hours max).
- Preheat a deep pot of cooking oil to 160 °C (320 °F). While you wait, scrap the excess marinade off the surface of the chicken and sprinkle in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko). Mix until the chicken pieces are coated in a thin sticky paste.
- Sprinkle 4 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) on a tray. Once the oil is ready, roll each piece of chicken until evenly covered. Shake off the excess, and drop them straight in the oil.
- Deep fry for 3 minutes. Nudge gently to prevent sinking and sticking to the bottom, and be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Cook in batches if necessary.
- Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 3 minutes. This step must not be skipped – the chicken will continue to cook with residual heat.
- Increase the heat to 185 °C (365 °F) and then place the chicken in the oil once more. Fry for 30-60 seconds or until a medium gold colour.
- Rest on a wire rack once more to drain excess oil. After a few minutes, serve and enjoy!
We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Yuto Omura from Sudachi Recipes to bring more authentic, approachable Japanese cooking to your kitchen. Be sure to explore Sudachi Recipes for even more inspiration and discover new ways to enjoy Japanese cuisine at home.
