Air Fryer Magic: Crispy Karaage Chicken Perfection

Karaage is a Japanese dish typically made from deep-fried boneless chicken thighs. It is the chicken nugget of Japan, but fancier. It is usually deep-fried, but you can also make it in an air fryer. To make karaage chicken in an air fryer, you will need to marinate the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, and sesame oil. Then, dredge the chicken in flour and potato starch or cornflour/cornstarch and air fry for 10-12 minutes.

Marinate the chicken

Marinating the chicken is an important step in making karaage, a Japanese fried chicken dish. The chicken is traditionally marinated for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to penetrate the meat, but it can be left for up to 24 hours for best results. The longer the chicken is left to marinate, the tastier it will be.

To prepare the marinade, combine soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger in a medium-sized bowl. You can also add sesame oil, sake, and rice wine vinegar to the mixture. Once the marinade is ready, add the diced chicken pieces and mix until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to chill for the desired amount of time.

After marinating, remove the chicken from the fridge and discard the excess marinade. It is now ready to be coated in corn starch, potato starch, or flour before air frying or deep frying.

Prepare the coating

Once the chicken has been marinated, it's time to prepare the coating. This will give the chicken its signature crispy texture when air-fried.

You can use cornflour/cornstarch, potato starch/potato flour, or tapioca starch/tapioca flour. Plain flour won't work on its own as it will create a denser, heavier coating.

There's no need for an egg mixture—simply dip the chicken pieces straight into your chosen coating, making sure every part is coated generously.

Preheat the air fryer

Preheating your air fryer is an important step in the cooking process, but it's not always necessary. Here's a detailed guide on preheating your air fryer for making Karaage Chicken:

Preheating your air fryer can speed up the cooking process and give your food that extra crispiness. It's especially useful if you're cooking fried chicken, french fries, or breaded foods like Karaage Chicken. Preheating ensures that the hot air starts circulating before you place the food inside, resulting in even cooking and a nice sear on your food.

How to Preheat:

The process of preheating an air fryer is similar to preheating an oven. Here are the steps to follow:

• Turn on your air fryer and ensure it's clean and ready to use.
• If your air fryer has a preheat button, simply press it, set the desired temperature, and let it preheat.
• If there's no preheat button, manually heat the air fryer to 400 °F (204 °C) or the cooking temperature specified in your recipe.
• Set the timer for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of your air fryer. Smaller air fryers may take less time to preheat.
• Once the air fryer reaches the desired temperature, you can proceed to cook your Karaage Chicken.

Tips for Preheating:

• Always refer to your air fryer's manual to check if preheating is recommended and for any specific instructions.
• Preheating is particularly useful when cooking thinly cut meats, reheating precooked or frozen foods, and baking.
• If you're cooking thick cuts of meat, moist foods, or foods that require a long cooking time, you may want to skip preheating to avoid burning or drying out your food.

Fry the chicken

Now it's time to cook the karaage chicken in your air fryer. Place the coated chicken pieces in the air fryer basket in a single layer, ensuring there is no overlap. You will likely need to cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the air fryer.

If you have a cooking spray, lightly mist the chicken pieces with vegetable oil. Alternatively, use a brush to lightly dab the top of the chicken with oil. This step will help achieve a golden brown and crispy coating while using minimal oil.

Air fry the chicken at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes. Then, flip the chicken pieces and mist or brush the other side with oil. Air fry again at 400°F (200°C) for another 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp.

The cooking time may vary depending on your air fryer, so keep an eye on the chicken to avoid overcooking or burning. Once cooked, place the karaage on a wire rack or board and cover with foil to keep warm while you cook the remaining batches.

Serve with lemon and a dipping sauce

Karaage is a Japanese dish typically made from deep-fried boneless chicken thighs. It is often served with lemon and a dipping sauce.

Karaage is usually served with a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the chicken before eating. The lemon adds a nice brightness and acidity that balances well with the fried chicken.

Karaage can also be served with a dipping sauce. This can be made by mixing Japanese mayonnaise with a splash of rice wine vinegar, or with Japanese seven spice (shichimi togarashi). The Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie) is made from only egg yolks and rice vinegar, making it richer and thicker than regular mayonnaise. Alternatively, you can make a spicy garlic mayo sauce by mixing mayonnaise with sriracha, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Frequently asked questions