Unfried Chicken Kara-age
Chicken kara-age is marinated fried chicken.
You’ll often see this on the menu at Japanese izakaya (tapas), Japanese restaurants, ramen restaurants and even in the deli / pre-made foods area of Mitsuwa or Marukai supermarket, possibly in a bento.
It’s great as an appetizer, side dish, or at my house – the main course!
I know, I know… fried stuff is bad for us which is why I BAKED this, and its umai!
My mom made kara-age only once in a while because it was fried and not healthy for us, but boy, when she made it, was my tummy ever happy!
I called her to ask her for the recipe… and of course she said in Japanese, “Eh? I don’t really have a recipe.” I am beginning to notice a pattern with my mom…
I asked her if she could tell me what’s in the marinade. She said, “Just use shoyu (soy sauce), sake, and mirin (sweet cooking sake) and marinate the chicken. Then cover in flour, fry it and you’re done.” Ohhh-k, thanks mom. :)
Since I’m a stickler for recipes, I turned to my trusty photocopied Japanese cookbook.
My girlfriend “C” copied her simple Japanese cookbook for me, and I love this book! It’s called What’s Cooking in Japan – Kikkoman Way.
Hmmm, I don’t think it’s legal to photocopy a book and distribute it. Is it? Or maybe it’s OK so long as I don’t use it for commercial purposes. Just to be clear, this is TOTALLY not commercial since I’m not earning any money blogging, although bebe dada would prefer it if my blogging hobby earned some cash. Haha.
Anyway, I took my mom’s kara-age cooking advice minus the frying part, combined it with part of the marinade recipe found in C’s photocopied cookbook and this is what I have to share.
Unfried Chicken Kara-age
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- 1/3 cup potato starch
- 1/3 cup flour (optional, only using potato starch works great)
- Canola oil or vegetable oil for frying (if frying instead of baking)
- lemon wedges (optional, but recommended)
For marinade:
- 4 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons cooking sake
- 1 teaspoon mirin (sweet cooking sake)
- 1 tablespoon shaved ginger (use less 1 to 2 teaspoons for milder flavor if using grated ginger from the tube)
- Pinch of chopped garlic
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine marinade ingredients. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn occasionally.
I only had boneless, skinless chicken thighs so I used this in lieu of the chicken breast. I find that the leg is more tender than the breast, especially when baking.
COOKING TIP: Since I don’t use ginger very often, I store it in the freezer. Peel the skin of the ginger using a peeler, and then continue to use the peeler, or a knife, to shave off little curls of ginger. It’s easier than defrosting and chopping, and the flavor of the ginger is superb. Also, if you’ve never tried it, buy raw grated ginger available in tubes at the Japanese market.
Mix potato starch (or use cornstarch if you don’t have any) with flour. Coat chicken with starch and flour mixture and shake-off excess.
Line baking sheet with foil, and spray with Pam to prevent sticking. Lay chicken on foil, spread apart, then bake for 20 minutes.
You’ll find that some of the starch-flour mixture is still on the chicken, but no worries – - – I think it makes the kara-age look pretty AND it’s healthier than frying it!
Squeeze juice of lemon lightly over chicken, and serve with lemon wedges on the side. A squirt of fresh lemon juice really brings the kara-age to life!
Judy | bebe mama
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
- ⅓ cup potato starch
- ⅓ cup flour (optional, only starch may be used)
- lemon wedges (optional, but recommended)
- FOR MARINADE:
- 4 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons cooking sake
- 1 teaspoon mirin (sweet cooking sake)
- 1 tablespoon shaved ginger (1 to 2 teaspoon grated raw ginger for milder flavor)
- Pinch of chopped garlic
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine marinade ingredients. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn occasionally.
- Mix potato starch (or use cornstarch if you don’t have any) with flour. Coat chicken with starch and flour mixture and shake-off excess.
- Line baking sheet with foil, and spray with Pam to prevent sticking. Lay chicken on foil, spread apart, then bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve chicken on platter and squeeze fresh lemon juice lightly over chicken, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Me and my BF really like kara-age but it’s fried and that stops me from cooking it all the time. It’s wonderful that you created a new way to cook this! I gotta try it soon! tabetai!
i am not fond of japanese cooking.. only fried ones. but this, i can tell i’m gonna like.
Ah yes, I understand why you like fried Japanese foods. They are very tasty. Hopefully you will enjoy this healthier, unfried version of a classic dish. :)
I want to make chicken karaage for my lunch tomorrow, but am burdened with a) being out half the evening and b) not wanting to deep fry things. Thank you for this baked alternative!
your write up made me laugh. Everytime I ask my mom for a recipe she says the same thing. Must be a japanese thing-”kun de oryori suru.”
The other day I was at my parents house and my mom made this great little marinated dish, and as soon as the words left my mouth, “do you have a recipe for this”, I regretted it! She did not… LOL.Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment for m