Easy Crispy Chicken Karaage
When my husband and I lived in Austin, Texas, we used to frequent one of our favorite casual spots Sa-Tén just for their chicken karaage. And since then, I recreated my version that’s pretty straightforward with some cheat methods and feels like the first time we ate this dish over a decade ago. Curry in a hurry by using a boxed instant curry mix and the only thing you really have to cook is the crispy chicken bits! I prefer using chicken thigh for the flavor and juiciness but chicken breast or a mix of both would work as well.
It now has become a favorite for our family including the kids and we have a very picky eater and a very adventurous eater! We enjoy the simple kale salad on the side for some freshness and veg health and the kids prefer a side of seaweed, sometimes to be used for handrolls with the rice and chicken then dipped in the curry sauce.
Yield: 3-4 servings
ingredients
2.5-3lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced or store-bought minced works
1 tbsp ginger, minced or store-bought minced works
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
Cornstarch
1 bunch of curly kale
Carrots, thinly sliced
Cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
½ of lemon, juiced
1 tbsp Maple syrup
Instant curry (see notes)
Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Cooked jasmine rice
Furikake seasoning (optional)
instructions
To a medium bowl, add chicken, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and mirin. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to up to 1 hour to marinate.
To a medium saucepan, add enough oil to at least 1-2 inches of the way up. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Turn your hood vent on, if you’ve got one. If not, crack open a window and remember to put on a candle after eating!
Place a wire rack over a foiled sheet pan (helps for easy clean up). To a bowl, add cornstarch. One by one, dip the chicken into the cornstarch until evenly coated. Working in batches, add the coasted chicken pieces to the hot oil. Fry the chicken until crunchy and light brown, adjusting the heat if needed, 4-6 minutes per batch.
Using tongs or a slotted spoon (I like chopsticks best), transfer the fried chicken to the wire rack. Season cooked chicken with salt right after.
To make the salad, in a large bowl add rice vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and pepper then kale. Massage and mix with hands until evenly coated. Add carrots, onion, and cherry tomatoes, and gently mix again.
Make curry in a hurry sauce by adding 3 cups of water to a small pot. Bring to a boil and then add 4 broken curry cubes. Whisk until combined and bring to low heat until ready to serve.
Serve with rice (optional furikake seasoning), curry sauce, kale, and chicken karaage. Enjoy!!
Notes:
The wire rack ensures the chicken stays crunchy vs. letting the moisture from the hot chicken become dampened/steam. It’s also easy to throw into the oven to keep warm if needed.
I’ve had this Tiger rice cooker since 2016 and it’s still going strong. I favor the Tiger brand only because growing up my parents had the same one for 20 years. If you love rice and don’t have a rice cooker yet, I highly recommend investing in one!
Vermont Curry is my favorite instant curry mix brand and in medium hot flavor. It can be found at your local grocery store in the Asian food aisle.