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Gluten Free Karaage

Crispy and crunchy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside, this delicious Gluten Free Karaage is for everyone who loves Japanese fried chicken.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword chicken, gluten free, Karaage
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinading 31 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 1 minute
Servings 4
Author Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Ingredients

  • 500 g chicken thigh fillets skin-on and boned
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • 4 Tbsp potato starch corn starch can also be used.
  • 1 Tbsp rice flour
  • 2.5 cups neutral oil

For the Marinade

  • 1 inch ginger 1 inch, 2.5 cm
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 Tbsp cooking sake
  • 2 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce

For Serving

  • lemon wedges
  • parsley optional
  • lettuce optional; I used butter lettuce
  • shichimi togarashi Japanese seven spice (optional; for a spicy kick)
  • Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise optional; for dipping

Instructions

To Marinate the Chicken

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the sake, soy sauce, grated ginger and crushed garlic.
    1 inch ginger, 2 Tbsp cooking sake, 2 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce, 1 clove garlic
  • Cut the chicken thighs into 5 to 6 pieces per thigh.
    500 g chicken thigh fillets
  • Lightly season the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
    salt, black pepper
  • Add the chicken to the marinade. Coat and rub the chicken with the marinade using your hands or tongs. Set aside for 30 to 60 minutes.

To Dredge the Chicken

  • In a medium bowl, combine 4 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch and 1 Tbsp rice flour and whisk well.
    4 Tbsp potato starch, 1 Tbsp rice flour
  • In a pot, heat the neutral oil to 170ºC. I use a smaller smaller, deeper pot so I don‘t have to use much oil. It also minimises splatter.
    2.5 cups neutral oil
  • When the oil is hot, drain the chicken well from the marinade and coat each piece with the potato starch mixture.

To Deep-Fry for the First Round

  • Deep-fry for 90 seconds, or until the chicken is light golden color. Work with a few pieces at a time, so the oil temperature won’t drop quickly. I worked with 3 to 4 pieces at a time.
  • Transfer the chicken to a wire rack to drain the excess oil. Let the chicken cook with the remaining heat while you work on the rest of the chicken.
  • Once the chicken is all deep-fried for the first round, use a fine-mesh sieve to pick up crumbs to keep the oil clean. If you don‘t do this step, the crumbs will get darker, which will make the oil darker.

To Deep-Fry for the Second Round

  • Increase the heat and bring the oil to 350ºF (180ºC). Deep-fry the chicken for the second time for 45 seconds or until crispy and golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack to drain excess oil.

To Serve

  • Serve the chicken immediately with lemon wedges, parsley, lettuce, shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice), and Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise. If you‘d like, squeeze with lemon before you eat and sprinkle shichimi togarashi for spice.
    lemon wedges, parsley, lettuce, shichimi togarashi, Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise