Description
This Easy Air Fryer Karaage recipe offers a crispy, flavorful take on traditional Japanese fried chicken. Marinated with a blend of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar, the bite-sized chicken pieces are coated in cornflour and air fried to perfection, delivering a healthier yet delicious alternative to deep frying. Perfectly golden and crunchy, served with lemon wedges and mayonnaise for an authentic experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 1 kg skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or substitute with apple cider vinegar or mirin)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Coating and Cooking
- 100 g cornflour or cornstarch
- Vegetable oil spray or approximately 2 tablespoons vegetable oil with a brush
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Using a sharp knife, slice the skinless boneless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large bowl.
- Make Marinade and Combine: In the bowl, add minced garlic, ginger paste, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar to the chicken pieces. Mix thoroughly until all chicken is well coated.
- Marinate: Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors penetrate. For deeper flavor, marinate up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Coat with Cornflour: After marination, dip each piece of chicken into the cornflour or cornstarch, ensuring every part is generously coated.
- Preheat Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 200°C (390°F) for 5 minutes while preparing the coated chicken pieces.
- Arrange and Oil: Place the coated chicken pieces in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. You may need to cook in batches depending on the basket size. Mist the chicken lightly with vegetable oil spray or brush on oil.
- Air Fry: Cook the chicken at 200°C (390°F) for 20-25 minutes. Flip the pieces a few times during cooking and reapply oil on the other side to ensure crispiness.
- Keep Warm and Serve: Once cooked, transfer the karaage to a wire rack or board and cover loosely with foil to keep warm while cooking remaining batches. Serve hot with lemon wedges and mayonnaise.
Notes
- For the best flavor, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Use cornflour or cornstarch for a crispier coating compared to regular flour.
- Lightly oiling the chicken before air frying helps achieve the signature crispy texture without deep frying.
- Flip the chicken pieces multiple times for even cooking and browning.
- Serve with lemon wedges and mayonnaise for a traditional Japanese pairing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 250g)
- Calories: 386 kcal
- Sugar: 1.5 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
