By double air frying and adding mayo, these air fryer karaage turn out so juicy and crispy that you won’t even miss the deep-fried version!
I love karaage but stopped eating it because I wanted to avoid deep-fried food as much as possible… but thanks to this recipe, I can enjoy it again!
Plus, it’s so much easier to make than deep frying, so it’s a win-win🙂
Make sure to make enough for leftovers—the next day, you can turn them into a delicious karaage don!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Juicy and Crispy: The double air-frying technique works like double deep-frying, keeping the chicken tender inside and crispy outside. Sake and mayonnaise help soften the chicken while marinating, and the mayonnaise also coats it to prevent dryness.
- Perfectly Seasoned: I tested this recipe multiple times to find the ideal balance of seasonings, ensuring the karaage isn’t too salty but still packed with flavor.
- Easy to Make: All you need is a plastic bag to marinate the chicken and an air fryer to cook it! Marinating takes one hour, but the actual cooking time is short.
Notes on Ingredients
See the recipe card for the full ingredients list.
- Chicken Thighs: Use boneless, skin-on chicken thighs for the best results. I couldn’t find boneless, skin-on chicken, so I used bone-in thighs and removed the bones with a knife.
- Sake: Sake helps soften the chicken, making it juicy and tender. You can omit it if you don't have it.
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise also helps tenderize the chicken while coating it to prevent it from drying out. I used Japanese mayo for testing.
- Cornstarch: While potato starch is more commonly used in Japan, I used cornstarch because it’s more widely available in the U.S. You can also use potato starch.
Variations
- Tofu Karaage: Freeze extra-firm tofu, defrost it, press out excess moisture, and use it like chicken to make tofu karaage.
- Lemon Karaage: Add lemon zest and lemon juice to the marinade for a light and refreshing flavor.
- Chinese Five-Spice Karaage: Add a little Chinese five-spice to give it a Chinese-inspired taste.
- Karaage Don: If you have leftover karaage, try my karaage don recipe, which includes two flavor variations, spicy and sweet or sour and sweet.
How to Make Airfryer Karaage
Step 1: Cut the chicken and marinate it with seasonings for one hour
Step 2: Add flour and cornstarch, then knead it into the chicken
Step 3: Bake in a preheated air fryer at 320°F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway
Step 4: Increase the temperature to 390°F and bake for another 3-5 minutes
Kurumi's Tips
- Marinate Properly: Marinate the chicken for at least one hour to season it from the inside and tenderize it.
- Use the Right Cut: Skin-on chicken thighs make the juiciest and crispiest air fryer karaage.
- Double Air-Fry: This technique keeps the chicken juicy while making the outside extra crispy.
- Make Extra: You’ll want leftovers for karaage don!
What to Serve with Karaage
Since karaage doesn’t contain any vegetables, I recommend pairing it with side dishes and soups that are packed with veggies.
- Salad: Light salads like sunomono (Japanese cucumber salad) or creamy options like Japanese potato salad pair well.
- Soup: Any soup, such as miso soup or corn soup, makes a great addition.
- Bento: Karaage is also perfect for bento boxes!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Karaage
- To Store: Once cooled, transfer the karaage to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For freezing, wrap individual servings in plastic wrap, place them in an airtight container or plastic bag, and store them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- To Reheat: Remove the plastic wrap and reheat in an air fryer at 300°F for 5-10 minutes, or until crispy on the outside.
Marinated Chicken
- To Store: Keep the marinated chicken in the fridge for up to 1-2 days or freeze it for up to 1 month. Be mindful that the longer the chicken marinades, the saltier the karaage will be.
- To Defrost: Transfer the frozen marinated chicken to the fridge and let it defrost before cooking.
FAQs
Karaage (pronounced Kah-la-ah-geh) is a Japanese fried dish that has been popular in Japan for a long time.
The original version wasn’t seasoned—it was simply coated with flour and deep-fried. Today, karaage is typically seasoned with soy sauce and ginger, then coated with flour and deep-fried.
Karaage isn’t limited to chicken; any dish coated with flour and/or potato starch and fried can be called karaage.
Karaage is seasoned before coating, while fried chicken is typically seasoned through the batter.
Karaage is coated with flour and/or potato starch, while cutlet (katsu) is coated with panko.
Tatsuta Age is another type of Japanese fried chicken, seasoned with soy sauce and mirin, then coated with potato starch and deep-fried. Since many modern karaage recipes also use potato starch and season the chicken, the difference between the two has become minimal.
Karaage is coated with flour and/or potato starch, while tempura uses a batter made of flour, egg, and water.
Karaage has a thin coating, while Korean fried chicken has a thicker, crispier, and crunchier coating, usually seasoned with a sweet and spicy sauce.
Karaage is eaten as is, without sauce, while Nanban is lightly seasoned, coated with flour and egg, deep-fried, then soaked in a sweet and sour sauce and served with tartar sauce.
More Japanese Main Dish Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
💌 If you created this recipe and liked it, please let me know by leaving a comment below or tagging me on Instagram (@giveme.umami). I'd love to see your creation!
📖Recipe
Juicy and Crispy Air Fryer Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 to 6 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs 650-700g, 23-25 ounces
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2.5 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Coating
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken: Cut 4 to 6 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs into 5 cm (2-inch) pieces, ensuring the skin is evenly distributed on each piece. Place the chicken, 2 tablespoons sake, 2.5 teaspoons mayonnaise, 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons ginger paste, 1 teaspoon garlic paste, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a plastic bag. Knead the mixture well over the bag, then let it marinate in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Set the air fryer to 320°F (160°C).
- Coat the Chicken: Add ¼ cup all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch to the plastic bag with the chicken. Knead it in well to ensure there is no dry flour left.
- First Bake: Arrange the chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer without overlapping. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through. You may need to cook the chicken in batches to prevent overcrowding.
- Second Bake: Flip the chicken again so the skin side is facing up. Increase the temperature to 390°F (200°C) and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until the skin is crispy.
Notes
- Marinate Properly: Marinate the chicken for at least one hour to season it from the inside and tenderize it.
- Use the Right Cut: Skin-on chicken thighs make the juiciest and crispiest air fryer karaage.
- Make Extra: You’ll want leftovers for karaage don!
- Store karaage in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in an air fryer at 300°F for 5-10 minutes until crispy.
- Keep marinated chicken in the fridge for 1-2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge before cooking, but note that longer marination makes it saltier.
Kurumi says
I can’t believe this karaage isn't deep-fried! It’s so satisfying—you won’t even miss the deep-fried version. Karaage bento is one of the most classic bentos in Japan, so it was fun to pack one for my husband using the leftovers 🙂 I’m so happy he liked it too, and I hope you will as well!