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Meat, East Asian

Chicken karaage with rice and cabbage salad

Karaage is Japanese fried chicken, marinated in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic, then coated in cornstarch. This recipe serves 4, takes 40 minutes, is easy to make, and costs about €2.90 per serving. The trick is the double fry, which keeps the crust crunchy without drying out the meat.

Tonight it's Japanese fried chicken, karaage, marinated in ginger, crispy outside and juicy inside, served with rice and cabbage.

Chicken karaage with rice and cabbage salad
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.90
Calories per person
640 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Karaage is Japanese fried chicken, and it's nothing like a nugget. The soy, ginger, and garlic marinade flavors the meat all the way through, and the cornstarch coating forms a thin, crackly crust that never turns soggy, even once it cools a bit. Under that crust, the thighs stay juicy, the thigh fat is what makes all the difference compared to chicken breast.

It's a dish that wins over kids just as easily as adults, great for a weeknight when you have a little extra time, or for having people over without stress. Plain rice soaks up the chicken juices, and the crunchy cabbage salad brings the freshness that balances out the fried chicken. At Mon Chou, this is the recipe we make whenever we want something crispy without ordering Japanese takeout.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Boneless chicken thighs 700 g

Pantry

  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Cornstarchoften in the pantry 8 tbsp
  • Frying oiloften in the pantry 30 cl
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Grated fresh ginger 1 tbsp
  • Garlic 2 cloves
  • White cabbage 300 g
  • Lemon 1

Dairy

  • Mayonnaise 2 tbsp

Allergens Soy, Gluten, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the chicken into 4 cm pieces and mix it with the soy sauce, ginger, and crushed garlic. 15 min

    Massage the marinade into the meat, it soaks in better that way.

  2. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Start the rice while the chicken marinates so everything is served hot.

  3. Finely shred the cabbage, mix it with the mayonnaise and a little lemon juice.

    Soak the cabbage in ice water for 5 minutes before seasoning it, it stays crunchy.

  4. Roll the chicken pieces in the cornstarch, pressing well, then shake off the excess.

    Cornstarch gives a lighter, crunchier crust than flour.

  5. Fry the chicken in oil at 170°C for 4 minutes, remove it for 2 minutes, then fry it again for 1 minute in hotter oil. 8 min

    Drain on a rack with a lemon wedge on the side to squeeze at the table.

Our tips to get it right

  • Drain the chicken pieces well before coating them, leftover marinade stops the cornstarch from sticking and softens the crust.
  • Don't overcrowd the pan or fryer, fry in batches if needed, otherwise the oil temperature drops and the chicken soaks up too much grease.
  • Keep the frying oil at a steady temperature by testing with a small piece of bread, it should sizzle and turn golden in 30 seconds when the heat is right.

The variations

  • Swap the thighs for chicken breast cut into smaller pieces, it cooks faster but watch it closely so it doesn't dry out.
  • For a vegetarian version, use well drained firm tofu pieces instead of chicken, the double fry works just as well.
  • To go faster with hungry kids, skip the long marinade and let it sit for just 5 minutes, the flavor will be milder but the crunch stays the same.

What to serve it with

  • A bowl of miso soup to start
  • Edamame to snack on
  • Iced green tea

Storage

Fried chicken keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, though it loses some of its crunch. Reheat it in the oven at 180°C rather than in the microwave to bring back the texture. Freezing isn't recommended, the coating turns soft once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Why fry the chicken twice?

The first gentle fry cooks the meat through without over browning the crust. The second, hotter fry firms up the coating and keeps it crunchy, even after sitting for a few minutes.

Can you use regular flour instead of cornstarch?

Yes, but the crust will be thicker and less light. Cornstarch is what gives karaage its thin, signature crunch.

Can you make the marinade ahead of time?

Yes, you can let the chicken marinate in the fridge, well covered, up to the day before. The longer it marinates, the more the ginger and garlic flavors come through.

Do kids actually like karaage?

Most kids love its crispy texture, similar to nuggets but softer inside. You can cut back on the ginger in the marinade if you want a milder flavor for them.

How long does it take to make a chicken karaage with rice and cabbage salad?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a chicken karaage with rice and cabbage salad?

About 640 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken karaage with rice and cabbage salad cost?

About €2.90 per serving, or €11.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy, gluten, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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