Why Japanese Fried Chicken is so crispy

By Ethan Chlebowski · 45 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken thighs across the grain into strips about 1.5 inches (40 mm) wide, making 3 to 4 pieces per thigh.
2. In a large bowl, grate in the garlic and ginger, then crack in the egg and whisk. Set the bowl on a scale and add the chicken, potato starch (20 g), sake, soy sauce, sugar and salt.
3. Mix until the chicken is coated, cover, and marinate at least 15 minutes or overnight.
4. Toss the coated chicken pieces one at a time in a large tray with the potato starch (150 g) and flour (30 g) until evenly coated; don't shake off the extra.
5. Heat neutral oil in a wok or Dutch oven over medium heat until about 2 inches deep, and bring it to 350°F/176°C.
6. Meanwhile, slice the scallions and grate the ginger into a bowl. Add the remaining sauce ingredients: soy sauce (50 g), rice vinegar (30 g), mirin (15 g), sugar (15 g), sriracha (15 g) and sesame oil (5 g).
7. At 350°F/176°C, fry the chicken in batches for about 2 to 3 minutes until lightly golden. Drain on a wire rack and rest.
8. Skim loose starch from the oil, then fry the chicken in batches again for about 2 to 3 minutes until deep golden brown and crispy.
9. Optional: fry once more for 45 seconds for extra crispiness.
10. Serve the chicken on a platter with the dipping sauce, kewpie mayo and lemon slices.

Summarized from Ethan Chlebowski's video. Watch it for the details.

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