Love Fried Chicken? Try This Gluten-Free Fried Chicken Recipe Of
Chicken Karaage
60 mins
Cooking Time
Intermediate
Difficulty
11
Ingredients
Non Veg
Diet
Fried chicken recipes are a massive hit all over the world, loved not only for their taste but also for their protein content and incomparable taste. It is so well loved the sound of chicken frying is used to mimic the sound of the rain in ASMR videos! But with fried chicken comes the burden of gluten, which wraps the chicken pieces in a crispy coating and gives them that trademark crunch. For those who have cut down or reduced gluten intake or have gluten sensitivities, try this gluten-free chicken karaage recipe.
Chicken karaage is Japan's fried chicken recipe and the ultimate comfort food, which is so popular that it is eaten with barely any sides or even with steamed rice. You can have it at any time of the day as a snack, appetiser, side dish or main meal. Unlike many Western-style fried chicken, karaage focuses on the seasoning more than the coating, which yields different results. The combination of ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sake tenderises the chicken and gives it a savoury flavour. Double-frying gives the fried chicken its extra crispy coating.
This gluten-free version retains all the qualities that make karaage so popular while replacing the usual wheat flour with a blend of rice flour and the usual potato starch or cornflour. The result is a light and crispy coating that complements the juiciness of the chicken without feeling heavy or too greasy. Serve the karaage with lemon wedges, Japanese mayonnaise, lettuce or the way the Japanese like it, with shichimi togarashi. Make it for your next cheat meal or as a party snack.
Ingredients
UNITSIngredients
500gBoneless, skin-on chicken thighs
to tasteSalt
to tasteBlack pepper (ground)
4 tbspCornflour
1 tbspRice flour
2½ cupsNeutral oil
1-inch pieceFresh ginger, grated (For the Marinade)
1 cloveGarlic, minced
2 tbspSake
2 tbspGluten-free soy sauce
To ServeLemon wedges, parsley, lettuce leaves, shichimi togarashi
Peel, grate the ginger and mince the garlic and add to a big bowl. Add the sake, soy sauce and whisk. Cut each chicken thigh into 5 pieces each and season them with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned chicken to the marinade bowl. Rub the chicken with the marinade and set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Description - Step 2
Step 2: Dredging the chicken
Mix the cornflour and rice flour in a medium-sized bowl. Take a small pot and heat the oil in it. The frying temperature should be 170ºC. Once the oil is hot, pick up a chicken piece and shake off the excess marinade, cover each piece in the rice-conflour mix.
Description - Step 3
Step 3: First round of deep frying the chicken
Fry around 3-4 chicken pieces at a time, submerged in the hot oil. Fry for a minute and a half per batch. The chicken should be golden.
Description - Step 4
Step 4: Draining the oil and frying the rest of the chicken
Drain the excess oil from the chicken by placing it on paper towels or a wire rack to drain the excess oil. The chicken will keep cooking from the residual heat. Fry the rest of the coated chicken pieces.
Description - Step 5
Step 5: Second round of deep frying the chicken
Once all the chicken is fried, use a sieve to clean out the crumbs from the oil. Increase the heat of the oil to 180ºC. Like before, deep fry the chicken in batches, for 45 seconds per batch. The chicken pieces will be crispy and golden brown. Drain the excess oil from the chicken, on paper towels or on a wire rack.
Description - Step 6
Step 6: Second round of deep frying the chicken
Serve the gluten-free karaage chicken immediately. Add a side of lemon wedges, parsley, lettuce, shichimi togarashi, and Japanese mayonnaise.
Step 1
Step 1: Marinating the chicken
35-65 minutes
Step 2
Step 2: Dredging the chicken
10 Minutes
Step 3
Step 3: First round of deep frying the chicken
10 Minutes
Step 4
Step 4: Draining the oil and frying the rest of the chicken
The first fry cooks the chicken through, while the second fry crisps the coating and deepens the colour. This double-frying technique helps create karaage's signature crunchy exterior and juicy interior.
Karaage is commonly served with lemon wedges, shredded cabbage, steamed rice, Japanese mayonnaise, lettuce, pickles or as part of a bento. It can be eaten hot or cold.
Shio karaage is a variation of karaage seasoned mainly with salt rather than soy sauce. The lighter seasoning allows the flavour of the chicken to stand out more clearly.
Shio (塩) is the Japanese word for salt. In Japanese cooking, dishes described as shio-style are typically seasoned primarily with salt rather than soy sauce-based seasonings.
In karaage, kara originally referred to China or Chinese-style cooking. Combined with age, meaning deep-fried, karaage broadly translates to Chinese-style fried food. The exact etymology remains debated.