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Ultra crispy pieces of marinated fried chicken served over steamed rice with a spicy, tangy sauce and drizzled with kewpie mayonnaise, this fried chicken karaage don is ultra easy to make and absolutely delicious!
Not only is this Japanese fried chicken rice bowl delicious, it is ultra easy to make and comes together in under 20 minutes of cook time!
Karaage chicken comes out ultra crispy due to the cornstarch coating, and the sauce is made with spicy chili oil, soy sauce and honey which complements the crispy chicken perfectly! Plus a little kewpie mayonnaise on top makes this spicy karaage don droolworthy.
You can make this recipe ultra easy by using air fryer chicken karaage instead of frying ti as well!
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What is Karaage?
Karaage is basically a Japanese fried chicken where the chicken is marinated, then coated in corn starch (or potato starch) and deep fried until crispy. The cornstarch allows the chicken to get extra crispy so it doesn't get soggy in the sauce.
Karaage don (or karaage donburi) is Japanese fried chicken served over rice (hence the "don" which means rice bowl).
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Why This Recipe Works
- The cornstarch help to make the chicken pieces ultra crispy when they are fried.
- The marinade gives the chicken pieces an amazing flavor before we coat in the cornstarch - a longer marinade will add more flavor.
- We drizzle a tangy, spicy, sweet sauce on the finished rice bowls and top them with kewpie mayonnaise to balance everything out (so good!).
- You can use the karaage fried chicken to make the donburi rice bowls for a main dish, or you can just serve it as an appetizer as well dipped in the sauce mixed with the mayonnaise!
- It's super quick and easy to make, coming together in under 20 minutes (after the marinade).
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
We use skinless, boneless chicken thighs for this recipe as they come out extra juicy and there isn't as much risk for overcooking. You can substitute chicken breast if you prefer.
Make sure to cut the chicken into equal sized pieces so they cook through at the same time.
Cornstarch is what gives the chicken its crispy texture. You can substitute potato starch (potato flour) or tapioca starch as well for a similar result. You can also use all purpose flour, but I find the results don't come out as crispy - however, it works in a pinch.
And because we are making rice bowls, prepared steamed short grain sticky rice (sushi rice) works the best for this. However, you can use whatever rice you'd like (Instant Pot jasmine rice, sushi rice, or even this wild rice).
Use a oil such as canola, peanut or vegetable as we are using a lot to fry the chicken (avocado oil gets expensive in larger quantities).
We marinade the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, fresh grated ginger, and chopped fresh garlic. Any sake works just fine.
Tha karaage sauce is made with soy sauce, a spicy chili oil - we use Layu a Japanese chili oil (you can use chili crisp also), mirin (sweet japanese rice wine), sake, a touch of honey and some toasted sesame oil for nuttiness.
Any time you make a rice bowl, toppings are king! You can be creative here and top with whatever you like, but we use pickled ginger, a drizzle of kewpie mayonnaise, some toasted sesame seeds and shichimi togarashi seasoning.
Kewpie mayonnaise (Japanese mayonnaise) is a tangier, more umami version of regular mayonnaise. If you haven't tried it yet, you're about to fall in love when you have it for the first time! You can also substitute regular mayonnaise mixed with a teaspoon or two of rice vinegar and a touch of sugar.
Togarashi seasoning is a Japanese ground chili spice that is packed with flavor! You can use any type of chili flakes, but we really like these.
Step By Steps Instructions
Mix the chicken and marinade ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for 30-60 minutes minimum. The longer it sits the more flavor it gets - let it sit for up to 8 hours.
Drain any excess liquid and mix the chicken with the cornstarch to coat all sides of each strip.
Heat vegetable oil (or whichever oil you're using) in a skillet (or Dutch oven) to 375°F.
Place the chicken in the hot oil in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the pan (you'll need to cook in 2 batches for the best result).
Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Remove from the pan and place on paper towels or a wire rack to allow excess oil to drain.
Serve the fried chicken karaage in a bowl on a bed of rice and topped with the karaage sauce (below) and the toppings. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice (optional).
How to Make Karaage Sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer on medium low heat for about 5 minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened (it won't be super thick - it will thicken as it starts to cool - don't overcook).
Serve over karaage rice bowls.
Expert Tips
- The longer the chicken marinates, the more flavor it has. Marinade a minimum of 30 minutes and maximum of 8 hours.
- Shake of excess cornstarch before frying.
- Do not overcrowd the pan - there should be space between each piece. Overcrowding the pan can cause the temperature to drop and the chicken will come out soggy instead of crispy.
- If the karaage is not crispy, it could mean that your oil wasn't hot enough and/or you crowded the pan when frying the chicken. It also loses it's crispiness if it is not served right away.
- Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the oil is the correct temperature before adding the chicken. Make sure the temp never drops below about 325°F, but try to keep it at at least 350°F while frying (it starts at 375°F but will drop when the chicken is added).
Serving Options
- Use this air fryer karaage to make this recipe ultra easy.
- Top with some of these options:
- Toasted nori
- Sliced green onions
- Top with a poached egg or soft boiled egg
- Top with eel sauce for a sweet type of sauce
- Add cabbage or any other vegetables like this yamagobo to the rice bowl.
- Serve it alongside a nice bowl of miso soup or even some yakitori or harumaki!
- Serve some lemon wedges for an added freshness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Katsu is generally a crispy deep fried chicken cutlet (or pork) coated in panko bread crumbs, while karaage don is bite sized pieces of marinated chicken coated in cornstarch and deep fried. Chicken katsu is typically served with a Japanese curry gravy.
Karaage chicken is bite sized pieces of chicken marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, ginger and garlic and coated with cornstarch or potato starch and deep fried until crispy. Traditionally, it doesn't need a sauce as the chicken is seasoned, but we find the sauce adds extra flavor to rice bowls when served.
Using cornstarch or potato starch to deep fry the chicken pieces is what makes it so crispy.
Storage and Reheating Options
Leftover chicken can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for 3-5 days (without sauce). Reheat in an air fryer or 400°F oven for 5ish minutes for the best results (microwave will make it soggy).
You can also freeze the chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat the same way.
Heat the leftover sauce and serve it over the chicken in rice bowls or plain.
More Japanese Rice Bowl (Donburi) Recipes
- Maguro zuke-don (marinated tuna on rice)
- Chicken katsu curry don
- Ikura don
- Kakuni don
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Recipe
Karaage Don (Japanese Fried Chicken Rice Bowl)
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut in strips
- ¼ cup cornstarch substitute potato starch
- 1-2 cups oil adjust to have about 2" oil in your skillet
- 4 cups steamed sticky rice
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 garlic clove minced
Karaage Don Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon chili oil
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Toppings
- Pickled ginger
- Kewpie mayonnaise substitute regular mayonnaise
- Sesame seeds
- Togarashi seasoning
Instructions
- Mix the chicken and marinade ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for 30-60 minutes.
- Drain any excess liquid and mix the chicken with the cornstarch to coat all sides of each strip.
- Heat the oil in a skillet (or Dutch oven) to 375°F.
- Place the chicken in the skillet in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd the pan (you'll need to cook in 2 batches).
- Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and place on paper towels or a rack to allow excess oil to drain.
- Serve the chicken in a bowl over rice and topped with the sauce (below) and the toppings. Serve hot.
Karaage sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients and simmer on medium low heat for about 5 minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened (it won't be super thick - it will thicken as it starts to cool - don't overcook).
- Serve over rice bowls.
Expert Tips:
- The longer the chicken marinates, the more flavor it has. Marinade a minimum of 30 minutes and maximum of 8 hours.
- Shake of excess cornstarch before frying.
- Do not overcrowd the pan - there should be space between each piece. Overcrowding the pan can cause the temperature to drop and the chicken will come out soggy instead of crispy.
- If the karaage is not crispy, it could mean that your oil wasn't hot enough and/or you crowded the pan when frying the chicken. It also loses it's crispiness if it is not served right away.
- Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the oil is the correct temperature before adding the chicken. Make sure the temp never drops below about 325°F, but try to keep it at at least 350°F while frying (it starts at 375°F but will drop when the chicken is added).
Nutrition
heather
Wow, this came out really good! We actually had it with noodles instead of rice and really like it!
Danielle
So glad you liked it!