Crispy Chicken Karaage Air Fryer Recipe in Less Than 15 Minutes (2024)

Crispy Chicken Karaage Air Fryer Recipe in Less Than 15 Minutes (1)

Written by Me on in Chicken, Recipes

Learn how to make crispy air fried karaage with the Ninja air fryer in under 15 minutes. Karaage (pronounced kah-rah-ah-geh) is a Japanese style deep fried marinated chicken dish that is crispy on the outside but juicy and bursting with flavor on the inside. It is a favorite at Izakayas and can be eaten as a main or side dish. Karaage is also served in obentos with shredded cabbage and a squeeze of lemon juice.

It is much healthier and easier to prepare Karaage in the air fryer compared to the traditional method of deep frying. The outer crust is still crispy and the chicken meat is tender and savory with sweetened soy, ginger, and garlic. To get the best taste, use fresh chicken thighs that are meatier and fattier. You can also use leaner cuts and a lighter spray of oil for a healthier option.

Pre-made Karaage Mix

I actually prefer preparing karaage with pre-made mix as it cuts the prep time down to 5 minutes. It is a fool proof alternative that tastes just as good as making it from scratch. When making it from scratch, your results can vary a bit depending on the brand of the raw ingredients. The pre-made mix cuts out the guess work. All you have to do is cut the chicken into bite size chunks, evenly coat the chicken meat with the mix, and spray a light coat of oil. The cooking time is the exactly same.

Below are two of my favorite mixes. I personally prefer the taste of the Kikkoman brand.

Crispy Chicken Karaage Air Fryer Recipe in Less Than 15 Minutes (2)Crispy Chicken Karaage Air Fryer Recipe in Less Than 15 Minutes (3) Crispy Chicken Karaage Air Fryer Recipe in Less Than 15 Minutes (4)Crispy Chicken Karaage Air Fryer Recipe in Less Than 15 Minutes (5)

Making Karaage from scratch

When making Karaage from scratch, the chicken is marinated in a sweet soy sauce and then dredged with potato starch. Potato starch is extremely light and can hold its crispness for quite some time. Dipping sauces are not necessary since the flavor is already embedded into the chicken meat. A squeeze of lemon juice is all that it needs. Also, rather than having whole chicken parts, the thighs are cut into small chunks which makes cooking times quick and easier to manage. The circulating heat in the air fryer also helps to cook the chicken evenly.

Air fryer chicken karaage ingredients

Meat

  • 1 Pound Boneless Chicken thighs

Marinade

  • 2tbspSoy sauce
  • 2tbspMirin
  • 1tspGrated ginger
  • 1tspGrated garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Coating

  • 4tbspPotato starch

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken up into bite size pieces
  • Put the chicken into a ziploc bag along with the marinade ingredients: soy sauce, mirin, ginger, garlic, and salt and pepper.
  • Marinade the chicken in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Overnight is preferred.
  • Remove the excess marinade from the bag.
  • In a separate bowl or ziploc toss the chicken in the potato starch to give it a nice even coating.
  • Place the chicken in the air fryer on top of the wire rack and apply a light coating of oil spray so that there aren’t any dry potato starch spots left.
  • Set the air fryer to 390F for ten minutes. Flip the chicken half way through.

Crispy Chicken Karaage Air Fryer Recipe in Less Than 15 Minutes (6)

Air Fryer Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

Learn how to cook Karaage with your air fryer.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 4

Equipment

  • Ninja Air Fryer

Ingredients

Meat

  • 1 Pound Chicken thighs

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Mirin
  • 1 tsp Grated ginger
  • 1 tsp Grated garlic
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Coating

  • 4 tbsp Potato starch

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken up into bite size pieces

  • Put the chicken into a ziploc bag along with the marinade ingredients: soy sauce, mirin, ginger, garlic, and salt and pepper.

  • Marinade the chicken in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Overnight is preferred.

  • Remove the excess marinade from the bag.

  • In a separate bowl or ziploc toss the chicken in the potato starch to give it a nice even coating.

  • Place the chicken in the air fryer on top of the wire rack and apply a light coating of light olive oil spray so that there aren't any dry potato starch spots left.

  • Set the air fryer to 390F for ten minutes. Flip the chicken half way through.

Keyword Chicken, Chicken Karaage, Fried Chicken, Karaage

Other air fryer recipes you might enjoy!

Chicken katsu (Japanese chicken cutlet)

Yakitori (Chicken skewers)

Categories

  • Recipes (7)
    • Beef (2)
    • Chicken (3)
    • Fish (1)
    • Tofu (1)

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Crispy Chicken Karaage Air Fryer Recipe in Less Than 15 Minutes (2024)

FAQs

Why is my chicken not crisping in the air fryer? ›

Dry the outside of the food properly before you add oil. Do not use too much oil, as this will make the food less crispy and more fattening. Meat or poultry can be lightly brushed with oil or marinated to get the crispiest results.

How long to air fry frozen karaage? ›

Reheat them in the air fryer for around 10 minutes at 180°c (350F). You can also freeze them for up to three months – and air fry from frozen for 20 minutes at 180°c (350F).

What is the crisp setting on the air fryer? ›

Air Crisp: Use this setting for making crispy foods like french fries, chicken wings, or anything you want to have a crunchy texture. Bake: Choose this setting when you're making baked goods like cookies, muffins, or even small cakes. It's like using a small oven.

How do you crisp fried food in an air fryer? ›

How to Reheat Leftovers (like fries, vegetables, pizza, etc)
  1. Preheat the air fryer for 5 minutes at 400 °F.
  2. Place leftovers in a single layer in air fryer basket.
  3. Cook for 3-5 minutes at 350 °F, or until food is crispy to liking and reaches safe internal temperature of 165 °F.

How do I get crispy results in my air fryer? ›

A drizzle or a quick oil spray is all you need for restaurant-quality fries and golden brown fried chicken, while other foods don't need any oil, like pizza or leftovers you might reheat. Some advocate for spraying the drawer or rack inside the air fryer, and while it doesn't hurt, it's unnecessary.

Why put water in the bottom of an air fryer? ›

Adding a little bit of water can help to hydrate the food in your air fryer and prevent it from becoming too dry. It adds moisture into the atmosphere of your air fryer and it's a great way to refresh any baked items you might want to cook in your air fryer.

Why is my air fryer not getting crispy? ›

Why is my food not crispy in an air fryer? If your food is not crispy when coming out of an air fryer, you may not have patted it dry before putting it in to cook. Meat or proteins, or foods you may have washed, will fry better without the added moisture.

How do you make crispy batter in an air fryer? ›

To pull this off without a vat of boiling-hot oil, I decided to try a blend of flour, cornstarch, oil, and water to mimic the shell that forms when you batter and deep-fry vegetables. An equal amount of all-purpose flour and cornstarch provides both structure and crunch to the batter.

Do Air fryers really make things crispy? ›

The circulating air cooks the outside of foods first, which creates a crispy brown coating and keeps the inside soft, just like deep-fried foods. As the food cooks, a container below the basket catches any grease that drops. Bottom line: Air fryers create the crispy, chewy foods people love without all the oil.

Why is my karaage not crispy? ›

The trick to making a beautiful, crispy Karaage Chicken is the double fry and it's that second fry that makes it super crispy (some people even triple fry it).

What to eat with karaage chicken? ›

If you're wondering what karaage "goes with," you might be surprised to find that it's eaten pretty much the same way a chicken tender or nugget meal might be served abroad. Instead of fries and a side of steamed broccoli, karaage teishoku meals usually come with rice, miso soup, and cabbage.

How to cook frozen karaage chicken? ›

Air fry for approximately 5-6 minutes (from frozen) or 4 minutes (defrosted) or until cooked through. Oven Bake (Fan forced): Preheat oven to 170-180°C. Oven bake for approximately 15-20 minutes (frozen) or 8-10 minutes (defrosted) or until cooked through, turning halfway through cooking.

Why is my fried chicken soggy in air fryer? ›

If there is too much food in the basket, the air fryer will steam the food. To add to this, “overfilling the basket causes uneven cooking and browning, as well as undercooked soggy areas,” Fiona told Choice.com. To overcome this, cook food in batches or purchase an air fryer with a larger basket.

Does chicken skin go crispy in an air fryer? ›

Lay three or four chicken skins in a single layer, skin-side down, on the air fryer basket and program the air fryer to cook at 400°F for a total of 12 minutes. At the halfway point (i.e. 6 minutes), flip the chicken skins over so they are skin-side up. Air fry the chicken skins the remaining 6 minutes or until crispy.

Does flour get crispy in air fryer? ›

You bet! The flour coating gets amazingly crispy in the air fryer, so you get that satisfying crunch without the hassle of breadcrumbs. And the meat inside stays so wonderfully juicy and tender!

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