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

How to crisp up fried chicken in air fryer? ›

If you happen to own an air fryer, you can certainly reheat your fried chicken in its basket. Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and let the fried chicken come to room temperature. Next, arrange the fried chicken in a single layer and cook it for about four minutes, flipping it once to ensure even cooking.

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.

Does chicken cook quicker in an air fryer? ›

It's fast: Compared to an oven, chicken cooks quite efficiently in the air fryer.

Does air fry make it crispy? ›

The air fryer does a great job of making food crispy because of the convection function, Pixley said. This feature allows hot air to surround the food, cooking it more evenly and quickly.

How do you keep food crispy in an air fryer? ›

One of the main advantages of an air fryer is its ability to make your food crispy without using a ton of oil. But adding a small amount of oil during the cooking process can really amplify the crispiness of your food. "Spraying with oil halfway through cooking makes for deliciously crispy foods," said Riley.

What is the best temperature to air fry chicken? ›

After testing a variety of temperatures, I found that 375 degrees F is the best temperature for air frying chicken. Because the air fryer uses convection heat, you do not need to set it as high as you would an oven (in a regular oven, 425 degrees F is best for baking chicken, like Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast).

Can you put oil in the bottom of an air fryer? ›

Only add oil to the ingredients and not directly in the pan of your airfryer. Pre-fried food such as frozen French fries, chicken nuggets, spring rolls, etc. do not need extra oil. Please do not use cold-pressed oil since it would burn at high temperatures.

What is the secret to air frying? ›

Cook food in a single layer, in batches

The air fryer is all about — well — air. Meaning, you need to allow for good airflow to create all the browning and crisping the appliance was designed for. As such, you don't want to crowd the food in the basket too much, leaving space for the air to circulate.

Do you need flour to air fry? ›

Flour — All-purpose flour or bread flour is perfect for fried chicken as it gives the chicken a golden-brown coating after being air-fried. It is also neutral in flavor, so it doesn't compete with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika added to it.

Can you air fry raw chicken? ›

Place the chicken on the air fryer basket / grate in an even layer, leaving a bit of space for air to circulate around. Air fry the chicken at 415 degrees for 10 minutes. If you have larger pieces of chicken, you'll want to go closer to 13 minutes. You're looking for an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Can I put foil in air fryer? ›

The great news about air fryers is that you can use foil along with parchment paper to cook your food in an air fryer. Just remember that if it's safe and effective to use in a conventional oven, it will work just fine in an air fryer.

Why is my air fried chicken hard? ›

The #1 tip for the best chicken breasts in an air fryer is: Don't overcook them! Chicken breasts should be cooked to 160°F, but if you cook them all the way to that temperature in the air fryer, carryover cooking will take them beyond that temp and cause them to dry out.

How to make crispy chicken after frying? ›

To keep fried chicken crispy once you've prepared it, place it in the oven at an extremely low temperature until you're ready to serve. If you'd like to reheat fried leftover chicken, you just need to heat it in an oven to an extremely high temperature. This will allow the coating to dry while the chicken is warming.

Does chicken skin go crispy in an air fryer? ›

Air fry at 350F for 15 minutes or until the skin is crispy. Season the Chicken Skin Chips (Cracklings) with your favorite seasonings!

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