Karaage Chicken Bowls
A Japanese fakeaway winner.
Air-fry or deep fry, it’s up to you!
This recipe is an exclusive recipe from my latest cookbook, Money- Saving Meal Plans with Chelsea.
You’ll find it in the Week 4 Meal Plan which is a collection of Airfryer-friendly recipes, complete with alternative instructions for stovetop/oven cooking.
Check out the notes in the recipe below if you’d prefer to deep-fry these delicious chunks of chicken. I’ve never been one to shy away from a pot of oil but whichever method you choose, they should turn out beautifully.
Karaage Chicken Bowls
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour marinating
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
GFO, DF, Prep Ahead
INGREDIENTS
600-700 g boneless chicken thighs
1 cup (150 g) cornflour
canola or vegetable oil spray
Marinade
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
¼ cup (60 ml) light soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
To Serve
200 g frozen shelled edamame, thawed
steamed jasmine rice
sliced continental cucumber or Asian Cucumber Salad
pickled ginger
mayonnaise
lemon wedges
sesame seeds, for garnish
STEPS
Prep
To make the marinade, crush the garlic and grate the ginger. Place in a large bowl, add the remaining marinade ingredients and mix together.
Cut the chicken into pieces about 4 × 6 cm and add to the marinade. Stir to coat well, then cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Thaw the edamame overnight in the fridge or for 2-3 hours on the bench.
Cook
When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and place the cornflour in a bowl. Have a large plate or tray ready to put the coated chicken on.
Coat each chicken piece with cornflour and leave on the plate for 5-10 minutes while you preheat the air fryer at 190°C. This is also a good time to start cooking the rice.
Spray the air fryer basket with oil and place the chicken pieces in a single layer, spaced slightly apart. Generously spray the top of the chicken with oil and cook at 190°C for 8 minutes. Turn the chicken over, spray again with oil and cook for another 8 minutes. Be generous with your oil, as any cornflour that's not coated will remain white after cooking. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you might need to cook in 2 batches.
Serve over steamed rice with edamame, cucumber, pickled ginger, mayonnaise and lemon wedges. Garnish with sesame seeds.
NOTES
Alternative method: Follow the recipe until halfway through step 2. After coating and resting the chicken, half fill a large, high-sided saucepan with vegetable or canola oil heated to 170°C. Carefully fry chicken for 3 minutes then remove with slotted spoon, letting it air on a wire rack while you heat the oil to 190°C. Return chicken to the oil and cook for another minute or until golden. Cooking it first at a lower temperature ensures the chicken is cooked through, then the second frying makes it crispy.
Dietaries: To keep this meal dairy-free and gluten-free, ensure your sauces, including the mayonnaise and especially the soy sauce, are dairy-free and gluten-free varieties.
Leftovers: Karaage chicken is delicious served cold in lunch boxes (a wedge of lemon to squeeze over it is essential!) or you can reheat to 75°C it for a couple of minutes in the air fryer. Store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Serving suggestion: Other options for sides are a Japanese-style cabbage salad or a leafy green mix with a sesame soy dressing.