The Crispy, Juicy, Deliciousness of Karaage

In the United States, it’s southern fried chicken. In parts of Africa and Portugal, it’s piri piri. In Italy and parts of South America, it’s pollo fritto. From Jamaica to Singapore, and Brazil to Austria, fried chicken dishes have become iconic mainstays of the local cuisine, and Japan is no exception. Japan’s contribution to the wide range of fried-chicken specialties is called karaage (pronounced “karah ahge”), and it is beloved for its simple process and complex flavors. It consists of bite-sized pieces of thighs, breasts, or wings, marinated in mixtures of soy sauce, mirin, and other (often secret) ingredients lightly battered in (often secret) mixes of starch and spices. It is then deep fried in oil to create a crispy exterior and a juicy, explosion of taste inside.

According to the Japan Karaage Association, the term “karaage” comes from an ancient Chinese style of cooking unconnected to the present method of cooking. In modern times, it first appeared in its popular version on a menu of a struggling restaurant in the Ginza area of Tokyo around 1932. It took off as a popular food in the period after World War II, and in the last three or four decades it has become a go-to “comfort food” for Japanese of all ages.

Today it is often cooked and served at home as part of a meal, but is just as likely to be seen at takeaway counters at specialty stores and supermarkets, as part of the box lunches called obento, or packaged on its own. It’s a perfect food for busy housewives, businesspeople, or for picnics and events, and everyone has their favorite. Many districts of Japan are justifiably proud of their own style and flavor. In fact, Nakatsu City in Oita Prefecture, which hosts more than 60 karaage specialty stores, is referred to by some fans as the “sacred land” of fried chicken.

Every year, the Japan Karaage Association hosts the Karaage Grand Prix to determine the best karaage served in supermarkets and specialty stores. In 2023, the OK Supermarket walked away with the highest Gold Award for eastern Japan in the supermarket category. We talked with the delicatessen department’s Jun Fujimoto, responsible for the award-winning selection, about what goes into the making of his flavorful fried chicken.

The OK Supermarket, launched in 1967, has over 150 stores and has been rapidly expanding every year. Its theme—“High Quality & Everyday Low Price”—not only appears just below its logo, but is celebrated in its commitment to give customers the lowest prices in the region. It even offers to lower the price to levels below those of local competitors at every store.

Presently, OK produces three standard versions of karaage, plus a rotation of three other types that change depending upon the season. The former include: 1) the award-winning two-pepper-flavored young chicken thighs, 2) 4-kinds-of-salt flavored young chicken thighs, and 3) 3-soy-sauces flavored young chicken thighs.

In the test kitchen at OK’s Minatomirai headquarters, Fujimoto made and served us his award-winning two-pepper version as he described the vision that went into its creation. “Each year we enter the competition with a different concept,” he said. “That year we decided to go with the concept, ‘karaage for adults.’ So we made this rather spicy version that would go well with carbonated alcoholic drinks, like sparkling wine or a whisky highball. In fact, we presented it at the competition accompanied by a highball.”

He empties a bag of chicken thighs, which have been cut into manageable pieces and marinated with a special marinade, into a large bowl. The marinade is what gives the meat its deep flavor. “Most cooks at home use the standard mix of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic,” said Fujimoto. “We try to come up with flavors that most home cooks won’t be able to imitate on their own to create something they will find appealing enough to want to buy.”

He pours the starch mix, including the ground peppers and other (secret) ingredients over the meat and begins kneading the mixture until it completely covers all the pieces. “It’s important to get it all covered,” he said, “but you have to know when to stop. Too much kneading will make the chicken less tender.” When each piece is covered, he carefully forms the pieces into small round shapes of equal size, almost like servings of nigiri sushi, making sure the skin is on the outside to give the final product its crunchy goodness.

From top to bottom: Adding the starch mix; kneading the mix to cover the pieces; molding the pieces with the skin on the outside.

The meat is then left to rest for a short time before they are ready for frying. The pieces sink into the oil, which is now at a temperature of 170 degrees, and left to fry for—in this case—four and a half minutes. When they are a deep golden brown, he removes them from the fryer.

“We’re very conscious that people are eating this several hours later at room temperature, so we take that into consideration in our recipes,” said Fujimoto. “Even in the Karaage Grand Prix competition, the cooked karaage entries have to sit for a few hours before they are judged.” For those who would prefer to eat it hot, Fujimoto recommends using a toaster oven for reheating, and advises against using a microwave oven. Microwaving the chicken pieces would remove the crispiness from the outside.

Different condiments are used for karaage, some in the batter, such as OK’s benishoga (pickled ginger) and nori versions, some in the marinade. The possibilities are numerous, and other products can be used in creative ideas. One salad dressing company suggests using their dressing instead of the usual soy sauce and ginger. They recommend pricking the meat with a fork to help the flavor infuse the meat. A mayonnaise maker’s idea is to knead the condiment into the chicken before coating. Not only does the vegetable oil in the mayonnaise soften the meat, but it the mayonnaise coats the chicken, resulting in a crispy exterior and a moist inside. And rice flour can be a good replacement for the potato starch. It’s both gluten free and a healthy alternative, since it absorbs less oil.

Fujimoto is mum when we ask him the concept of his next entry in the Karaage Grand Prix. It’s being held soon after this article will be published, but despite his obvious pride, he’s keeping his cards close to his chest at the moment. He claims it will be his best karaage yet, but after tasting six of his creations, we sense it might be hard to beat his previous results.

After expansion throughout the prefectures and suburbs surrounding the city (Tokyo and its 3 neighboring prefectures), OK launched a store in Tokyo’s prestigious Ginza area in 2023. Today, following the return of inbound travelers to Japan, Its aisles are crowded with tourists from overseas who are finding its low prices a bargain, and its prepared deli items—including the popular karaage packs—a great takeaway treat. The Japan Karaage Association must be pleased. The catchphrase under the title of their brochure promoting the Grand Prix proudly proclaims, “Karaage changes the world.” If visitors fall for the juicy flavors of this “Japanese style” fried chicken and try to replicate the taste back home, that just might happen.