How to Make Gluten Free Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

Karaage is a typical Japanese home-style deep-fried dish consisting of chicken thighs seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and other seasonings. They are then coated with flour or starch and deep-fried in hot oil. Once fried, the chicken's coating becomes crisp to perfection, while the meat remains tender and juicy.

Beloved by both adults and children throughout Japan, karaage first made its appearance around 1930. Originating from Oita prefecture, its popularity quickly spread across the country, especially after WWII.

Today, karaage is often enjoyed as a main dish at home. It pairs well with rice, salad, and miso soup. Additionally, it's commonly used as a side dish for children's lunch boxes or as a drinking snack to accompany beer for adults. Outside of the home, karaage is served at Japanese restaurants and can be found in convenience stores or in the deli section of supermarkets. Recently, there has been an increase in the number of karaage-specialty shops in cities, making it easy to take out and enjoy authentically delicious karaage.

The most popular seasonings used for karaage are soy sauce and salt with a squeeze of lemon, but each household has its own variation of seasonings, such as curry or even seaweed. The texture also varies depending on the flour or starch used. Wheat flour makes the karaage coating thick and coarse, while potato starch makes it a little moist, and rice flour makes it thin and light.

Find your favorite flavor and texture! Today, we will introduce a recipe for karaage that combines flour and potato starch with the classic soy sauce flavor. Serve freshly made hot karaage with lemon wedges or your favorite dipping sauces on the side!