Air Fryer Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage) (VIDEO)
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My Air Fryer Japanese Fried Chicken (Chicken Karaage) is for when you want to make crispy, juicy, flavorful Chicken Karaage without having to deep-fry in oil!
Watch the Air Fryer Chicken Karaage Recipe Video Below!
A Note from CJ
Air Fryer Chicken Karaage is SO good!
No need to deep fry when you can make crispy, juicy Chicken Karaage in the air fryer! The trick is to air fry twice – once at a lower heat to cook the chiceken and then a second time at a higher heat to crisp up the karaage!
The air fryer is amazing for cooking chicken – that’s why recipes like Air Fryer Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Chicken Skewers, Air Fryer Fried Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken Katsu, Air Fryer Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken, and Air Fryer Chicken Thighs are some of my most popular!
I’ll admit, I was totally taken aback (in a good way) at how the chicken turned out. Juicy, crispy on the outside and the batter turned out to be crunchy and nice. Really nice flavour.
Ingredient Tips
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- chicken thighs – I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- sake – I haven’t found a substitute for sake that I love, as I find that it has a distinct flavor profile that is hard to replace in a recipe. You can try sherry, mirin, shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, or even chicken stock, but I would highly encourage you to use sake if you can.
- potato starch – this is a key ingredient in making chicken karaage – you must use the one labeled ‘katakuriko’ for the best results (see image below). If you can’t find it, you can try tapioca flour or corn starch.
- neutral oil spray – this is a key ingredient to make crispy chicken in the air fryer – you need oil spray to allow the batter to “fry” in the air fryer.
How to Make Chicken Karaage in the Air Fryer
Marinate Chicken – Add the chicken to a bowl along with the garlic, ginger, light soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt. Mix until combined and cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinate.
Dredge Chicken – Add the potato starch to a tray. Dredge the chicken in the potato starch, making sure to coat the chicken well ensuring there are no bald spots. Shake off any excess potato starch.
Spray Air Fryer Basket and Chicken – Using a neutral oil spray, spray the tray of your air fryer basket with a layer of oil. Carefully place the chicken down on a single layer of the basket and spray the chicken with the neutral oil spray.
Air Fry Chicken Karaage – Air fry the chicken at 350F for 10 minutes. Give the chicken a flip, then spray the other side with more neutral oil spray. Air fry again at 400F for another 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp.
My Pro Tip
CJ’s Storage & Reheating Tips
Store any leftover Chicken Karaage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The chicken will soften as it sits – this is normal and to be expected!
I like to reheat in the air fryer at 375 for 8-10 minutes until warmed through and crispy. You can also reheat until warmed through in the microwave.
If you tried this Air Fryer Japanese Fried Chicken (Chicken Karaage) or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Air Fryer Japanese Fried Chicken (Karaage)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into 2" pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup potato starch
- neutral oil spray, I use avocado oil spray
Spicy Mayo Dipping Sauce
- 4 tbsp Japanese mayo
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a bowl along with the garlic, ginger, light soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt. Mix until combined and cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour to marinate.
- Add the potato starch to a tray. Dredge the chicken in the potato starch, making sure to coat the chicken well ensuring there are no bald spots. Shake off any excess potato starch.
- Using a neutral oil spray, spray the tray of your air fryer basket with a layer of oil. Carefully place the chicken down on a single layer of the basket and spray the chicken with the neutral oil spray.
- Air fry the chicken at 350F for 10 minutes. Give the chicken a flip, then spray the other side with more neutral oil spray. Air fry again at 400F for another 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp.
- To make the Spicy Mayo, add the Japanese mayo, sriracha, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a small bowl and mix until combined.
- Squeeze fresh lemon juice over chicken before serving and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- chicken thighs – I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- sake – I haven’t found a substitute for sake that I love, as I find that it has a distinct flavor profile that is hard to replace in a recipe. You can try sherry, mirin, shaoxing wine, rice vinegar, or even chicken stock, but I would highly encourage you to use sake if you can.
- potato starch – this is a key ingredient in making chicken karaage – you must use the one labeled ‘katakuriko’ for the best results (see image below). If you can’t find it, you can try tapioca flour or corn starch.
- neutral oil spray – this is a key ingredient to make crispy chicken in the air fryer – you need oil spray to allow the batter to “fry” in the air fryer. I used avocado oil spray, but canola or vegetable oil will work as well! When air frying, periodically look for dry spots on the chicken and give them another spray of oil if needed.
- optional lemon – I like to squeeze a little lemon juice over the karaage before eating. I find that the lemon juice gives a nice brightness and acidity that balances nicely with the fried chicken. Give it a try if you haven’t done this before!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Air Fryer Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) recipe was originally published in March 2023, and updated in March 2026.
I’m about to try this recipe but I’m a bit confused: among the ingredients you mention 2 cups of potato starch but in the instructions you say use 1 cup. Where is the other cup go? I’m sorry, I’m not a native speaker but would love to try this recipe. Thank you for the clarification in advance!
I’m in food heaven!
Love this recipe, it’s on repeat in my household. Super easy to make and delicious! I honestly think it’s better than what I’ve tried at restaurants.
LOVE THIS RECIPE! It was my first time making it, really easy to follow! I didn’t have sake but used shaoxing wine and it was still delicious! My boyfriend especially loved the spicy mayo! Thank you again for this amazing recipe!
Omg this recipe is legit! Tastes just like the real deal. You literally cannot tell that this wasn’t deep fried. A hit with the whole family.
so easy to make and taste really good. flavor was not to intense, really crispy and very good with steamed rice
I’ll admit, I was totally taken aback (in a good way) at how the chicken turned out. Juicy, crispy on the outside and the batter turned out to be crunchy and nice. Really nice flavour. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you for trying them out! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Taste great! Let it marinate for 30 minutes and the chicken has a lot of flavor. I tried to shake off as much excess potato starch but still had a little left on the chicken. Didn’t have a neutral oil spray but had olive oil spray. Did make the side sauce as well. Liked the spice level. Just enough heat. Would make again!
Super easy and tasty to make, will definitely make it again
I love love karaage! I could eat one medium-sized bowl all by myself, and still be craving it the next day. Thanks for this recipe!