How Is Karaage Made? From Overnight Marinade to Fried to Order
How is karaage made? The short version: Japanese fried chicken is marinated, dusted in a thin coat of potato starch, and fried hot until the outside shatters and the inside stays juicy. The long version is where the crunch comes from, so here is how it works, and how we do it at Wishbone in Bica.
New to the dish? Start with what karaage is, then come back.
How is karaage made? The three steps
Traditional karaage is simple on purpose. There are only three steps, and each one matters.
Marinate the chicken. Coat it lightly. Fry it hot. Skip or rush any of them and you end up with ordinary fried chicken.
Step 1: the marinade
Karaage starts with a soy-based marinade, usually with ginger and garlic. The chicken sits in it so the flavour goes into the meat, not just onto the crust.
At Wishbone the chicken is marinated overnight in our Japanese karaage marinade. That is why it tastes seasoned all the way through.
Step 2: the thin coating
Instead of a thick batter, karaage uses a light dusting of potato starch. It fries up thin, crisp and glassy, without the heavy, bready shell you get on other fried chicken.
This is also why karaage eats lighter. We wrote more about that in is karaage healthy.
Step 3: fried to order
The last step is timing. Karaage is at its best in the first few minutes out of the fryer, so we fry every piece when you order. Nothing waits under a heat lamp.
The pieces go straight into your sandwich, bowl or box while the crust is still crackling.
Taste how karaage is made in Bica
You can see the result on our menu. Try the karaage chicken sandwich for the full experience, or order the pieces to taste the crust on its own.
You will find us at chicken restaurant in Bica, Lisbon, Rua da Boavista 14, a two-minute walk up from Cais do Sodré and Time Out Market.
Wishbone, Karaage Fried Chicken
Rua da Boavista 14, 1200-067 Lisbon (Bica)
Mon 5 PM to 11 PM, Tue to Sat 11 AM to Midnight, Sun Closed
+351 967 950 102
Frequently asked questions
How is karaage made?
Karaage is made by marinating bite-size pieces of chicken in a soy-based marinade, coating them in a thin layer of potato starch, and frying them in hot oil until crisp.
What is the coating on karaage?
Traditionally it is potato starch. It gives a thin, crisp crust that absorbs less oil than a thick batter.
How long is the chicken marinated at Wishbone?
Overnight. The chicken is marinated in our Japanese karaage marinade, then coated lightly and fried when you order.
Why is karaage so crispy?
The thin starch coating and hot oil create a crust that stays crisp. Frying to order matters too, because karaage loses its crunch quickly if it sits.
