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Chicken Karaage

Chicken Karaage reads richness 6.4, citrus 5.9 and umami 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Japanese main, about 49 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 6.4 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.8 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 7.5 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.4 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.4 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 6.4 · Citrus 5.9 · Umami 5.6 · Sourness 5.4 · Salinity 4.9 · Fruity 4.7 · Allium 4.0 · Sweetness 3.6 · Nutty 3.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Floral 1.7 · Bitterness 0.9 · Earthy 0.7

What's in it (13)

• boneless chicken — 680 g
• soy sauce — 44 g
• sake — 15 g
• ginger — 15 g
• garlic — 6 g
• dark sesame oil — 5 g
• granulated sugar — 4 g
• salt — 3 g
• egg — 100 g
• potato starch — 177 g
• oil — 871 g
• lemon — 65 g
• scallions — 200 g

Time & effort: about 49 min (14 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 196.4 kcal, 16.3 g protein, 11.3 g fat, 7.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken thigh pieces, soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours — this is what seasons the meat all the way through, not just the surface.
2. Crack the egg into the marinated chicken and mix until every piece is coated in a thin, sticky slick.
3. Pour the oil into a heavy pot or Dutch oven to a depth of 2 inches and heat over medium-high heat until it reads 325°F, 7-8 minutes.
4. Working in batches of 6-8 pieces, lift chicken from the marinade and dredge in potato starch, pressing to coat and shaking off the excess; the coating should look craggy, not smooth.
5. Fry each batch, without crowding the pot, for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until pale gold and just cooked through, 165°F internal — this first fry cooks the meat gently and will not look crisp yet. Transfer to a wire rack.
6. Let the fried chicken rest 5 minutes while the oil comes back up to temperature; raise the heat until the oil reads 375°F.
7. Return all the chicken to the hot oil in batches and fry again for 60-90 seconds, until deeply golden and audibly crackling. This second fry is what makes karaage shatteringly crisp instead of merely fried.
8. Drain on the rack, season immediately with a pinch of salt while hot, and serve with lemon wedges and scallions scattered over the top.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Sheet-Pan Greek Chicken with Potatoes — Greek
• Harissa Chicken and Chickpea Sheet Pan — Middle Eastern
• Greek Chicken and Rice Skillet — Greek
• Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage — Italian
• Karaage (唐揚げ) — Japanese

Keep reading: what richness, citrus, umami mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.