Crispy chicken, a fresh Japanese-style salad and two simple sauces — this is an easy dinner for two that comes together very quickly.
The secret is Spice Lab Japanese Karaage Flour. There’s no need to prepare a separate batter or complicated marinade; simply coat the chicken well and cook until beautifully golden and crisp.
I’ve used chicken breast here, but once you know the method, don’t stop there. The same karaage coating works beautifully with prawns, calamari, fish, pork and even vegetables.
It’s a great example of keeping one versatile ingredient in the Pantry and using it in plenty of different ways.
Place the diced chicken into a bowl and add the Spice Lab Karaage Flour.
Mix thoroughly until every piece of chicken is evenly coated.
Take a little time here — an even coating gives you a much better crisp finish.
Heat the frying oil to 185°C.
You want the oil properly hot before adding the chicken. If the temperature is too low, the coating can absorb more oil rather than becoming light and crisp.
Carefully place the chicken into the hot oil.
Avoid overcrowding the pot. If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches.
Deep fry for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden, crisp and the chicken is cooked completely through.
Remove the chicken from the oil and place onto paper towel to drain any excess oil.
Arrange the karaage chicken with the edamame beans and Japanese seaweed salad.
Finish with Japanese mayonnaise and a drizzle of Kewpie Roasted Sesame Dressing.
Serve immediately while the chicken is hot and crisp.
The air fryer is an easy alternative if you don't want to deep fry.
Coat the diced chicken evenly with the Spice Lab Karaage Flour.
Lightly spray the coated chicken with oil.
You still need a little oil on the surface to help the coating colour and crisp.
Place the chicken into the air fryer basket at 185°C.
Make sure you leave space between the pieces rather than piling them together. This allows the hot air to circulate around the chicken and helps prevent the pieces sticking together.
Cook for approximately 6–8 minutes, or until golden and completely cooked through.
Turn or shake gently during cooking if required.
Serve with the edamame beans and seaweed salad, then finish with Japanese mayonnaise and roasted sesame dressing.
Mixing the chicken thoroughly through the karaage flour makes a difference. Bare patches won't crisp in the same way, while excessively thick patches of flour can become heavy.
You're looking for an even, light coating over every piece.
Adding cold food naturally lowers the temperature of frying oil.
That's why overcrowding is one of the easiest ways to lose that lovely crisp finish. Give the chicken room and cook in batches if needed.
The same principle applies in the air fryer.
If the chicken pieces are touching or piled on top of one another, the moisture escaping from the chicken becomes trapped.
Give each piece some breathing room and let the hot air do its job.
Don't automatically throw good frying oil awayafter one use.
Allow the oil to cool completely, then pour it into a clean glass jar and store it in the refrigerator.
As the oil sits, crumbs and sediment will settle to the bottom.
When you're ready to use it again, carefully pour the clear oil from the top into your saucepan or pot without stirring up the sediment.
Place the remaining sediment onto paper toweland dispose of it in the rubbish rather than pouring it down the sink.
If your oil has become very dark, cloudy ordeveloped an unpleasant smell, it's time to replace it.
It's easy enough for a quick dinner, but thereare still a few useful cooking techniques hidden inside it — coating evenly,controlling frying temperature, avoiding overcrowding and knowing how to adaptone method to different ingredients.
And that packet of karaage flour?
Don't leave it sitting in the Pantry waitingfor the next time you want chicken.
Try the prawns. Try the calamari. Try some vegetables.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oil and drain briefly on paper towel to remove any excess oil before plating.
Don’t leave it sitting too long, though — karaage is at its best while the coating is still hot and crisp.
For serving, arrange the edamame beans and Japanese seaweed salad first, then place the karaage chicken alongside rather than piling everything together. This helps keep the crisp chicken away from excess moisture.
Finish with a drizzle of Kewpie Roasted Sesame Dressing and serve the Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise either drizzled lightly over the chicken or on the side for dipping.
A few extra touches can make it look even better:
Avoid pouring too much sauce directly over the karaage before serving.
The crisp coating is the star of the dish, so keep the sauces light or serve them alongside. That way every mouthful still has that crunchy finish.
You can dice the chicken ahead and keep it refrigerated, but I recommend coating it with the karaage flour just before cooking for the best crisp finish.
You can easily turn this basic recipe into different meals.
Serve the karaage with steamed rice instead of salad, add extra Japanese vegetables, use it as part of a larger shared meal or change the protein completely.
The important part is learning the coating and cooking technique.
Once you've got that, the recipe becomes a starting point rather than something you have to follow exactly.
Once you've tried the chicken version, use exactly the same idea with:
Cooking times will vary depending on the ingredient and its size, so use the method as your guide rather than treating the chicken cooking time as a rule.
Absolutely. Chicken thigh is a great option for karaage and will generally stay a little more moist and juicy during cooking. Cut it into similar-sized pieces so everything cooks evenly.
Not for this recipe. The Spice Lab Karaage Flour provides the coating and flavour, which is what makes this such a quick and easy meal.
The most common causes are overcrowding or cooking at too low a temperature.
For deep frying, make sure the oil is around 185°C before adding the chicken and cook in batches if necessary.
For the air fryer, leave space between the pieces so the hot air can circulate rather than allowing the chicken to steam.
Yes. An air fryer is ideal for reheating because it helps bring some of the crispness back. Reheat until the chicken is piping hot throughout.
Avoid reheating it in the microwave if you want to retain the crispy coating.
Definitely. Try it with prawns, calamari, strips of firm fish, thinly sliced pork or vegetables.
Just remember that cooking times will change depending on the ingredient and the size of the pieces.
Yes, provided the oil is still in good condition.
Allow it to cool completely, store it in a clean glass jar in the refrigerator and let any crumbs or sediment settle to the bottom.
When you use it again, carefully pour off the clean oil without disturbing the sediment. If the oil becomes very dark, cloudy or develops an unpleasant smell, discard it.