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–+ servings

Shio Koji Karaage Chicken

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Marinating Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Author Yuto Omura
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients  

  • 450 g boneless chicken thigh skin-on
  • cooking oil neutral flavor, high smoke point for deep frying

Marinade

  • 2 tbsp shio koji
  • 1 tbsp sake or dry sherry, white wine, water
  • ½ tsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu) or regular Japanese soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp grated ginger root or ginger paste
  • 1 clove grated garlic or garlic paste

Coating

  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour or cake flour, don't use bread flour
  • 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) or cornstarch, tapioca starch
  • 4 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) for final coating

Instructions 

  • Cut 450 g boneless chicken thigh into large bitesize pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp shio koji, 1 tbsp sake, ½ tsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu), ½ tbsp grated ginger root and 1 clove grated garlic.
    pouring shio koji into a bowl with chicken thigh pieces
  • Mix well until evenly coated, then cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 mins (2 hours max).
    shio koji coated chicken thigh pieces in a metal mixing bowl with transparent silicone lid ready for refrigeration
  • Preheat a deep pot of cooking oil to 160 °C (320 °F). While you wait, scrap the excess marinade off the surface of the chicken and sprinkle in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko). Mix until the chicken pieces are coated in a thin sticky paste.
    chicken thigh pieces coated with shio koji in a mixing bowl
  • Sprinkle 4 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) on a tray. Once the oil is ready, roll each piece of chicken until evenly covered. Shake off the excess, and drop them straight in the oil.
    coating shio koji chicken thigh pieces with starch ready for frying
  • Deep fry for 3 minutes. Nudge gently to prevent sinking and sticking to the bottom, and be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Cook in batches if necessary.
    frying lemon chicken karaage in oil at lower temperature
  • Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 3 minutes. This step must not be skipped - the chicken will continue to cook with residual heat.
    shio koji karaage on a wire rack after first fry
  • Increase the heat to 185 °C (365 °F) and then place the chicken in the oil once more. Fry for 30-60 seconds or until a medium gold color.
    second fry at higher temperature for lemon karaage
  • Rest on a wire rack once more to drain excess oil. After a few minutes, serve and enjoy!
    close up of completed shio koji karaage held up with chopsticks

Notes

Skip the garlic if you want a pure koji aroma.
Marinate chicken thighs for 30–120 minutes. Longer risks mushy texture and excess browning.
Store fried chicken in the fridge for 1–2 days or freezer up to 1 month. Always cool before sealing.
For meal prep, refrigerate marinated chicken up to 2 hours or freeze it uncoated for later use.
Reheat leftovers in an oven or air fryer at 180–200℃ (356–392°F) for 5–7 minutes. Avoid microwave-only reheating.
Serving Ideas: Freshly cooked Japanese rice, Traditional miso soup, Light cucumber pickles, Japanese potato salad