Mochiko Chicken Recipe - Japanese Fried Chicken (2024)

FAQs

How is Japanese fried chicken different? ›

Potato starch (Katakuriko) is the key to great Japanese Fried Chicken! The potato starch gives the chicken a deliciously light crust vs. cornstarch or flour.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the potato starch, mochiko, soy sauce, sugar, scallions, eggs, sesame seeds, garlic, ginger and salt. Add the chicken to the marinade and stir to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

According to my dad, a combination of flour and cornstarch is common in frying batters and coatings when it comes to Cantonese cooking. They're usually used together because cornstarch prevents gluten from forming, so the flour coating gets airy and crispy during the frying process.

It is dusted with corn starch, potato starch, rice flour, potato flour, or tapioca starch. The Japanese cooking style of Karaage cooking method means deep frying in hot oil. When making the deep-fried chicken in oil, it is best to use a high heat oil like peanut oil, or vegetable oil.

Rub with Salt and Baking Powder

Both substances pull moisture out of the skin. But baking powder has additional powers. It prods some of the skin's proteins and fat to break down, which, combined with its alkalinity, accelerates the Maillard reaction, for skin that browns and crisps more quickly.

Not only does the vegetable oil in the mayonnaise soften the meat, but it the mayonnaise coats the chicken, resulting in a crispy exterior and a moist inside.

In this recipe, I use equal parts of all-purpose flour and potato starch. I first dredge the chicken in flour and then potato starch. The flour will trap the marinade and seasonings inside the shell, and potato starch will create a crisp texture on the outside.

Over time, the dish evolved and became known as karaage, which is derived from the Japanese character “唐 (kara)” which denotes its Chinese origin and “揚げ (age)”, which means “deep-fried”.

This ground rice is used to make the bouncy, delicious mochi and rice cakes we've all come to love. Other rice flours, like plain rice flour and chapssal flour, can provide a similar chewy consistency as glutinous rice flour. So, they work well as substitutes.

Mochikoもち粉 is a type of glutinous rice flour (or sweet rice flour) made from mochigome which is glutinous short-grain Japanese rice. It is sometimes called Gyuhiko 求肥粉 or Daif*ckuko 大福粉.

What to eat with Japanese fried chicken? ›

If you're wondering what karaage "goes with," you might be surprised to find that it's eaten pretty much the same way a chicken tender or nugget meal might be served abroad. Instead of fries and a side of steamed broccoli, karaage teishoku meals usually come with rice, miso soup, and cabbage.

When paired with all-purpose flour, cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, which makes the flour coating crispier, and absorb moisture (from the frying and the chicken), which also means a crispier coating. If you already have a favorite fried chicken recipe, try replacing a quarter of the flour with cornstarch.

Proper cooling sets the crust and ensures that the chicken will have done all its carryover cooking. I like to cool any leftover chicken completely and then store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the fridge. The paper towel absorbs condensation and keeps that chicken crisp for midnight snacking.

Adding MSG to this dish will amplify all the savory dimensions, making each bite of fried chicken an umami-packed delight. Murray's flour dredge already includes salt, celery seed, ground pepper, and cayenne. Adding MSG directly to this flour dredge would be perfect, deepening and enhancing all these flavors.

For chicken karaage, it's essentially bite-size pieces of chicken thigh dusted with flour and deep-fried in hot oil. With tender and juicy marinated chicken coated in a crispy shell, karaage is a staple in Japanese home-cooked meals.

Japanese chicken consists of a rich variety of breeds, among them are local chicken, brand chicken, and broiler chicken. The special qualities, flavors, and textures found in each one making Japan chicken the right choice for many types of dishes; for Japanese food in particular, it is indispensable.

Cornstarch - You could also use potato starch instead. However, having starch in the mix is essential for making Korean fried chicken. The addition of starch is one of the secrets to why Korean fried chicken is so crispy! Water - This is the liquid use to make the wet batter.