Craving that completely crispy Japanese fried rooster? This Air Fryer Hen Karaage is the reply! Marinated rooster thigh items, coated in potato starch, and air-fried to golden perfection—no deep fryer wanted. Juicy, flavourful, and completely crisp!

Nicky’s Recipe Notes
A brand new go-to in our home, this recipe has been a staple for the previous few months. Even my 15-year-old son has made it a number of instances, declaring the effort-to-taste-ratio ‘fully price it’.
Why is it so good?
- The rooster is juicy and flavourful (rooster thighs are a should) and the coating is the proper quantity of crispy.
- It’s fast!! You may get away with 10 minutes of marinating time, then it will get blended with the potato starch and off to the air fryer it goes.
- Method much less mess than deep frying and no giant pan of oil to cope with.
- It’s tremendous versatile – we use it in a number of alternative ways (in rice bowls, piled into burger buns, smothered in katsu sauce, or served merely with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of kewpie mayo)
📋 Substances


Learn how to make it:
***Full recipe with detailed steps within the recipe card on the finish of this submit***
Professional Tip
Attempt to make sure you preserve the rooster in a single layer within the air fryer basket, so will probably be good and crispy throughout. Chances are you’ll have to work in two batches, relying on the dimensions of your air fryer.
This makes a FANTASTIC rice bowl dinner, simply by including it on a mattress of rice, and topping with veggies of your selecting!


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🍽️ What to serve it with


🍲 Extra incredible crispy rooster recipes
? Often Requested Questions
I favor Hen Karaage recent out of the air fryer, however you can also make it forward to reheat.
Cook dinner, then cool, cowl and refrigerate for as much as a day. Reheat them within the air fryer for about 5-6 minutes at 200C/400F till they’re good and crisp once more.
Potato starch leads to a crispier coating than cornflour. Nevertheless, potato starch takes somewhat longer to brown. So, if you happen to substitute the potato starch with cornflour, scale back the cooking time by a few minutes.
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Add the rooster to a bowl.
500 g (1lb) rooster thigh fillets
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Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic powder, floor ginger and white pepper. Give it a superb combine collectively and let it marinade for 30-60 minutes (you will get away with 10 minutes if you happen to’re in an actual rush).
1 tbsp mild soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp floor ginger, 1/4 tsp white pepper
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As soon as marinated, sprinkle with salt and blend once more.
1/2 tsp salt
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Add your potato starch to a separate giant bowl.
100 g (2/3 cup) potato starch or rice flour
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Toss a chunk of rooster within the potato starch and place within the air fryer basket. Repeat with the remaining rooster. Work one piece at a time, so it does not stick collectively. You’ll want to add the rooster to the air fryer basket in a a single layer (you could have to work in two batches).
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Spray with spray oil and prepare dinner for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F till golden and crispy. Flip the rooster (or shake the basket) twice throughout cooking and spray on somewhat extra oil every time.
spray oil
I favor Hen Karaage recent out of the air fryer, however you can also make it forward to reheat.
Cook dinner, then cool, cowl and refrigerate for as much as a day. Reheat them within the air fryer for about 5-6 minutes at 200C/400F till they’re good and crisp once more.
Potato starch v cornflour (cornstarch)
Potato starch leads to a crispier coating than cornflour. Nevertheless, potato starch takes somewhat longer to brown. So if you happen to sub the potato starch with cornflour, scale back the cooking time by a few minutes.
Energy: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 25g | Fats: 12g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5g | Trans Fats: 0.02g | Ldl cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 656mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g
Diet info is mechanically calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
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