Well guys, I did it. I finally caved to peer pressure and I got an air fryer. And wow am I having fun playing with it!  We have this Japanese Fried Chicken on our restaurant menus, and it is hugely popular. I wanted to see if I could capture the juicy, crunchy deliciousness of it in an air fryer, and I was not disappointed! All the crispy, savory goodness with none of the hassles of deep frying, so let’s get into it.

Prepping Japanese Fried Chicken

There isn’t a culture that doesn’t make fried chicken, and I love them all, from Korean Fried Chicken to Nashville Hot. But Japanese Fried Chicken, known as karaage, holds a special place in my heart. It gets marinated with ginger, sake and oyster sauce, and that helps it stay extraordinarily juicy and flavorful. And instead of flour, I use potato starch. That makes for super crispy fried chicken, and it happens to be gluten free.

I start making this by cutting up the chicken into bite-sized chunks. I use thighs because they have a better, meatier flavor and it is we typically what use when making this dish. Also since we’re using an air fryer that is much drier that frying in oil, the extra moisture from thigh meat is very much appreciated.

When it’s thoroughly mixed I press plastic wrap down on the chicken and let it chill in the fridge for at least a half hour, or up to overnight. The extra time in the fridge really allows the flavors to penetrate giving you an even more delicious fried chicken.

Air Frying Japanese Fried Chicken

Although this recipe is made using an air fryer, you could easily adapt it to oven-frying or even traditional frying. And I put both techniques in the recipe notes. There’s no reason not to make this chicken!

The trick to air frying and oven-frying is to use a modest amount of oil to re-create a similar mouth feel and texture as fried food. However, it would be a mistake to think you don’t need to use any oil. Foods just don’t get crispy without oil, no matter how much air you pump at it. To help with that, I use a can of spray oil, which I consider a great resource for quickly and evenly getting oil across the surface.

I like to spray the fryer basket with oil. This allows the bottom of the chicken to sit on an oiled surface and develop the same texture as the top of the chicken, which will also be sprayed.

I put the chicken in two layers but I think if you can fit it in one layer, it would be easier to flip the chicken. And don’t be too aggressive when flipping/shaking the chicken as you want to preserve the coating and not have it flake off.

I cook the chicken at a moderate heat so it the coating doesn’t get too dark before the chicken is finished cooking. You’re looking for a nice golden crust and juicy chicken. When it’s done it will look like this:

Serve it with some Kewpie mayo, lemon wedges, and shichimi pepper for an outrageously delicious starter.

It’s wonderful served alongside:

• Watermelon Rind Kimchi
• Sesame Green Beans
• Coconut Flan

Make Japanese Fried Chicken this weekend-I promise it’s worth lugging the air fryer out. Then take a moment to rate the recipe below, and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Japanese Fried Chicken

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus marinating time)
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: serves 4 1x
• Category: small plates
• Cuisine: Japanese

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken
• 2 Tablespoons peeled grated ginger (minced ginger is ok too)
• 3 Tablespoons sake
• 2 Tablespoons oyster sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup potato starch
• Oil spray
• Lemon wedges, kewpie mayonnaise, and shichimi pepper for serving

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Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into 1½ inch pieces. Place it in the bowl.
2. Add the ginger, sake, oyster sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mix the chicken to thoroughly coat.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
4. Spray the bottom of the air frying basket with oil.
5. Dip the chicken pieces a couple at a time into the potato starch.
6. Set the chicken into the air fryer basket/tray and spray with the oil. If you have to stack the chicken in two layers, spray each layer of chicken with oil.
7. Air fry the chicken at 360 degrees for 20-25 minutes, flipping the chicken every 5 minutes so the chicken cooks evenly. (I also sprayed the chicken with oil again the first time I went to flip it.)
8. Transfer the chicken to a plate. 
9. Serve the Japanese fried chicken with some lemon wedges, kewpie mayo, and shichimi pepper.

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Notes

*If you have the ability to cook the chicken in one layer in the airfryer, I highly recommend it so you reduce the chance that the coating will peel off from flipping it around. 

*You can also oven fry this chicken if you do not have an air fryer. Preheat the oven to 400. Put down a piece of parchment paper. (You can also use aluminum foil). Spray your parchment paper with oil. Lay your prepared chicken on the paper and spray again with oil. Bake the chicken for 20-25 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through. (I would spray the chicken again after you flip it). Serve immediately.

*If you would like to deep fry your chicken, pour 2 inches of oil into a deep heavy skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Test the oil by dipping a piece of chicken into the oil. It should bubble immediately. If not, let the oil continue to heat for a couple more minutes. Depending on the size of your skillet, put enough chicken into the pan so that it’s only half full of chicken. Do not crowd the pan otherwise your chicken will soak up a lot of oil and not cook properly. Cook for 6-8 minutes until crisp and golden. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Serve immediately.

Keywords: air fryer, fried chicken, japanese, appetizers, small plates, gluten free

I love rice so much that I made it into its own category, right up there with main dishes and salads. And coconut rice is one of my favorites. It’s creamy (but vegan!), rich, with just a hint of sweetness and a welcome crunch from the coconut flakes. It smells divine, and is made with things you likely have on hand. Like a little black dress, Coconut Rice goes everywhere and with everything.

Coconut, Two Ways!

My recipe for Coconut Rice uses both coconut cream and unsweetened coconut flakes. Coconut cream is to coconut milk what heavy cream is to dairy milk. Same ingredients, higher fat content. You can conveniently buy canned coconut cream, or you can use a couple cans of full-fat coconut milk and spoon out the cream that rises to the top of the can. As a lighter alternative, you can use coconut milk, but the flavor will be lighter and less concentrated. Unlike some recipes that call for adding the coconut cream at the beginning, I wait until the end so the coconut flavor is more pronounced.

I start by toasting the coconut flakes. Keep a close eye as they can go from perfectly golden to burnt in seconds. Want to use up the bag of coconut all at once? Toast it all off and save some to make Palitaw-you won’t regret it! If you want more texture, you could use larger shaved coconut or even one of the crunchy coconut snacks-just break it up a little.

Jasmine Rice

I always reach for jasmine when making Coconut Rice. Its nutty aroma pairs beautifully with the coconut flavors, and jasmine rice grains stay separate and fluffy. You can choose any long grain rice for this, but no matter what you use, be sure to rinse it! (For a full dissertation on why rinsing rice is so important, read my earlier post about making perfect rice, every time.)

At this point I like to let the rice rest 15-30 minutes. That helps it to cook more evenly. If you are pressed for time, you can skip this step.

At this point the rice should look shiny and be mostly cooked through. It will be al dente, meaning firm, but should not have a core. Take a taste and if it’s still too hard, add a little water and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the Coconut Cream Later

Although many recipes have you mix in the coconut milk at the beginning of the recipe, I think that is a mistake. Between the thick coconut cream and the sugar, the rice often scorches at the bottom, but is undercooked towards the top. Moreover, rice needs even moist heat to cook properly and adding the coconut cream at the beginning keeps the rice from absorbing water by coating it with an oily film. Finally, by adding the cream in later, you keep the rich flavor intact without cooking it out.

Once your rice is done, it’s always a good idea to let it sit for a few minutes, which helps it absorb any remaining moisture. Then scoop onto a platter and garnish with the scallions and toasted coconut.

Try it as the base for your favorite grain bowl, or as a side for Chicken Adobo. There’s honestly nothing that Coconut Rice doesn’t complement. I know you’re going to love this recipe; the incredible aroma and toasty coconut will make this a family favorite. Please take a moment to rate and comment on the recipe below, we love hearing from you. And let us see your creations by tagging us @funkyasiankitchen.

Coconut Rice

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 5 minutes (+30 minutes soaking time)
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: serves 4 1x
• Category: rice
• Cuisine: Pan-Asian

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups jasmine or long grain white rice
• ¾ cup coconut cream
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Garnish:

• 2 tablespoon shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallions

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 275. Place the coconut on a small baking sheet and spread it out so you have an even layer. Bake it for about 3-5 minutes until it is a nice golden color. 
2. Set the coconut aside to cool.
3. Put the rice in a bowl and rinse it a couple of times with water to remove any excess starch. Put the rice in a heavy duty saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Add the water, sugar, and salt. Stir the rice to dissolve the sugar.
4. If you have time, let the rice sit for 15-30 mins to let it start absorbing the water, which will help it cook more evenly. 
5. Bring the pot to a simmer over medium high heat (it takes about 3 minutes), stirring once or twice with a spatula or wooden spoon, to keep the rice from scorching at the bottom. Lower the heat to medium low, stir the rice once more, cover with a lid, and cook for 12 mins.
6. Check the rice. At this point the rice will be al dente, cooked but still firm. The rice grains should look shiny and will have lost their chalky dull look. If you’re not sure, take a fork and try a small taste. If it still has a bit of a core, add 2-3 more tablespoons of water and cook, covered, on medium low for 5 extra mins. 
7. Then add the coconut cream, stir the rice once more, cover the pot again, lower the heat to low, and cook the rice for another 5 mins.
8. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered in the pan for another 5 mins. 
9. Scoop the rice onto a platter. Top the rice with scallions and coconut and serve. 

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Keywords: coconut rice, coconut, asian sides