I feel like the words “bacon wrapped” alone should be enough to get you running into your kitchen, but these Bacon Wrapped Mochi are truly the perfect snack. Salty, sweet, and savory hit all the right notes; ready in minutes with just a handful of read more
How many times have you heard, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? Now….how often do you actually eat breakfast? Yeah, me too. It’s just a lot to expect a person to get up and do everything they have to do to get ready for the day, AND make something worth eating. But I have found that if I have something ready to grab and go in the fridge, that I can quickly load with fun and yummy toppings, I not only will eat breakfast but I will actually look forward to it. These Overnight Oats fit the bill. They are jam packed with healthy ingredients like oats and chia seeds that energize me throughout my busy day, with a flavor that has taken a delightful detour through the tropics.
I’ve tried various overnight oats recipes over the years, but found them a little bland and boring. Using coconut milk as the dairy base was a game changer! It transforms the oats and chia into a lush, pudding like consistency. Let’s face it, oats are a blank canvas and they need to be infused with flavor to prevent them from tasting like cardboard, and coconut milk does the trick!
Then I let the mixture sit for a few minutes, and stir again. Otherwise all the chia seeds sink to the bottom, but if you wait a few minutes they start to thicken and when you stir them again they will more evenly disperse. The chia seeds are what help overnight oats set, so you want to make sure they are well mixed.
Now they just need to be covered and put in the refrigerator overnight. And then the fun can begin!
Coconut chips, bananas, and chopped dates are my favorite toppings for these. The chips add crunch, the bananas continue the tropical island party, and the dates are fun and chewy. Overnight Oats are perfect for any nuts or fruits you want to add, but this combo is hard to beat. I’ve seen some recipes that add the toppings the night before, but I prefer to have fruit that’s freshly cut for the best flavor, color, and texture. I like to really lean in to my toppings and add a generous amount to each serving. Go big or go home, right?
Add a layer of dates on top of the bananas:
Finally I add a generous pinch of coconut chips:
Enjoy your Overnight Oats right away, while the bananas are still in pristine form. Try these and let me know what you think, I want to hear if these cured your breakfast blues too. Leave a comment here or tag us @funkyasiankitchen!
For some more quick and healthy breakfast ideas, check out our Green Smoothie and Halo Halo!
*I like to put the overnight oats into plastic lidded containers and store them in the fridge. Top them with fruit only when ready to eat to keep the banana from turning brown.
Keywords: breakfast, chia, oats, overnight oats, gluten free, fruit, bananas, make ahead, snacks
Sweetened red bean paste, or Tsubuan, is probably one of Japan’s most recognized sweet flavors. It’s used in mochi, ice cream, and pastries. It’s even delightful just spread on toast. You can find tsubuan in Asian markets, but it’s so much better when made from read more
It’s time we settled the old Hellman’s vs Miracle Whip debate once and for all; Japanese mayo is the best mayo hands down. Richer, thicker, and with more yolky goodness than its American counterparts, it is essential to this Roasted Sesame Dressing. (And this Potato read more
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.
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.
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:
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!
*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
Hi there!
I’m Kazu, a restaurateur in Miami who wants to show you all of the best tricks for creating restaurant quality Asian meals at home.
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