Craving that completely crispy Japanese fried hen? This Air Fryer Hen Karaage is the reply! Marinated hen 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 couple of months. Even my 15-year-old son has made it a number of occasions, declaring the effort-to-taste-ratio ‘fully value it’.
Why is it so good?
- The hen is juicy and flavourful (hen thighs are a should) and the coating is the proper quantity of crispy.
- It’s fast!! You will 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.
- Approach much less mess than deep frying and no massive pan of oil to take care of.
- 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)
📋 Components


The best way 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 hold the hen in a single layer within the air fryer basket, so it will likely be good and crispy throughout. You might must 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 improbable crispy hen recipes
? Incessantly Requested Questions
I desire Hen Karaage contemporary out of the air fryer, however you may make it forward to reheat.
Prepare 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. Nonetheless, potato starch takes a little bit longer to brown. So, should you substitute the potato starch with cornflour, scale back the cooking time by a few minutes.
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Add the hen to a bowl.
500 g (1lb) hen 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 very good combine collectively and let it marinade for 30-60 minutes (you will get away with 10 minutes should you’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 massive bowl.
100 g (2/3 cup) potato starch or rice flour
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Toss a bit of hen within the potato starch and place within the air fryer basket. Repeat with the remaining hen. Work one piece at a time, so it would not stick collectively. You’ll want to add the hen to the air fryer basket in a a single layer (it’s possible you’ll must 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 hen (or shake the basket) twice throughout cooking and spray on a little bit extra oil every time.
spray oil
I desire Hen Karaage contemporary out of the air fryer, however you may make it forward to reheat.
Prepare 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. Nonetheless, potato starch takes a little bit longer to brown. So should you 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 routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
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