This Keto Chicken Karaage recipe boasts a crispy, delicious coating and a sweet and spicy sauce. Surprisingly authentic, you’ll never miss the carbs in this Keto version of the classic Japanese Fried Chicken recipe!
Karaage (pronounced Kha-Ra-A-Geh) is a Japanese preparation of small pieces of protein (typically chicken, pork, or seafood) that are marinated and then coated in flour, potato starch or corn starch and deep fried. Served piping hot with lemon wedges and a mayonnaise based sauce, it’s a popular street food in Asia that makes for great party food (I’m looking at you Super Bowl) because the bite sized chunks are easy to eat with your hands.
This Keto Chicken Karaage is coated in a seasoned blend of coconut flour, psyllium husk powder, and smidge of potato starch (not that hard to find, Bob’s Red Mill makes it and I was even able to get it here in Honduras) for authenticity and crispness.
Don’t freak out, the carbs are negligible and it’s totally worth it for the amazing texture it gives.
Thanks to the flavorful marinade containing ginger, garlic, soy sauce and a few other ubiquitous Asian ingredients, this keto chicken karaage is super tasty on its own – buuuut the creamy Sriracha dipping sauce really takes it over the top. I mean, what are fried chunks of chicken made for if not for dipping?
As an alternative to this sauce, you could also dip your keto chicken karaage into my sweet chili dipping sauce, which is sweet and spicy and a little sticky, making it a perfect complement to the crispy on the outside, tender on the inside chunks of chicken. The sweet chili sauce also doesn’t contain mayonnaise, so if you have an egg allergy it’s a better fit for this egg free chicken recipe.
You won’t need the egg to keep the coating on because of the liquid marinade, and the sticky nature of the potato starch and psyllium husk powder make this coating adhere like a champ. Just make sure your oil is hot enough to sear it immediately, otherwise nothing will keep that coating from sloughing off into the oil.
You may be wondering, what is the best kind of chicken to use for keto chicken karaage?
So glad you asked. 😂 While you can use boneless, skinless chicken breast, and I did because it’s all our grocery store on the island had, the preferred cut to use traditionally is boneless thighs. Chicken thighs are much more luscious and flavorful than the breasts, and will stay much juicier as well.
If you can get them with the skin on it will be even better, because crispy chicken skin for the win! 🙌🏻 🤤
Inquiring minds might also want to know….
What is the best oil for frying keto chicken karaage?
Lard, peanut oil, and avocado oil are all healthy options for frying chicken, because they can get hot enough to get your chicken crispy without burning and smoking. Vegetable oils such as corn and canola are highly processed and not very healthy, but will produce a nice crusty result. They are also less expensive than the other options, so there’s that to consider.
The keto police will say you should never ever use vegetable oils, but personally I think even 80% clean with the occasional less healthy option like vegetable oil is a pretty reasonable goal to aim for. So you do you.
Either way, this keto chicken karaage is a dish you should put on your list to try ASAP! Then be sure to report back with what you thought of it!
Print
Keto Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Keto Chicken Karaage recipe boasts a crispy, delicious coating and a sweet and spicy sauce. Surprisingly authentic, you’ll never miss the carbs in this Keto version of the classic Japanese Fried Chicken recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs (skin on if possible)
For the Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce (Tamari)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated erythritol
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the Breading:
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Oil for frying
For the dipping sauce:
- 1/4 cup real mayonnaise (I prefer Hellman’s or Dukes for store-bought)
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated erythritol sweetener (I use Swerve)
Instructions
To marinate the chicken:
- Cut the chicken thighs (or breasts if using) into bite-sized chunks (about 1 1/2 inch pieces.)
- Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken chunks and stir to coat.
- Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
To fry the chicken:
- Remove the chicken from the refrigerator.
- Combine the breading ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
- Fill a large saucepan with about 2 inches of oil.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees (takes about 6 – 8 minutes.) You’ll know the oil is hot enough when a tiny drop of water sizzles and pops when you flick it into the oil.
- Meanwhile, transfer a few pieces of chicken at a time into the breading, and turn to coat. Don’t put it all in at once or the breading will get gummy and not adhere.
- When the oil is hot, add 8 to 10 pieces of the breaded chicken to the pot and cook for 3 – 4 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove the cooked chicken pieces to a wire rack (preferred to maintain crispness,) or a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces until all of the chicken is cooked. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon and some creamy sriracha dipping sauce.
For the dipping sauce:
- Combine the mayonnaise, Sriracha, Worcestershire sauce, and sweetener in a small bowl and stir well until smooth.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Will keep for up to 5 days.
Notes
Approximate net carbs per serving = 3g
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Keto Dinner Recipes
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 ounces chicken + 2 TBSP sauce
- Calories: 388
- Fat: 32g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
Keywords: Keto fried chicken, Keto Super Bowl recipes, Keto Karaage
Nico Mendenhall says
Were in the process of making the kaarage now. My question is, how did you manage to coat 2lbs of chicken thighs in only 1/3 c. of breading? We were only able to coat 10 small pieces and the breading was gone. Did anyone else experience this? It looks like its going to be a good recipe, but the breading measurements appear to be off. Did anyone else have to add more coconut flour, potato starch, etc?
★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Not sure why your chicken is soaking up so much of the breading, but you can double the breading recipe if needed and add another 1g of carbs per serving.
Antoinette M says
https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/keto-chicken-karaage-japanese-fried-chicken/
John Woo says
Thanks for the recipe! Is it possible to bake these?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I don’t think you’ll get the same crispness but yes theoretically you could bake them.
Tom Smith says
This was absolutely fantastic. I loved the breading. I had tried almond flour on the past and it was too grainy. I loved the marinade, coating and dipping sauce. We paired it with oven baked turnip fries and they were great.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Awesome! So glad this was a hit with you too – I’ve got chicken thawing right now and I’m planning to make this again tomorrow!
Kristie says
Can’t wait to try this! My husband went to Japan a few months ago and loved the Karaage Chicken!
Deb says
HUGH HIT AT OUR HOUSE !
As planned, we did the breading with shrimp instead of chicken for our Friday Night Seafood Fry. Was sensational. Did not use the marinate (sounds wonderful for chicken but a simple brine of salt and Swerve was all the shrimp needed). Made one small change on the dredge. I have been subbing out 50% of my coconut flour for lupin flour for savory dishes. It behaves very much like coconut flour and its savory edge combined with coconut flour ‘s sweeter edge seems a perfect balance to me. Kept everything else the same with just terrific results. It certainly was the crispiest low carb breaded food I have ever had. Delicious.
I also used the dredge on some okra that stood in for the pre-carb French fries you would have had in the past. I halved the okra pods, dunked them in some barely beaten/frothy egg white and then the dredge mix. OMG they were terrific….so crunchy. Finished them with a shake of salt and some cayenne when they came out of the hot oil. These beat zucchini fries by a mile in my opinion….no sog factor to have to deal with. A great success…..THANK YOU !!!!
I can always count on your recipes. Keep em com’n. You make my day.
★★★★★
Deb says
Add deep fried mushrooms to the list…..did those for lunch today. Used the same dredge/breading but had to add some psyllium to the egg white to make it thick enough to stick to and stay on the mushrooms before a dunk in the flour mixture. Did a few more okra halves and a couple of onion rings as well…and the thickened egg white followed by flour mix stuck great to those as well.
Yummo. Game changer.
Mellissa Sevigny says
That’s fantastic Deb, thanks for sharing your results! I’m going to look up lupine flour and see if I can get some to experiment with, thanks for the recommendation!
Marianna says
I am interested to know how much lupin flour you used? Thank you for any help you can offer.😊
Deb says
Can’t wait to try this and may do as another reader an do large shrimp first (Friday is day after tomorrow and its our “seafood day”…don’t need leftovers for a work lunch the next day so seafood works).
Re question from readers as to something other than potato starch: Up to now, I have been using whey protien isolate powder for things like this. Since its a protien it also get sort of sticky/tacky when it contacts meat (or damp veg) and seems to work in low carb “breading” pretty well. It also browns well. Have even tried it to do a first “dust” before dipping stuff in an egg wash and then a final “Parm/almond flour/leftover low- carb-bread crumb” mixture. Works well…might work for you here. Me, I’m going to give the potato starch a shot. Always good to have a new trick up your sleeve.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Deb, let me know what you think of the potato starch! It doesn’t just make it sticky (which psyllium also does) but it gives it a delicate crispness that’s usually lacking in keto breadings.
Vickie says
What can I use instead of potato starch, I’m in New Zealand and I haven’t seen potato starch
Vanessa says
I have the chicken marinating now. I’m going to see if our local store has potato starch but if not will just use coconut flour. We live in the middle of nowhere so sometimes we are at the mercy of the store. This looks too good to wait for Amazon to deliver!!
Heather says
Is it possible to use a different starch? I have arrowroot, and could probably find kudzu starch with a bit of effort. Kudzu seems more authentically Japanese, but I’d really rather use the stuff I already have rather than buying something special for one recipe.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I couldn’t tell you how those would work because I haven’t tried them, but if you do please let us know how it turns out!
Ellen says
This looks yummy and will definitely try it.
Re Airfryer I would lightly spray the coated pieces with avocado or other oil. I would also consider precooking, I would poach in broth, the pieces of chicken so they are half done to prevent burning in the AF.
Potato starch is considered a resistant starch and is probablz one of the “ healthier” starches to use on a keto WOE. 1 tbsp of potatoe starch has 8 g net carbs ( Bob’s) so spread between 6 portions would add 1.3 g carbs per serving.
★★★★★
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for this Ellen, I’m sure it will be helpful to a lot of people with Air Fryers!!!
Sarah in CA says
Oh wow, A gluten free chicken nugget recipe that my daughter can enjoy for Superbowl Sunday. Thanks so much. I’m going to try this with large shrimp. Since this is something that she has not eaten in 3 years. Even better I have all the ingredients.
★★★★★
Paul Kight says
Being a man pushing 60 and taking supplements to make more testosterone, I try to avoid soy sauce because of the phytoestrogens. That said, there comes a recipe once in a while that is worth breaking that rule. This looks like one of those, and I can’t wait to try it. And, Melissa, I’m delighted to see that you share my preference in mayonnaise brands! I hope you recognize me as one of your first email subscribers. I’m proud to see how far you’ve come! I’ll be sure to comment again once I make the karaage.
June says
This looks good but do prefer to use the air fryer as I don’t want to fry foods due to digestion.
★★★
Carol B says
Just checked Pinterest for air frying chicken nuggets. Recommend to cut pieces into 2in. Then Marinate, flour and spray with oil. Cook 6 min at 360 deg. Then flip ,spray, and cook another 6 min or till 165 internal temperature . Can’t hurt to try.
tara says
do you have a suggestion for if we want to use a more keto-friendly ingredient than potato starch? recipe looks great except for that!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can replace it with more coconut flour but the results won’t be the same and the carb difference would be negligible.
Patricia says
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but just wanted to comment on how much I like how you “style” your food presentations. I especially like the paper holders you often use for fried foods. You inspire beyond just the eating of good food. Thank you.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Patricia, that means a lot to me! Hope you also love how they taste!
Tracy says
I wonder if I could do this in the air fryer (that I just got so new to using it!). Do you have my experience air frying things like this?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Theoretically it should work great, but unfortunately I don’t have a lot of experience with air fryers so I couldn’t tell you how to do it.