Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- Chicken: 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- Marinade: 1/2 cup buttermilk, 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake or water, 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp shichimi togarashi, 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Dredge: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup potato starch or cornstarch, 1 tbsp shichimi togarashi, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- For frying: 6 cups neutral oil, or enough for 2 inches in a Dutch oven
- Finish: 2 tsp shichimi togarashi, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 tsp aonori or finely crushed nori
- Dipping sauce: 1/3 cup Japanese mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon or yuzu juice, 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tsp honey, 1/2 tsp shichimi togarashi
Do This
- 1. Marinate chicken with buttermilk, soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, shichimi, and salt for 45 minutes in the refrigerator.
- 2. Mix the dredge in one bowl, the togarashi finishing salt in another, and the dipping sauce in a third bowl.
- 3. Heat 2 inches of neutral oil in a heavy pot to 325°F.
- 4. Dredge chicken well, pressing the coating onto each piece. Rest coated chicken on a rack for 10 minutes.
- 5. Fry in 3 batches at 325°F for 4 minutes per batch, then rest on a wire rack.
- 6. Increase oil to 375°F and fry again for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per batch, until deeply crisp and 165°F inside.
- 7. Season immediately with togarashi salt, sesame seeds, and nori. Serve hot with the lemon-yuzu mayo.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Big crunch, big flavor: Potato starch and a quick double-fry make the coating shatteringly crisp.
- Complex but snackable: Shichimi togarashi brings chili heat, citrusy brightness, sesame nuttiness, and seaweed depth without overwhelming the chicken.
- Home-cook friendly: Boneless chicken thighs cook evenly and stay juicy, even if you are new to frying.
- Great for sharing: Serve it as a party bite, game-day snack, or fun dinner with rice, slaw, and pickles.
Grocery List
- Produce: Fresh ginger, garlic, lemon or yuzu juice, optional scallions for serving
- Meat: Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Dairy: Buttermilk
- Pantry: Low-sodium soy sauce, sake or water, toasted sesame oil, shichimi togarashi, all-purpose flour, potato starch or cornstarch, baking powder, kosher salt, fine sea salt, black pepper, granulated sugar, neutral frying oil, toasted sesame seeds, aonori or nori, Japanese mayonnaise, honey
Full Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade
- 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sake, or 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp shichimi togarashi
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Crispy Dredge
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup potato starch, or cornstarch
- 1 tbsp shichimi togarashi
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For Frying
- 6 cups neutral oil, such as canola, peanut, sunflower, or vegetable oil, or enough to fill a heavy pot 2 inches deep
Togarashi Finishing Salt
- 2 tsp shichimi togarashi
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, white, black, or a mix
- 1 tsp aonori, or 1 sheet nori finely crushed into small flakes
Lemon-Yuzu Togarashi Mayo
- 1/3 cup Japanese mayonnaise, or regular mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice or yuzu juice
- 1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp shichimi togarashi
Optional Serving Garnishes
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 1 tsp extra toasted sesame seeds
- 1/2 tsp extra shichimi togarashi for guests who like more heat
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cut and marinate the chicken
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, then cut them into roughly 1 1/2-inch pieces. Try to keep the pieces similar in size so they cook at the same pace. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, low-sodium soy sauce, sake or water, grated ginger, grated garlic, toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp shichimi togarashi, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.
Add the chicken and stir until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes. This short marinade seasons the chicken, tenderizes the surface, and helps the dredge cling. If you need to work ahead, you can marinate the chicken for up to 8 hours, but 45 minutes is enough for excellent flavor.
Step 2: Mix the finishing salt and dipping sauce
In a small bowl, stir together the togarashi finishing salt: 2 tsp shichimi togarashi, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1/2 tsp granulated sugar, 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, and 1 tsp aonori or crushed nori. Set it near your frying station so you can season the chicken while it is still hot.
In another small bowl, whisk the Japanese mayonnaise, lemon or yuzu juice, low-sodium soy sauce, honey, and 1/2 tsp shichimi togarashi until smooth. Refrigerate the sauce until serving. The creamy, citrusy dip cools the chili heat while echoing the citrus notes in the spice blend.
Step 3: Prepare the dredge and frying station
In a wide shallow bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, potato starch or cornstarch, 1 tbsp shichimi togarashi, baking powder, 1 tsp kosher salt, and black pepper. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet for the dredged chicken, and set a second clean wire rack or paper towel-lined tray near the stove for the fried chicken.
Pour 6 cups neutral oil into a heavy Dutch oven or deep, heavy pot. The oil should be about 2 inches deep and the pot should not be more than half full. Attach a deep-fry thermometer and heat the oil over medium-high heat to 325°F.
Step 4: Dredge the chicken for a craggy coating
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Working a few pieces at a time, lift chicken from the marinade and let excess liquid drip back into the bowl. Place the pieces in the dredge and press firmly so the flour-starch mixture clings to all sides. For extra texture, squeeze a little dredge around each piece with your fingers to create small craggy bits.
Transfer the coated chicken to the wire rack and repeat with the remaining pieces. Let the dredged chicken rest for 10 minutes while the oil finishes heating. This rest hydrates the coating, which helps it stay attached during frying and gives you a crispier shell.
Step 5: First fry at 325°F
When the oil reaches 325°F, carefully add one-third of the chicken pieces. Do not crowd the pot; crowded chicken drops the oil temperature too much and can turn greasy. Fry the first batch for 4 minutes, turning once or twice with tongs or a spider strainer. The chicken should be pale golden and just starting to crisp.
Transfer the chicken to the clean wire rack. Let the oil return to 325°F between batches, then fry the remaining chicken in 2 more batches for 4 minutes per batch. After the first fry, let all the chicken rest for 5 minutes. This rest allows moisture inside the coating to move outward, setting you up for a much crunchier second fry.
Step 6: Second fry at 375°F for maximum crunch
Increase the heat and bring the oil to 375°F. Return the chicken to the oil in batches and fry for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per batch, until the coating is deeply golden, crisp, and audibly crackly when lifted from the oil. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the thickest piece; the chicken must reach 165°F in the center.
If any piece is below 165°F, return it to the oil for another 30 to 60 seconds and check again. Transfer the finished chicken to the wire rack. Avoid piling the hot chicken in a bowl before seasoning, because trapped steam can soften the crust.
Step 7: Season while hot and serve
While the chicken is still hot and lightly shiny from the fryer, sprinkle generously with the togarashi finishing salt. Toss gently or turn the pieces with tongs so the shichimi, sesame, salt, sugar, and nori cling to the crisp coating. Taste one piece and add a small pinch more shichimi if you want stronger chili heat and citrus aroma.
Serve immediately with the lemon-yuzu togarashi mayo, sliced scallion, lemon wedges, and extra sesame seeds if you like. This chicken is best eaten hot, when the crust is crisp and the shichimi togarashi is most fragrant.
Pro Tips
- Use thighs for juiciness: Boneless skinless chicken thighs stay tender during double frying and have more flavor than breast meat.
- Keep the oil temperature steady: For the first fry, aim for 315°F to 330°F while the chicken is in the pot. For the second fry, aim for 365°F to 375°F. Adjust the burner as needed.
- Season after frying, not before: Shichimi togarashi is aromatic and delicate. Adding most of it at the end preserves the chili, citrus peel, sesame, and seaweed notes.
- Rest the dredged chicken: Those 10 minutes on the rack make a noticeable difference. The coating becomes tacky instead of powdery, so it fries up crisp instead of falling off.
- Drain on a rack: A wire rack keeps air moving around the chicken. Paper towels are fine in a pinch, but they can trap steam underneath and soften the crust.
Variations
- Extra-spicy togarashi chicken: Increase the shichimi togarashi in the finishing salt to 1 tbsp and add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper to the dredge.
- Dairy-free version: Replace the buttermilk with 1/2 cup unsweetened oat milk or soy milk mixed with 1 tbsp rice vinegar. Let it stand for 5 minutes before adding the soy sauce and aromatics.
- Rice bowl dinner: Serve the chicken over steamed short-grain rice with shredded cabbage, sliced cucumber, pickled ginger, and an extra drizzle of lemon-yuzu mayo.
Storage & Make-Ahead
This fried chicken is at its best right after frying, but leftovers are still delicious. Store cooled chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a 400°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or in an air fryer at 375°F for 5 to 7 minutes, until hot and crisp. Avoid microwaving if possible, because it softens the coating.
For make-ahead prep, cut the chicken and mix the marinade up to 8 hours ahead. The dredge, finishing salt, and dipping sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Keep the dipping sauce refrigerated, and store the dry dredge and finishing salt in separate airtight containers at room temperature. For the crispest result, dredge and fry the chicken just before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 590 kcal | Carbs: 28g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Sodium: 1180mg | Cholesterol: 175mg
