Description
Crunchy Chicken Nanban is a delightful Japanese dish featuring crispy fried chicken thighs coated in a tangy soy-vinegar glaze, served with a creamy homemade tartar sauce made from hard-boiled egg, onion, and seasoned mayonnaise. Perfect for a flavorful lunch or dinner, this recipe balances savory, sweet, and acidic flavors for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 9 oz boneless chicken thighs
- 4 tsp milk
- 4 tsp all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp potato starch
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp grated garlic (from a tube)
- 2 tsp sake (or dry white wine)
Tartar Sauce
- 1 hard-boiled egg (about 10 minutes boiled)
- 1/4 onion
- 3 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
- 1 tsp milk
- Pinch of sugar
- Pinch of chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil
- 2 pinches salt (for onion)
Sauce Glaze
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
Instructions
- Make the tartar sauce: Coarsely chop the hard-boiled egg. Finely chop the onion and sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt, then let it sit for 3 minutes before squeezing out excess water. In a bowl, combine the chopped egg, drained onion, Japanese mayonnaise, milk, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly to create the tartar sauce.
- Prepare the chicken: Cut slits into the thick parts of the chicken thighs to help marinade absorption. Place the chicken in a shallow dish and rub in salt, pepper, sugar, grated garlic, and sake (or white wine). Let it marinate briefly.
- Coat the chicken with flour mixture: In a bowl, mix 4 teaspoons of milk with 4 teaspoons of all-purpose flour to form a thin batter. Coat each marinated chicken piece with this batter evenly.
- Apply potato starch and rest: Coat the battered chicken pieces evenly with potato starch. Let them rest for 5 minutes to allow the coating to set.
- Fry the chicken: Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the chicken for approximately 3 minutes on one side until golden brown, then flip and cook for an additional 2–3 minutes. Remove the chicken and drain excess oil on paper towels.
- Prepare and apply the glaze: In a separate pan, combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and mirin. Heat over medium-low until the mixture starts bubbling. Add the fried chicken to the pan and quickly coat with the sauce evenly.
- Serve: Slice the glazed chicken into bite-sized strips, plate them, and generously top with the homemade tartar sauce for serving.
Notes
- Use hard-boiled eggs that have been boiled for about 10 minutes for optimal tartar sauce texture.
- When marinating the chicken, coat quickly and optionally pour any remaining marinade over the chicken before cooking for enhanced flavor.
- This dish is perfect for bento lunch boxes due to its portability and flavor.
- You can freeze the fried chicken (without the sauce) for later use; reheat and add fresh tartar sauce when serving.
- Use Japanese mayonnaise for authentic flavor but plain mayonnaise can also work in a pinch.