Japanese Karaage Smoked Chicken

Name: Japanisches Karaage Räucherhähnchen
Total time: 5 h
Ingredients: 30 ml Sojasauce; 20 ml Sake; 10 g Frischer Ingwer (gerieben); 6 g Knoblauch (gepresst); 5 ml Sesamöl; 10 g Meersalz

MarinadePoultryHot SmokingEasy5-8 hrs74 °C110-120 °CCherry + Plum

This recipe transfers the flavors of Japanese Karaage chicken into the world of hot smoking. Soy sauce, sake, ginger, and garlic form a classic karaage marinade that gives the chicken umami-rich depth. The mild cherry wood smoke creates a golden, aromatic crust.

Ingredients(for 1 kg)

Soy Sauce30 ml

Sake20 ml

Fresh Ginger (grated)10 g

Garlic (pressed)6 g

Sesame Oil5 ml

Sea Salt10 g

Instructions

Prepare Marinade

10 minutes

Thoroughly combine soy sauce, sake, grated ginger, pressed garlic, sesame oil, and sea salt. Submerge chicken pieces completely and turn to coat.

Marinating

3-6 hours

Marinate the chicken pieces covered at 4 °C in the refrigerator. After marinating, remove from the liquid and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Smoking

1.5-2 hours

Preheat smoker to 110–120 °C with cherry and plum wood. Smoke chicken pieces until a core temperature of 74 °C is reached. The surface should look golden-brown and slightly lacquered.

Serving

5 minutes

Rest chicken pieces for 5 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, Japanese mayonnaise, and fresh spring onions.

Pro Tip

Replace sake with mirin if a slightly sweeter note is desired. Do not marinate too long – over 8 hours the soy sauce salt content can make the meat tough.

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