Hawaiian Garlic Fried Chicken (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ The Chicken
01 -
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
02 -
3/4 cup potato starch
03 -
1 tsp garlic powder
04 -
1 tsp salt
05 -
Vegetable oil for frying
→ The Hawaiian Sauce
06 -
1/2 cup shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
07 -
1/2 cup green onions, diced
08 -
1/3 cup brown sugar
09 -
2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
10 -
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
11 -
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 -
2 tsp sesame oil
# Instructions:
01 -
Cut your chicken into bite-sized chunks - not too big, not too small. In a small bowl, mix together the potato starch, garlic powder, and salt. Toss the chicken pieces in this mixture until they're well coated. Cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge for at least an hour (or overnight if you're planning ahead).
02 -
Pour vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pan until it's about 3/4 inch deep. If you have a food thermometer, you're aiming for 175 degrees. No thermometer? No problem. Just set your burner to medium heat and you'll be fine.
03 -
Once your oil is hot, drop in your chicken pieces (not too many at once or they'll crowd the pan). Let them fry until they're lightly browned, which takes about 8-10 minutes. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and let them rest on some paper towels.
04 -
Here's the secret to extra crispy chicken: after a brief 1-2 minute rest, put those chicken pieces back in the hot oil for another 2-3 minutes until they turn a beautiful golden brown. This double-fry technique makes all the difference! Place them back on paper towels to drain.
05 -
While your chicken is doing its final drain, grab a large bowl and mix all your sauce ingredients together: the shoyu, diced green onions, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce, sesame seeds, minced garlic, and sesame oil. Give it a good stir until everything is well combined.
06 -
While the chicken is still hot, toss it in the Hawaiian sauce until every piece is coated in that sweet, savory, slightly spicy goodness. Serve it up right away while it's still warm and the sauce is clinging to that crispy exterior.
# Notes:
01 -
This Hawaiian-style fried chicken features a crispy potato starch coating and a sweet-savory sauce with Japanese influences.
02 -
The double-fry method creates an extra crispy exterior that holds up well to the sauce.
03 -
Shoyu is Japanese-style soy sauce that has a milder, more complex flavor than Chinese soy sauce, but regular soy sauce works fine too.