Super juicy chicken thighs marinated in a blend of flavourful Japanese seasonings – yum! This rice bowl delivers all the fresh flavours of Japanese fried chicken but without the flour or deep frying. Perfect for meal prepping or when you want a balanced, flavourful meal with minimal effort.
We all love Japanese fried chicken, but let’s be honest – there’s only so much fried food we should eat. To satisfy those cravings, I created this healthier (and easier) version using everything except flour and deep frying!
It has the familiar taste of traditional Japanese fried chicken but feels lighter, with a subtle grilled flavour instead of deep-fried richness.
3 Tips for the Chicken.
- Brine the Chicken. Brining the chicken in a mixture of water, salt, and sugar enhances its texture and flavour. Doing this step keeps the chicken juicy and well seasoned. Not essential but recommended! See notes for how to brine chicken.
- Marinate. Marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes allows the flavours to really develop. The longer you leave it, the more flavourful it will be!
- Rest the Chicken. After cooking, let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes. This locks in the juices and keeps it extra tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can swap the thighs for chicken breast. Pork chops, prawns or salmon would work nicely too!
Yes, just swap out the protein for something you enjoy, maybe something like tofu or aubergine, and adjust the cooking time for whatever you choose.
Japanese fried chicken (tori-karaage) is chicken marinated in garlic, ginger, and various Japanese seasonings, then lightly coated in flour and deep-fried until crispy.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized chicken thighs
- 1 cup cooked Japanese rice
- 1/2 clove of minced garlic
- 5g of grated ginger
- 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon cooking sake
- 1/2 teaspoon of white sugar
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1/8th of White Cabbage (Shredded)
- Optional Garnish – sliced green onion, black sesame seeds and a wedge of lemon.
Step by Step (with pictures)
Time needed: 45 minutes
How to make this Japanese “Fried” Chicken Rice Bowl
- Prepare Rice.
Prepare rice in the background whilst you’re assembling everything else. See this blog post on how to cook Japanese rice on a stovetop.
- Combine the Marinade.
Mix together the minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, sake, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Marinate the Chicken.
Pour the mixture over the chicken and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Prepare the Cabbage.
Shred the cabbage using a vegetable peeler to get thin strips.
- Cook the Chicken.
Get the pan nice and hot and add a glug of neutral oil (sunflower or vegetable will work) then place the chicken thighs into the pan. Pour in the leftover marinade for extra flavour. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until they are a golden brown colour.
- Rest and Slice.
Once the chicken is done, rest for five minutes before slicing into evenly sized pieces.
- Assemble the Bowl.
Add the rice, cabbage, and chicken thighs into the bowl and garnish with black sesame seeds, spring onions and a wedge of lemon.
Easy Japanese “Fried” Chicken Rice Bowl
Equipment
- 1 Medium Sized Container (marinading)
- 1 Medium Sized Frying Pan
- 1 Vegetable Peeler
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs (medium sized)
- 1 cup cooked Japanese rice (220 grams of uncooked rice)
Marinade
- 1/2 clove garlic (minced)
- 5 g ginger (grated)
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp cooking sake
- 1/2 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Side Veg and Garnish
- 1 eighth white cabbage (shredded)
- 1 spring onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 pinch black sesame seeds (optional garnish)
- 1 wedge lemon (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare your rice. See notes on how to cook Japanese rice.
- Combine all the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken thighs. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- For the cabbage, take a vegetable peeler and peel vertically to get long thin strips.
- Get the pan nice and hot then add a glug of neutral oil, sunflower or vegetable oil will work. Add in your chicken thighs and any sauce left in the container. It should sizzle as soon as you add in the chicken.
- Cook the thighs for about 3-4 mins on each side or until the sauce has thickened and the thighs are a golden brown colour. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before you start cutting into it.
- Slice the chicken into evenly sized strips.
- Assemble everything into a bowl, serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Looking for More Japanese Recipes?
- Glossy Japanese Pork and Potatoes (One of my favourites!)
- Pork Miso Soup (Tonjiru)
- Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette)
