Sesame Garlic Mochiko Fried Chicken (Hawaiian-Inspired)
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 428kcal
A crispy Hawaiian-inspired mochiko fried chicken made with garlic, sesame, and a double-fry method. The egg-free coating stays crunchy longer.
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Ingredients
- 700 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
Marinade:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 30 g mochiko flour or glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour
- 15 g cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Coating:
- 60 g mochiko flour or glutinous rice flour/sweet rice flour
- 5 g cornstarch
- ½ tsp salt
For cooking:
- 2 cups cooking oil plus more as needed
Serve with: (optional)
- sriracha mayo I used store-bought
Instructions
Marinate the chicken:
- Cut the chicken into 1 1/2-2 inch chunks. Combine soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil, ginger, salt, pepper, cornstarch, mochiko flour in a shallow platter or a sturdy plastic bag. Add the chicken pieces in there and squeeze them around to make sure everything is thoroughly combined and coating the chicken pieces. Cover with a cling wrap. If you use a bag, push all the air out and seal the bag. Lay the bag flat on a plate and put in the fridge to let it marinate for at least 8 hours. You can also put this in the freezer for up to 1 month. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge before using
When ready to cook:
- Combine the mochiko flour, cornstarch, and salt as a dry coating for the chicken pieces
- In a medium-size pot, add cooking oil to come up about 2 inches. Preheat over medium heat.
- While the oil is preheating, coat each piece of chicken with the dry coating. Gently press the coating on the chicken pieces and shake off any excess.
- When you stick a skewer into the oil, you'll see bubbles around it. The oil is sufficiently hot at this point
First frying:
- Add a few pieces of the chicken at a time. Try not to crowd the pot and lower the temperature too much. Let them fry for 3-4 minutes (depending on the size of the chicken chunks) or until they are very lightly golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon or skimmer and place them on an absorbent paper towel
- Continue frying the rest in batches. Skim off any crumbs from the oil in between frying if necessary
Second frying:
- The second frying will be quick. It is to crisp up the chicken. Make sure the oil is hot again
- Starting from the first batch that you fry, add those pieces in there and let them fry for about 2 minutes or so. They will have a deeper golden brown this round. Starch coating usually doesn't brown as much compared to using all-purpose flour. They should be crisp
Keep warm:
- Keep them warm on a cooling rack set on top of a baking tray to catch any dripping oil. I usually keep them warm in the oven.
To serve:
- Serve them warm with any of your favorite sauces
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 166mg | Sodium: 1569mg | Potassium: 512mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 46IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 3mg
