Chicken Nanban

Chicken Nanban is a popular fried chicken dish in Japan, and it’s one of my favorites.Although I absolutely love this dish, I’m not a big fan of making it the traditional way—coating the chicken in flour, then egg, before frying. I personally prefer extra-crispy chicken that can really soak up that delicious Nanban sauce.

I’ve also found that slicing the chicken into smaller pieces makes it much easier to fry evenly and achieve that crispy texture.

So while this isn’t a strictly traditional Chicken Nanban, it’s incredibly delicious and very much worth trying!

Ingredients

Nanban Sauce

• 3 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 4 tbsp rice vinegar

Tartar Sauce

• 1.5 tbsp minced onion

• 2 boiled eggs

• 1 tsp capers, minced

• About 560 g chicken breast

• 1 tbsp sake

• 1.5 tbsp Kewpie mayo

• 2 pinches of salt and black pepper

• 4-5 Tablespoons potato starch

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.

   Slice in half lengthwise, then cut each half into thin pieces (about 1 cm).

   Slice against the grain and aim for similar sizes.

   If some pieces are thicker, gently flatten them.

2. Sprinkle with 2 pinches of salt and black pepper. Massage to coat evenly.

3. Transfer to a zip-top bag or bowl. Add 1 tbsp sake and 1.5 tbsp Kewpie mayo. Massage until well combined. Let rest for 10–15 minutes.

4. Making Nanban Sauce

   In a microwave-safe bowl, add:

   • 3 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar

   • 4 tbsp soy sauce

   • 4 tbsp rice vinegar

   Lightly stir. Microwave on High for 1 minute, or until simmering. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.

5. Making Tartar Sauce

   • 1.5 tbsp minced onion

     (Microwave for 15 seconds on Medium or soak in cold water to remove sharpness)

   • 2 boiled eggs

     (Boil for 10 minutes, then soak in cold water for 10 minutes before peeling)

   • 1 tsp capers, minced

     Chop the eggs and add everything to a bowl. Season with 1–2 pinches of salt and black pepper.

     Add 1–2 tbsp Japanese mayo and mix well. Set aside for serving.

6. Frying Heat 2 cm / 1 inch neutral oil in a pan over medium heat to170°C / 340°F.

   Prepare 4–5 tbsp potato starch in a shallow bowl or tray.

   Dredge the first batch of marinated chicken in starch.

   Gently add the chicken to the hot oil.Cook 3–4 minutes per side (about 7 minutes total). Flip once more at the end if you want extra crispiness.

   Have the Nanban sauce and a plate ready.

7. While frying, dredge the second batch of chicken in starch.

8. Transfer cooked chicken to a rack or paper towel to drain excess oil.

   Lightly clean the oil, then fry the second batch.

9. While the second batch is cooking, dip the fried chicken into the Nanban sauce.

   Coat well and place on a plate.

10. Repeat until all chicken is done.

11. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken, serve with tartar sauce and salad.

Cooking Notes

• Tartar sauce is classic, but if you want to keep it simple, drizzling Japanese mayo over the chicken works great too.

  And if you want it even lighter,Nanban sauce alone is still super tasty.