Karaage Chicken Sliders

5 from 4 votes

Karaage Chicken Sliders are savory bite-sized sandwiches featuring crispy Japanese fried chicken, spicy mayo, and tangy slaw on a sweet Hawaiian roll. Make them for your next get-together with family and friends or enjoy them for a light weeknight dinner.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Servings:

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Kathleen Higashiyama

Equipment

Ingredients

Karaage Chicken Sliders

1 lb chicken thighs boneless, skin-on
2 tablespoon Japanese cooking sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 inch knob of grated ginger
2 cloves garlic minced or grated
¾ cup Argo® Corn Starch
neutral cooking oil for frying
12 Hawaiian rolls sliced crosswise

Spicy Mayo

2 tablespoon Japanese mayo
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon mirin
½ teaspoon togarashi

Asian Coleslaw with Honey Sesame Dressing*

½ cup Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
¼ cup sesame oil
1 tablespoon white or black toasted sesame seeds
2 cups napa cabbage shredded
2 cups radicchio shredded
1 cup carrots (2 medium carrots) shredded
2 fuji apples peeled, cored, and julienned
½ cup cilantro chopped

Instructions

Prepare chicken - In a large bowl, whisk sake, soy sauce, mirin, grated ginger, and grated garlic. Cut chicken diagonally into at least 12 big bite-sized pieces, dry with a paper towel, and place in the bowl. Use tongs to toss the chicken so it is thoroughly coated with the marinade. Let the chicken absorb the juices in the refrigerator for at least 30 min.
2 tablespoon Japanese cooking sake, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 inch knob of grated ginger, 2 cloves garlic
Make spicy mayo - While the chicken marinates, make the spicy mayo and coleslaw. Add Japanese mayo, Sriracha, sesame oil, togarashi, and mirin to a small bowl. Mix until the ingredients are incorporated. Set aside.
2 tablespoon Japanese mayo, 1 tablespoon Sriracha, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon togarashi, 1 teaspoon mirin
Mix coleslaw ingredients - In a mixing bowl, add Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, salt, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Mix until combined. In a separate bowl, add Napa cabbage, radicchio, carrots, apples, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl and toss. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and use tongs to mix until the vegetables are coated.
½ cup Greek yogurt or mayonnaise, 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup honey, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ cup sesame oil, 1 tablespoon white or black toasted sesame seeds, 2 cups napa cabbage, 2 cups radicchio, 1 cup carrots, 2 fuji apples, ½ cup cilantro
Coat and cook chicken - Drain and pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Coat the chicken thoroughly with corn starch and fry in oil at 340-360°F until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part, about 2-3 minutes on both sides. Fry in batches so as to not overcrowd the pan. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess oil.
¾ cup Argo® Corn Starch, neutral cooking oil for frying, 1 lb chicken thighs
Assemble the sliders - Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half crosswise. Spread an even layer of spicy mayonnaise on the cut side of the bottom buns then break up the sheet of rolls into individual buns. Layer the karaage chicken so there are 1-2 pieces per bun. Top with coleslaw and add the top of the rolls. Gently press so the top buns stay. Add toothpicks in the center of each slider if desired. Serve and enjoy!
12 Hawaiian rolls

Video

Notes

*The recipe for Asian Coleslaw with Honey Sesame Dressing makes enough for the sliders and a side serving. To make only enough for the sliders, reduce the recipe by 50-75%.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover karaage sliders for up to 3 days. Store the coleslaw, chicken, and buns in separate air-tight containers and recombine when ready. In order to reheat the chicken, heat the oven to 350ºF and place the pieces of kaarage on a baking sheet then bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until hot.

Top Tips

To ensure the corn starch sticks sticks to the chicken, dab the chicken with a paper towel to remove excess moisture before dredging.
Cover every part of the chicken with corn starch to increase the chicken's surface area so the chicken will be extra crispy.
Don't overcrowd the skillet so you have enough room to flip the chicken over while it cooks. Overcrowding the skillet can also lower the heat of the oil.
Use a fish spatula or tongs so it is easy to pick up the chicken.
Rest the cooked chicken on a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil. Just leave space in between the pieces so they don't get soggy.
Remove any burnt bits between frying batches of chicken.

Nutrition