karaage

noun

ka·​raa·​ge kə-ˈrä-(ˌ)gā 

: a Japanese dish consisting of pieces of meat (usually chicken), fish, or vegetables that have been marinated and then coated in flour, potato starch, or cornstarch and deep-fried

chicken karaage

This stall serves popular Japanese fare including ramen, sushi, skewers, tempura and karaage.

—Pam Pastor

Children's meals, featuring fresh karaage chicken among the options, are served on little bullet trains, a nod to Tokyo.

—Kirsty Bosley

also : the cooking technique used to prepare this dish

Karaage is a method of cooking where the chicken is marinated, lightly coated with starch, then fried, as opposed to using a batter.

—Toledo (Ohio) Blade

Soft shell crab was given the deep-fried karaage treatment …

—Joanna Blythman

… cod cheek fritters are fried in the super-light Japanese karaage method.

—Steve Dinneen

Examples of karaage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The menu has Japanese restaurant staples like chicken teriyaki, sashimi and chicken karaage. —Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2026

Seriously, there’s something for everyone, from the person who just wants edamame or the Uchi salad, to oyster and sushi lovers, and those who want hot entrées that may include halibut, karaage chicken or wagyu steak. —Shindy Chen february 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 Feb. 2026

Also on the menu are pasta and udon dishes, nabe, izakaya, gyoza, soft shell crab, chicken karaage and more. —Brock Keeling, Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026

The restaurant also serves bowls, salads and sides like chicken karaage and tempura purple yam. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026

The menu includes chicken rice bowls and appetizers such as gyoza, karaage and edemame. —Fielding Buck, Oc Register, 11 Dec. 2025

There are also small bites like karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and gyoza available. —Mae Hamilton, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2025

Their curry has corn, onions, and meat options like chicken karaage or ebi shrimp. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2025

But Bourdain was certainly not alone in his love for karaage. —Yukari Sakamoto, AFAR Media, 12 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Japanese, "technique of deep-frying food without batter (as opposed to tempura), the food so made," from kara- "empty" + -age, derivative from the stem of ageru "to fry"

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above