Hokkaido's take on karaage. Bone-in chicken marinated overnight in garlic, soy, ginger and a touch of sesame oil, then double-fried for a crisp shell and juicy interior.

Zangi traces partly to Chinese karaage that arrived in Hokkaido through Chinese cooks after World War 2, and partly to a Kushiro chicken-restaurant menu (Toriyoshi, 1960) that codified the marinade. By the 1970s, zangi was the Hokkaido home-cooking standard and a Sapporo izakaya staple; today it competes with miso ramen for the Hokkaido household-food crown. Sapporo Zangi Honpo and Chinese Ryouri Hotei are the two reference shops, with Hotei's zangi-on-rice (zangi-don) the cheap-eat icon.

Where to eat Zangi (Hokkaido Fried Chicken) in Sapporo

3 editor picks for Zangi (Hokkaido Fried Chicken) in Sapporo, ranked by editorial score. All Sapporo signature dishes · Zangi (Hokkaido Fried Chicken) across every city.

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Make it at home

Serves 44 hr 30 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 600g bone-in chicken thighs, cut into 3-cm chunks
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sake
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp grated garlic
  • 2 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 egg
  • 6 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko)
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • Vegetable oil for deep-frying
  • Lemon wedges to serve

Method

  1. Mix soy sauce, sake, mirin, garlic, ginger and sesame oil in a bowl. Add chicken; refrigerate 4 hours, ideally overnight.
  2. Drain chicken in a colander. Crack the egg into the marinated chicken; mix to coat.
  3. Combine potato starch and flour. Toss chicken in this mixture to coat each piece thickly.
  4. Heat oil to 160C in a heavy pot. Fry chicken in two batches, 4 minutes per batch (cooks through without colour).
  5. Remove chicken to a rack; raise oil to 190C.
  6. Return chicken to the oil; fry 1-2 minutes until golden and crisp.
  7. Drain on a rack; serve with lemon wedges.

Editor tip. Two-stage frying is what separates zangi from karaage. The 160-then-190 cycle gives the crisp shell with juicy interior.

Common allergens: Soy, Gluten, Egg.