Japanese Crispy Chicken Rice Bowls

A Japanese inspired crispy chicken and rice bowl with lemon and pickled ginger.

5 from 3 votes

Japanese Crispy Chicken Rice Bowls

This takeout style Japanese inspired crispy chicken rice bowl is a savory and satisfying weeknight dinner you can make in just 45 minutes.

Servings bowls

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Equipment

Deep frying pan

Ingredients

Sesame Soy Glaze

½ cup light brown sugar packed
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon powdered ginger

Sriracha Aioli

¼ cup light mayo
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Crispy Fried Chicken

1 pound chicken breast sliced into 1-inch pieces and patted dry
1 large egg beaten well
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons ground red cayenne pepper
1½ teaspoons powdered ginger
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Rice Bowl Fixings

2⅔ cups white rice steamed
2 tablespoons pickled ginger optional
4 medium scallions sliced, green parts only
1 medium lemon sliced into wedges

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sesame Soy Glaze

First, prepare the glaze. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and powdered ginger to a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Transfer the glaze to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Sriracha Aioli

In the meantime, prepare the sriracha aioli. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, sriracha, and lemon juice until well-combined. Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the bowls.

Crispy Fried Chicken

Next, prepare the fried chicken. Beat an egg in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, ground red cayenne pepper, powdered ginger, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl and set aside.
Coat the chicken in the beaten egg first, then transfer it to the seasoned flour, letting any excess egg drip off before transferring. Toss the chicken in the seasoned flour until it’s well-coated. Use your hands to help separate the pieces of chicken as you coat them, to ensure each piece is fully coated in flour.
Preheat about a quarter- to a half-inch of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the chicken and fry until it's crispy and golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes, turning it over gently with a slotted spoon once or twice during cooking.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess grease.

Assembly

Finally, assemble the bowls. Fill each bowl with equal amounts of steamed white rice, followed by crispy fried chicken. Then, drizzle each bowl with about 1 tablespoon of the sesame soy glaze, followed by 1 tablespoon of the sriracha aioli. Add pickled ginger (optional), top with sliced scallions, and serve with a lemon wedge for squeezing over the bowls before eating. Serve immediately.

Notes

Pickled ginger: This can be a polarizing ingredient, so feel free to skip it if you're a bit wary of trying it or you know you don't love it. These rice bowls are just as delicious with or without it.

Frying the crispy chicken: We recommend using a metal slotted spoon as your cooking utensil when frying the chicken. You can use it to gently turn over each piece of chicken during cooking, which will help to ensure an even golden-brown color without damaging the coating. Then, when the chicken is done cooking, you can simply transfer it out of the pan a few pieces at a time with the slotted spoon, letting excess oil drain out of the slots after scooping the chicken up.

Prep ahead tips: To simplify dinner prep, you can make the sesame soy glaze and sriracha aioli ahead of time. They'll keep in the fridge pretty much indefinitely in an airtight container. Just make sure to let the glaze warm up to room temperature on the counter before serving - or microwave it for about 15 to 30 seconds to help it become pourable again.

Storing & reheating leftovers: Store leftover components of this dish in separate airtight containers in the fridge to keep them fresh the longest - separate out the rice, the chicken, the two sauces, the scallions, pickled ginger, and any leftover lemon wedges. The chicken will keep for up to 4 days, while the rice will stay good for about 1 to 2 weeks.

Then, simply reheat the rice and chicken and assemble the bowls with the remaining ingredients. You can microwave the rice (about 45 seconds per serving) and reheat the chicken in the microwave or an air fryer.

Author: Nicole Langdon

Calories: 645kcal

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion, Japanese

Keyword: black pepper, cayenne, chicken breast, flour, garlic powder, ginger, japanese inspired, lemon wedge, onion powder, pickled ginger, salt, scallions, sesame soy glaze, sriracha mayo, white rice

Nutrition