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I love Japanese comfort foods and one of my favorite dishes from Japan is tatsuta age. I cook this at home all the time and over the years, I’ve adapted the recipe to a healthier version by not deep frying the chicken. I still use a little bit of vegetable oil to pan fry the marinated chicken to get that crispiness, so you don’t lose any of its delicious flavors.

It’s also one of my favorite dishes to cook because it’s super simple to make. The last thing I want to do when I get home after work is cook, but if it’s a simple recipe, I’m more motivated to do it. You don’t need many ingredients for this recipe and you’ll be ready to eat in 20-30 minutes.

I usually use 1 - 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs which lasts me for 2-4 meals. It’s a terrific dish for leftovers that still tastes great even after a couple of days. I usually eat my leftovers cold, but if you need to have your chicken warm, you can pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

Related recipe: Easy Chicken Katsu Recipe with Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs

Healthier Chicken Tatsuta Age Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

• 1.5 Tbsp sake

• 1 Tbsp aji-mirin

• 1 Tbsp grated ginger

• 2 Tbs corn starch (or potato starch)

• 1-2 Tbs vegetable oil

• Optional: green onions
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Take off the extra fat on the chicken and try to cut each piece evenly. The flatter the chicken is, the easier it will be to cook the chicken.

2. Add chicken into a bowl and add the soy sauce, sake and mirin.

3. Grate the ginger and add it to the bowl. I highly recommend a Japanese grater.

4. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl and marinate for 15-20 minutes.

5. Drain the chicken and marinade. Then, add the chicken back into the bowl.

6. Add corn starch to the bowl to coat the chicken pieces.

7. Add vegetable oil to frying pan and keep the heat on medium to medium-high.

8. After a couple of minutes, start adding the chicken pieces to the pan.

9. Cook each side about 3-4 minutes. It should be a nice golden brown.

10. Remove the chicken and drain on paper towels.

11. Optional: Cut some green onions for garnish.

12. Serve and enjoy!

TIP: You can freeze the ginger in plastic wrap to preserve the freshness.

Hope you enjoy this Japanese dish as much as I do!