Garlic Furikake Chicken
Crispy double-fried chicken thighs tossed in a savory garlic butter sauce and dusted with furikake seasoning — a Pacific Rim flavor explosion that's straight-up money.
Prep: 20 min · Cook: 25 min · Total: 45 min · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Medium · Rating: 5/5 (156 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Broke Da Mouth Grindz — Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives
Inspired by Broke Da Mouth Grindz in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii — a DDD spot cooking at the intersection of Filipino and Hawaiian plate lunch traditions. They take crispy fried chicken, hit it with garlic butter, and then dust it in furikake, and the result is something entirely its own — briny, umami-rich, garlicky, and completely addictive.
Story
I got obsessed with furikake after eating at a plate lunch spot on a trip, and when I saw Broke Da Mouth Grindz in Kona doing garlic butter fried chicken dusted in it, I knew I'd be chasing that flavor in my Midwestern kitchen for months. I finally made it on a Tuesday with a tub of furikake I'd ordered online because no store near me carries it. The double-fry is the whole thing, and I almost skipped it the first time because it sounded fussy. Don't. You fry the thighs at 325 first, just until cooked through and barely golden, then rest them, then crank the oil to 375 and fry again for two or three minutes until they shatter. The first single-fry batch I made was greasy and only crisp for about four minutes. The double-fry stays crunchy even after you toss it in the garlic butter. Pat the chicken bone-dry before it touches the cornstarch-flour mix. Moisture is the enemy of crisp, and the cornstarch is what makes the crust lighter than flour alone. I crowded the pot once and the temperature crashed and everything came out soggy, so fry in batches and give the oil time to recover between them. You toss the hot chicken in the garlic butter quickly, then dust the furikake from above so it sticks to the glossy surface, then green onions. If you put the furikake on before the butter it just falls off. Honest assessment: this is a special-occasion amount of effort and oil, not a casual weeknight, even though I made it on a Tuesday and slightly regretted the cleanup. But it is briny and garlicky and genuinely unlike anything else I make. My 7-year-old loved the furikake and now asks for "the seaweed chicken." My 4-year-old refused on sight because it was green. I served it over white rice with a scoop of mayo-heavy macaroni salad on the side, which is the proper plate lunch way, and the salad's coolness balances the richness. If you can't find furikake, it's not the same dish, so order a jar before you commit.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 tbsp furikake seasoning
- 2 stalks green onion, sliced
- Neutral oil for frying, salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels — moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Season aggressively with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder on both sides.
- Mix cornstarch and flour together in a shallow dish. This combination gives you a crust that's lighter and crispier than flour alone. Dredge the thighs thoroughly, pressing the coating to adhere.
- Heat oil to 325°F in a deep skillet or Dutch oven — about 2 inches deep. Fry chicken thighs in batches for 8-10 minutes until cooked through but only lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack. This is the first fry.
- Crank the oil to 375°F. Fry the chicken a second time, 2-3 minutes per side until deeply golden, shattering-crispy, and breathtaking. The double-fry is the entire game — don't skip it. Drain on a rack.
- Make the garlic butter sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add minced garlic. Cook gently 2-3 minutes until fragrant and just starting to turn golden. Add soy sauce and sesame oil. Pull off heat.
- Transfer the hot fried chicken to a large bowl. Pour the garlic butter sauce over it and toss to coat every piece — work quickly so the crust stays crispy.
- Plate the chicken, dust generously with furikake seasoning from above (so it sticks to the glossy garlic butter), and hit it with sliced green onion. Serve immediately over steamed white rice with macaroni salad for the full plate lunch experience.
Chef Tips
- Furikake is a Japanese seasoning blend of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, and dried fish — it's available at any Asian grocery store and increasingly at mainstream supermarkets. Don't sub anything else; the briny, umami depth is what makes this dish sing. The cornstarch-flour dredge is the secret to that glass-shattering crust — straight flour gets thick and bready, but the cornstarch keeps it light and crackling. The double-fry technique is borrowed from Korean fried chicken and karaage tradition: the first fry cooks it through, the second fry drives out residual moisture and creates a crust so crispy it echoes when you bite it.
Cook's Notes
- **Furikake tip:** Furikake is a Japanese seasoning blend of nori, sesame, and dried fish. Find it at Asian grocery stores or online. Nori (toasted seaweed) flakes plus sesame seeds is a workable substitute.
- **Chicken tip:** Bone-in skin-on thighs produce the juiciest result and hold up to the high-heat finish. Boneless skinless thighs work but need less time.
- **Make-ahead:** Marinate the chicken up to 24 hours ahead in the fridge. The garlic and soy penetrate more deeply with time.
- **Storage:** Cooked chicken: 4 days refrigerated. Reheat uncovered in a 375°F oven for 12-15 minutes to re-crisp the skin.
- **Equipment:** A wire rack over a sheet pan allows hot air to circulate under the chicken and makes the bottom as crispy as the top.
- **Common mistake:** Adding the furikake too early in cooking. The nori in furikake burns quickly. Add it in the last 5 minutes or immediately after cooking.
- **Doneness cue:** Internal temp 165°F at the thickest part. The skin should be deeply golden and crispy — if it's pale and soft, it needs more time or a broil finish.