Garlic Furikake Chicken

Crispy and juicy chicken in a sweet and savory garlic sauce. Topped with furikake loaded with seaweed, sesame seeds and seasonings for the ultimate umami bomb!

I discovered garlic furikake chicken while visiting a restaurant called Broke Da Mouth Grindz in Hawaii. The chicken was so crispy it could "break your mouth" and the sauce was sweet, salty, and garlicky.

One of the first things I did after returning home was try to recreate this dish. Two years later and this recipe is still one of our favorites!

This recipe is so simple to make and packed with flavor. The furikake topping takes this dish to the next level and gives a nutty and crunchy touch.

What is Furikake?

Furikake is a Japanese seasoning that is commonly eaten on top of rice or on seafood and vegetables. It comes in many flavors such as salmon, wasabi, and egg. The dried ingredients in furikake often consist of seaweed, sesame seeds, bonito (fish) flakes, salt, and sugar.

This combination of ingredients create a crunchy topping with nutty, sweet, savory, and umami flavors.

"Furi kakeru" means to sprinkle over and you might just want to sprinkle this over everything! You can top furikake on avocado toast, ramen, poké bowls, or eggs!

Next time you're at the Asian grocery store, pick up some furikake and it might just replace your salt and pepper!

You may be able to find furikake in the Asian aisle of major grocery stores.

For this recipe I'm using Yasai Fumi Furikake, which is vegetable flavored and consists of sesame seeds, seaweed, potato, pumpkin, carrot, celery, spinach, and paprika.

I also used furikake on taro fries with spicy mayo. A great side dish or appetizer!

Ingredients in Crispy Garlic Chicken

For the sauce you will need

• Brown sugar- maple syrup can be substituted
• White sugar- honey, agave, monkfruit sweetener, coconut sugar can be used
• Soy sauce- can be substituted with tamari or liquid aminos
• Black pepper- white pepper can be substituted
• Garlic- I'm using 3 garlic cloves in this recipe. Don't skimp on the garlic!

The ingredients in the sauce are pretty basic, only substitute if you absolutely need to as the dish may taste different otherwise.

For the chicken you will need

• Boneless skin-on chicken thighs- you must use chicken thighs with the skin on. It's kinda the entire point of this dish! The skin gets fried to crispy perfection and the chicken thighs stay juicy!
• Flour- if you can't have flour, try cornstarch or potato starch.
• Oil- for frying use canola, vegetable or corn oil.
• Furikake- any furikake will work. I used the vegetable flavor.
• Scallions- for garnish.
• Steamed white rice- to serve and soak up the extra sauce!

How to Make Furikake Chicken

In a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients on medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. In a mixing bowl, add chicken and flour and coat evenly. We don't need to season the flour because all the flavor will be in the sauce.

Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add half an inch of oil to shallow fry. Dust off any excess flour and fry the chicken for 5 minutes on each side. Drain the chicken on a paper towel or wire rack. Work in batches if needed or you can deep fry the chicken with more oil.

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Toss the fried chicken in the sauce and sprinkle furikake and scallions on top. Serve with steamed rice and drizzle extra sauce over the dish!

Storing Leftover Chicken

This recipe makes four servings and is best served immediately to ensure crispiness. If you can't eat all the chicken, I recommend coating a smaller amount of chicken in flour and frying. Store the chicken thighs in the fridge for up to two days, coat and fry the amount you will eat then toss with the sauce.

If you decide to store leftover garlic furikake chicken, it can be stored in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer.

Serve Chicken with

Serve this dish as Broke Da Mouth does with tuna macaroni salad or sweet potato salad.

To add some veggies, make some maple soy brussels sprouts or Chinese broccoli.