Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep the Vegetables
- Julienne the cucumber.
- Julienne and dice the bell peppers. Set both aside for later.
Marinate the Chicken
- Cut the boneless chicken thigh into bite sized pieces.
- In a bowl, mix the chicken powder, grated ginger, sake, and cornstarch into a thick, sticky paste.
- Add the chicken thigh pieces and toss to coat evenly. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes.
Make the Coating
- Whisk together the potato starch, all purpose flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in a wide, shallow bowl.
- Flick a few drops of water directly into the dry coating mix. This forms tiny clumps that puff up into a light, crunchy layer once air fried.
- Dredge the marinated chicken pieces in the coating mix, pressing gently so it sticks all over.
Air Fry
- Air fry the coated chicken at 200°C (400°F) for 3 minutes.
- Pull the basket out, spray the chicken generously with oil, and air fry for another 3 minutes. Not spraying at the start lets the crust harden first.
- Pull it out again, flip the chicken pieces, and spray generously with oil once more.
- Return to the air fryer and blast on max crisp at 240°C (465°F) for about 3 minutes. Treat that as a starting point, not a deadline, since every air fryer runs differently. What you're checking for is deeply golden, shatter crisp and cooked through. If it is not there yet, keep going in 1 minute bursts, checking after each one, until it is. If your air fryer does not have a max crisp mode, use 200°C (400°F) for about 4 to 6 minutes, then keep checking in 1 minute increments past that if it still needs longer. Be careful pulling the basket out, it's hot.
Make the Glaze and Toss
- Heat a large pan (about 24cm) over medium heat. Whisk together the sugar, light soy sauce, sake, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and gochujang, then pour into the pan with the bell peppers.
- Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved, making sure not to overcook the peppers so they keep their crunch.
- Turn off the heat. Add the crispy chicken to the pan and toss everything together until it is evenly coated in the glossy sauce.
Plate and Serve
- Pile the crispy glazed chicken and bell peppers onto the plate, then arrange the fresh julienned cucumber alongside it. Serve immediately while the chicken is still crackling.
Video
Notes
What I tested: I cook this in a Ninja Crispi Pro 6-in-1 Glass Air Fryer using the small glass container, which sits closer to the fan and heating element than the large one. The times in this recipe are for that setup. Other air fryers and deeper containers can cook faster or slower, so start checking a couple of minutes early.
My two glass containers: the small one (left) and the large one (right). Don't spray oil during the first 3 minutes in the air fryer. Letting the coating set dry first is what makes it shatter crisp. Flicking a few drops of water into the dry coating before dredging is the trick for extra crunchy little clumps. Keep the bell peppers moving in the pan for just a few minutes so they stay crunchy rather than going soft. Add the crispy chicken to the sauce off the heat and toss to coat, then serve right away while it's still crackling. This one is best fresh, since the glaze will soften the crust the longer it sits. Save the fresh cucumber for plating only, it should never touch the hot pan. Nutrition: Estimated per serving for the chicken, glaze and vegetables, without rice.
My two glass containers: the small one (left) and the large one (right). Don't spray oil during the first 3 minutes in the air fryer. Letting the coating set dry first is what makes it shatter crisp. Flicking a few drops of water into the dry coating before dredging is the trick for extra crunchy little clumps. Keep the bell peppers moving in the pan for just a few minutes so they stay crunchy rather than going soft. Add the crispy chicken to the sauce off the heat and toss to coat, then serve right away while it's still crackling. This one is best fresh, since the glaze will soften the crust the longer it sits. Save the fresh cucumber for plating only, it should never touch the hot pan. Nutrition: Estimated per serving for the chicken, glaze and vegetables, without rice.