I was born in Nobeoka, a small coastal city nestled in Miyazaki Prefecture. It might not be famous for many things, but there’s one hidden gem worth mentioning: a cozy diner called Naochan, near Nobeoka Station, where my favorite version of Chicken Nanban originated. It’s based on a Portuguese dish that arrived in Japan centuries ago with Jesuit missionaries. In my version, juicy chicken thighs are wrapped in a crisp, golden crust and dipped into a vibrant, tangy-sweet nanban-zuke sauce. Its irresistible balance of flavors has earned Chicken Nanban fans worldwide, myself included, which is why it made the cover of my cookbook, Ultimate Bento . Here’s how to make sure your Chicken Nanban turns out perfectly every single time.
- Why My Recipe Works
- Ingredients
- How to Make Chicken Nanban
- Serve This With
- 📖 Recipe
- FAQ
- Comments
Why My Recipe Works
- Egg-Bloom Batter - Instead of using flour or starch, Naochan’s original chicken nanban is crusted in lacy tendrils of egg. This creates a resiliently crispy crust that soaks up the glaze without going soggy.
- Thigh Meat: Juicy thigh meat remains moist and flavorful even after frying, making it superior to breast meat for this dish.
- Brief Sauce Bath - A 5-second dunk in the tangy sweet sauce lets capillary action pull the nanban sauce into the egg crust without losing its crispness.
- Chunky Lemon Tartar - Serving this with a chunky Japanese-style tartar sauce creates a creamy contrast, while the bright lemon zest keeps it from getting too heavy.
Ingredients
- Chicken Thigh - Juicier and more forgiving than chicken breast; buy fresh, boneless skin-on thighs if you can, or use my tutorial to debone whole chicken legs . It’s worth noting that in Naochan’s version of Chicken Nanban, they use breast meat.
- Egg - While a flour coating helps the egg adhere to the chicken, it’s really the egg itself that creates the signature crispy crust. When the coated chicken meets the hot oil, the egg batter expands into delicate, lacy edges that fry up golden brown and crisp.
- Usukuchi Soy Sauce - This is the main seasoning for the Nanban sauce, adding savory umami and saltiness. Usukuchi soy sauce has a lighter color and higher salt content than typical Japanese soy sauce, making it ideal for this glaze. If you don’t have usukuchi soy sauce, regular soy sauce with a pinch of extra salt works too.
- Sake - Sake is a Japanese beverage made through the alcoholic fermentation of rice, which also breaks down the proteins into amino acids which create the taste of umami. That’s why it’s often used as a flavor enhancer in Japanese cuisine. Boiling the sauce burns off the alcohol, so you don’t need to worry about that. If you want to use mirin as a substitute, cut the amount of sugar in half.
- Sugar - It balances the saltiness and acidity, creating that signature sweet-and-sour flavor profile. I prefer using evaporated cane sugar for its subtle caramel notes, but regular granulated sugar works fine.
- Japanese Rice Vinegar - Provides bright acidity and a fruity aroma that’s essential for authentic Nanban zuke sauce. You can substitute apple cider vinegar if you can’t find it.
- Mayonnaise & Egg - Japanese mayo (such as Kewpie mayonnaise) provides the tartar sauce with its creamy, tangy foundation, while a medium-boiled egg adds a chunky texture and richness. Together, they elevate this sauce into something more substantial-almost like a side dish rather than just a condiment.
- Whole Grain Mustard - The tiny seeds pop for a contrast of textures, while the mustard adds a spicy edge that balances out the richness of the mayo.
- Celery & Scallions - Minced celery and scallions(green onions) add a crisp, crunchy texture and bright herbal notes, offering a refreshing contrast to the creamy richness of the tartar sauce.
- Lemon - I use both the zest and juice from fresh lemons, which brighten the tartar sauce and add a vibrant, refreshing flavor.
How to Make Chicken Nanban
Prep the Sauces
- Stir chopped egg, celery, scallion, mayo, mustard, lemon zest, and juice in a bowl. Season with salt and white pepper; cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld.
- In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, sake, sugar, and ginger. Boil for 1 minute to reduce, then remove from the heat and stir in rice vinegar. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl.
Prepare the Chicken
- Trim off excess fat, season the thighs lightly with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. The flour layer helps the egg adhere uniformly.
Batter and Fry
- Beat the egg until it is uniform in color. Dip each piece of chicken to coat it fully, then gently lower it skin-side down into vegetable oil that has been preheated to 170 °C.
- Immediately drizzle some of the remaining egg over the top of each piece of chicken. It will bloom into lacy strands. Fry for 6-8 minutes, flipping carefully after the crust sets to avoid breaking any of it off.
Glaze and Finish
- When the chicken is cooked, transfer it straight from the oil into the bowl with the Nanban sauce and quickly flip it over several times to coat both sides. Let the excess sauce drip off.
- Slice and arrange the fried chicken onto plates. Serve while hot, accompanied by a dollop of tartar sauce. If you are packing it into a bento box, let the chicken cool on a wire rack after glazing, then slice and pack it.
Serve This With
For a classic teishoku-style meal, I love serving this Chicken Nanban on a generous bed of shredded Japanese cabbage salad , which offers a crisp, refreshing balance to the richly flavored crispy chicken. On the side, my mom’s Japanese potato salad provides comforting heartiness that makes it a favorite in our household. Round out your meal with steaming bowls of Japanese short-grain rice , a soothing miso soup , and a small plate of wasabi cucumber pickles -their cool, fragrant crunch makes a delightful contrast!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients1x2x3x
Tartar Sauce
- 1 medium-boiled egg peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon celery finely chopped
- ½ scallion minced
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise Japanese mayo works best
- ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper (to taste)
- 1 pinch salt (to taste)
Nanban Sauce
- 2 tablespoons usukuchi soy sauce light color , not low sodium
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Chicken
- vegetable oil for frying
- 450 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour for dusting
- 1 jumbo egg
Instructions
- To prepare the tartar sauce, add 1 medium-boiled egg , 1 tablespoon celery , ½ scallion , 2 tablespoons mayonnaise , ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard , ¼ teaspoon lemon zest , and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to a bowl and stir to combine. Add 1 pinch salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper to taste.
- To make the nanban sauce, add 2 tablespoons usukuchi soy sauce , 2 tablespoons sake , 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon fresh ginger to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling for 1 minute and then turn off the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons rice vinegar .
- Add 2-inches of vegetable oil to heavy bottomed pot and heat to 340 degrees F (170 C) and prepare a wire rack and pan.
- Trim any excess fat off of 450 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs and season lightly with salt and black pepper .
- Dust the chicken with ¼ cup all-purpose flour .
- Beat 1 jumbo egg in a bowl until uniform and then dip the chicken in the egg to thoroughly coat.
- Gently lower the egg coated chicken skin-side down into the hot oil and then drizzle a little of the remaining egg onto the tops of each piece of chicken. The egg will quickly “bloom” and spread out.
- Use tongs or chopsticks to fold the egg back over the chicken.
- Fry the chicken until it’s golden brown and cooked through (about 6-8 minutes). You’ll want to flip the chicken over a few times, but be careful not to break the crust off off the chicken.
- Dip the fried chicken in the sauce, flipping it over a few times to coat it evenly.
- Slice and serve the chicken with the tartar sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Nanban is a beloved type of yōshoku , Japan’s Western-influenced cuisine, originating from Miyazaki Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu. It’s made by deep-frying chicken coated in an egg batter until crisp, then glazing it while piping hot in a tangy-sweet nanban-zu (南蛮酢)-a mix of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. A staple dish at casual teishoku-ya (定食屋) eateries across Japan, Chicken Nanban is typically topped with a chunky Japanese-style tartar sauce that blends creamy mayo, jammy egg, crunchy celery, and onions for added texture and flavor.
The technique known as nanbanzuke (南蛮漬け, literally “soaked Southern barbarian style”) can be traced back to 16th-century Portuguese missionaries who introduced a fried fish dish marinated in vinegar, similar to what we now know as escabeche. Chicken Nanban itself was first created in the mid-1950s at Restaurant London in Nobeoka City as a staff meal. Two apprentices from that restaurant, Naoya Gotō, and Teruyuki Kai, later brought the concept to their eateries. Gotō opened Naochan , near Nobeoka Station, where he served chicken soaked in soy-vinegar sauce. Meanwhile, Kai’s restaurant, Ogura , located in Miyazaki City, topped their Chicken Nanban with a creamy tartar sauce. It’s Kai’s rich, tartar-topped version that has become particularly beloved throughout Japan.
To achieve a crisp egg coating, it’s crucial to fry the chicken in hot oil. This high heat lets the egg quickly expand into delicate, crispy edges. If you try to make this in an air fryer, the egg tends to turn into a flat, omelet-like sheet and usually sticks stubbornly to the basket, so I don’t recommend it.
Karaage involves chicken coated in starch that’s fried crisp and typically enjoyed without sauce. Chicken Nanban, meanwhile, can be prepared similarly with a starch coating, though it’s more commonly dipped in egg batter before frying until golden. What distinguishes Chicken Nanban is the step afterward: soaking the crispy fried chicken in a tangy, sweet-and-savory sauce, giving it an irresistible flavor and texture that’s entirely different from karaage.
To keep your Chicken Nanban crisp in a bento, make sure to drain off excess glaze thoroughly and let the chicken cool completely to room temperature before placing it in your bento box lunch. The egg batter in this recipe stays crunchy much longer than coatings based solely on flour or starch, making it perfect for packed lunches.
Chicken Nanban
Equipment
- Large Glass Bowl
- small stainless saucepan
- Small Glass Bowl
- cast iron frying pot
- Spatula
- Cooking Chopsticks
- frying tongs
- Draining Rack
Ingredients
Tartar Sauce
- 1 medium-boiled egg peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon celery finely chopped
- ½ scallion minced
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise Japanese mayo works best
- ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper (to taste)
- 1 pinch salt (to taste)
Nanban Sauce
- 2 tablespoons usukuchi soy sauce light color , not low sodium
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Chicken
- vegetable oil for frying
- 450 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour for dusting
- 1 jumbo egg
Instructions
- To prepare the tartar sauce, add 1 medium-boiled egg , 1 tablespoon celery , ½ scallion , 2 tablespoons mayonnaise , ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard , ¼ teaspoon lemon zest , and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to a bowl and stir to combine. Add 1 pinch salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper to taste. 1 medium-boiled egg, 1 tablespoon celery, ½ scallion, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon whole grain mustard, ¼ teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper, 1 pinch salt
- To make the nanban sauce, add 2 tablespoons usukuchi soy sauce , 2 tablespoons sake , 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon fresh ginger to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling for 1 minute and then turn off the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons rice vinegar . 2 tablespoons usukuchi soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sake, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- Add 2-inches of vegetable oil to heavy bottomed pot and heat to 340 degrees F (170 C) and prepare a wire rack and pan. vegetable oil
- Trim any excess fat off of 450 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs and season lightly with salt and black pepper . 450 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs, salt, black pepper
- Dust the chicken with ¼ cup all-purpose flour . ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Beat 1 jumbo egg in a bowl until uniform and then dip the chicken in the egg to thoroughly coat. 1 jumbo egg
- Gently lower the egg coated chicken skin-side down into the hot oil and then drizzle a little of the remaining egg onto the tops of each piece of chicken. The egg will quickly “bloom” and spread out.
- Use tongs or chopsticks to fold the egg back over the chicken.
- Fry the chicken until it’s golden brown and cooked through (about 6-8 minutes). You’ll want to flip the chicken over a few times, but be careful not to break the crust off off the chicken.
- Dip the fried chicken in the sauce, flipping it over a few times to coat it evenly.
- Slice and serve the chicken with the tartar sauce.
