Chicken Nanban Sandwich

Chicken Nanban For Sandwich

During my recent visit to Japan, I was excited for a unique and limited menu item at Japan KFC - the Chicken Nanban Burger.

Chicken Nanban is a beloved Japanese dish featuring deep-fried chicken soaked in a tangy, savory sauce and topped with creamy tartar sauce. The KFC version transformed this dish into a sandwich (they call it a “burger”), combining the juicy, fried chicken with two delicious sauces, creating an indulgent sandwich that’s perfect for those with a hearty appetite. It’s a dish I imagine college students would love due to its rich flavors and filling nature.

In this blog post, I’ll show you how to recreate this Chicken Nanban Sandwich at home. It’s the perfect blend of crispy chicken, tangy Nanban sauce, and creamy tartar, all nestled between toasted buns and fresh lettuce.

RECIPE

Servings: 3-4

Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Chicken thigh (boneless)
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp Flour
2 pcs Egg
Cooking oil (for frying)
Nanban Sauce:
2 tbsp Rice vinegar
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Mirin
1 tbsp Sugar
Tartar Sauce:
3 Eggs (hard-boiled and chopped)
1/8 Onion (finely minced)
2 tbsp Mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
For the Burger:
Buns (toasted)
Lettuce

My Kitchen Tools:

Frying Pot

Instructions:

Prepare the Nanban Sauce:
In a small pot, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Once well-mixed, remove from heat and set aside.
Make the Tartar Sauce:
In a bowl, mix the hard-boiled eggs, minced onion, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Season and Coat the Chicken:
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken with flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the chicken into the beaten eggs, ensuring it’s well-coated.
Fry the Chicken:
In a pan, heat enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pan over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes on each side, until golden brown and fully cooked through.
Coat the Chicken in Nanban Sauce:
Once the chicken is fried, remove from the oil and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Then, dip the chicken into the prepared Nanban sauce, ensuring it’s fully coated.
Assemble the Burger:
Spread tartar sauce on both the top and bottom halves of the toasted buns. Place a leaf of fresh lettuce on the bottom bun, then add the Nanban-coated chicken thigh. Top with the other half of the bun.

ingredients shopping

The History of Chicken Nanban: From Portuguese Influence to a Japanese Classic

Chicken Nanban is a beloved dish in Japan, particularly in the Miyazaki Prefecture, where it is said to have originated. The term "Nanban" refers to "southern barbarians," a term historically used to describe the Portuguese traders who arrived in Japan during the 16th century. With them, they brought new ingredients and cooking techniques that would have a lasting influence on Japanese cuisine.

The Portuguese are credited with introducing tempura (deep-frying) and sugar into Japanese cooking. It was from this cultural exchange that Chicken Nanban was born. The dish evolved from nanbanzuke, a fried fish dish marinated in a vinegary sauce introduced by the Portuguese, similar to escabeche. Eventually, fried chicken replaced fish in many parts of Japan, and the flavor profile became more distinctly Japanese with the use of local ingredients like soy sauce and mirin.

Chicken Nanban is said to have been invented in the 1960s in Miyazaki Prefecture. The dish was reportedly created by chefs at Western-style restaurants who wanted to offer something uniquely Japanese yet inspired by European flavors. They took fried chicken and drenched it in a tangy, sweet, and savory sauce made from rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar. Over time, tartar sauce was added to balance the sharpness of the vinegar with a creamy texture, and Chicken Nanban as we know it today was born.

Though its roots are in Miyazaki, Chicken Nanban has spread across Japan, becoming a staple at both restaurants and home kitchens. It’s a dish that combines the richness of fried chicken with the brightness of the tangy Nanban sauce and the creaminess of tartar, creating a flavor combination that appeals to all ages.

The tangy sauce is made with rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce and sugar.