Like most beloved local Hawai‘i favorites, every family has their own version of mochiko chicken. This variation from chef Robynne Maii, co-owner of restaurant Fête in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, is a mash-up of her maternal grandmother’s kalbi marinade and the gluten-free tempura flour they use at the restaurant. There are some core ingredients that are always included in the marinade: shoyu (soy sauce), sugar, and garlic, but otherwise mochiko chicken is an adaptable crowd-pleaser. Grandma Kim used dry cooking sherry in a lot of her cooking, a habit passed on to her daughter and then to Robynne herself. Chef Maii has fond memories of Tupperware containers stuffed with gallon freezer bags full of marinating mochiko chicken for large gatherings.
No matter how tempting, don’t use chicken breast in place of the chicken thighs in this recipe. They don’t hold up as well to being fried and will be tough and dry instead of juicy.
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