How to Make Convenience Store Fried Chicken (Famichiki Copycat Recipe)

Konbini (Japanese convenience stores) are a must-visit in Japan, known for their fun variety of food. Since FamilyMart introduced “Famichiki” in 2006, it’s become a fan-favorite snack. Today, I'll teach you a copycat recipe you can try at home!

Other convenience stores have their own unique takes on fried chicken, such as 7-Eleven’s “Nana-chiki” (with “Nana” meaning seven in Japanese) and LAWSON’s “L-chiki.” While there are countless fried chicken recipes out there, you might wonder what sets Famichiki apart. 

First, the shape. Famichiki is flat and thin, making it a convenient one-hand snack you can enjoy anytime, anywhere. It’s perfect as a lunch addition, a light meal, or even an accompaniment to alcoholic drinks.

Another highlight is the light, crispy coating. To recreate this texture, I blended a few different powders to mimic the original coating. My recipe replicates that signature crunch using a specific technique, so don’t miss it!

Famichiki may resemble “karaage” (Japanese fried chicken) visually, but they differ in several ways. Karaage is typically seasoned with soy sauce and focuses more on juiciness and a satisfying bite. Famichiki, on the other hand, uses a different seasoning method and texture.

Famichiki is made from chicken thigh, according to the official website. However, I used chicken breast instead, as it was easier to flatten evenly. To keep the meat juicy and tender, I added a special step to the recipe that achieves just that.

Famichiki is delicious on its own and doesn’t usually come with a dipping sauce. That said, FamilyMart has released various seasonal flavors in the past, including dashi soy sauce, curry, salt & lemon, red chili, and consommé. Feel free to try pairing your Famichiki with similar flavors to switch things up!

Don’t miss another viral combo: Famichiki and pancakes! This quirky but popular combination involves pairing Famichiki with “Hotcakeman”, fluffy hot pancakes sold at FamilyMart, layered with maple syrup and margarine.

Sadly, Hotcakeman is a seasonal item and wasn’t available, but I substituted it with “Funwari (fluffy) Hotcake,” a year-round item found in the bread section. The combo is amazing, so be sure to check it out in the final part of my recipe!