Calling all fried chicken lovers! This EXTRA crispy Korean fried chicken is for you! The chicken is super juicy on the inside and SO crunchy on the outside. It’s glazed with a sweet, sticky, and slightly spicy sauce that’ll have you licking your plate clean!
Dakgangjeong, or Korean fried chicken, is the perfect crunchy snack or part of your meal! For this recipe, we’re using boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces to save cooking time.
After all, I’m sure you’ll want these in your belly ASAP!
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What You'll Need
- Potato Starch: Potato starch creates an incredibly light and super crispy crust - I HIGHLY recommend using it! You can easily find it at your local Asian market (found mine at Ranch 99) or Amazon. This is a key ingredient, however, if you have trouble accessing it, you can use all-purpose flour as an alternative.
- Seltzer Water: The carbonation from the COLD seltzer water transforms the batter to make it incredibly airy, light, and extra crunchy! It’s absolutely game-changing.
- Gochujang: Gochujang is a Korean chili paste that’s sweet and slightly spicy. It’s packed with tons of rich umami flavor, making it the perfect base for this sauce!
How to Make Crispy Korean Fried Chicken
The two main components of Korean fried chicken are the sauce and the chicken.
The Sauce
The sauce for this chicken is sweet, sticky, and slightly spicy. It’s SO addictive and the perfect glaze that’ll keep you coming back for more!
- Saute garlic and ginger in a pot until fragrant, then add in the remaining sauce ingredients, except for the sesame oil.
- Simmer the sauce until it becomes a thick glaze. Turn off the heat, add the sesame oil, & give it a final stir. Set aside.
The Crispy & Juicy Chicken
- Marinate chicken to tenderize the meat and infuse it with flavor while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Make the sauce by combining Korean chili flakes, gochujang, mirin, honey, and rice vinegar. Het a small pot, saute garlic, add soy sauce, then gochujang mixture. Simmer then add sesame oil, cover, & turn off heat.
- Make the dry dredge by combining all of the dry ingredients on a large plate.
- Make the wet batter by combining the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
- Coat the chicken in the dry drege, then the wet batter, then back in the dry dredge. Scrunch the chicken so it's packed in. Allow chicken to sit for 15 minutes.
- Fry chicken on mediumheat for 3 - 5 minutes, or until golden & crispy. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined sheet.
- Double fry the chicken for EXTRA crispiness - this is a key step for chicken that stays crunchy even hours later. That is if you have any leftovers! Transfer the fried chicken wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Toss chicken & sauce together until every nook & cranny is well coated. Top with sesame seeds, if desired, then enjoy!
Helpful Tips
- How to Maximize Crispiness When Frying: You’ve probably heard this before but it’s SO important - avoid overcrowding your pan or pot! When it’s overcrowded, the oil temperature drops, which means your chicken won’t be able to reach maximum crispness. No one wants that!
- The KEY Game-Changing Frying Technique: This wouldn’t be proper Korean fried chicken without the double fry! A single fry results in a light crisp that eventually turns soggy. Double frying is the crucial step that keeps your chicken crunchy even for hours later.
- Setup for an Easy Cleanup: It’s no secret that frying tends to leave an oily mess behind. Ugh. So annoying to clean up - except if you use an oil splatter screen! Unlike using a lid, steam doesn’t get created (which makes even more splattering). The splatter screen keeps your stove and counters clean so you’re not spending extra time cleaning the kitchen!
What's the Secret to Korean Fried Chicken?
Korean fried chicken is known to be incredibly light and SO crunchy! The 3 top secrets to making EXTRA crispy fried chicken are:
- Potato Starch: Ever wondered what the secret to Korean fried chicken batter is? Potato starch is it for an addictive crunch that also locks in the meat’s juices!
- Carbonated Water: This makes the batter super light and airy. Make sure that’s it’s chilled. It’ll make such a big difference you can hear!
- Double Frying: It’s not proper Korean fried chicken without the double fry! Trust me, this will change the way you fry food - forever.
What makes Korean fried chicken different?
What makes Korean fried chicken unique compared to American fried chicken is the batter. Korean fried chicken batter results in a light and extra crispy crust, whereas American fried chicken tends to have a thick batter coating.
Why do Korean fried chicken recipes require a double fry?
Double frying ensures your fried food not only becomes crispy but also, STAYS crispy! Don't get tempted to skip this step - it's an absolute game-changer in frying food!
What do you do with leftover oil?
You can repurpose your oil 1 - 2 more times! Strain your oil to remove any bits left from frying and you can reuse it for other recipes when needed.
Did You Make This Recipe & Hungry for More?
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Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
Sauce
- ½ - 1 teaspoon gochgaru Korean chili flakes, adjust to spice level
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 ½ tablespoons mirin
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Dry Dredge
- 1 ¼ cup potato starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Wet Batter
- ½ cup cold seltzer water
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup potato starch or all-purpose flour
Instructions
Marinate Chicken
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken marinade ingredients. Cover and marinate while preparing the sauce, dry dredge, & wet batter.
Make Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), gochujang, mirin, honey, & rice wine vinegar.
- Heat a small pot on medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon of oil then add the garlic. Saute for a few seconds, until it becomes fragrant.
- Pour in the soy sauce along the edges of the pot to create a char, then add in the gochujang sauce mixture. Stir until well combined then bring to a simmer. Once it’s slightly thickened, finish with sesame oil, cover, and turn off the heat.
Make Dry Dredge & Wett Batter
- On a large plate, combine the dry dredge ingredients. Set Aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the wet batter ingredients.
- Coat the chicken in the dry dredge so there are no wet spots on the chicken. Drunk them in the wet batter, then back in the dry dredge. Scrunch the dredge onto the chicken so it’s packed in well. Allow the chicken to sit for 15 minutes.
Fry Chicken
- Heat a large work or pan on medium heat. Add enough oil for deep or shallow frying. Once the oil is hot enough, add chicken to the pan - work in batches if needed. Don’t overcrowd the pan, otherwise, your chicken won’t become crispy! Cook for about 3 - 5 minutes, or until lightly golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
- Double fry the chicken to make them extra crispy! Increase the heat to high, then add chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding. Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until golden and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken in the sauce. If the sauce has gotten too thick, you can reheat it and / or add a splash of water to loosen it up. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired, then enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Potato Starch: I highly recommend making the effort to get potato starch because it creates a super crispy crust for the chicken. You can easily find it at local Asian markets or online. This is a key ingredient, however, if you have trouble accessing it, you can use all-purpose flour as an alternative.
- Gochujang: Gochujang is becoming a popular ingredient that's now sometimes found in the Asian section of grocery stores, but if you have any trouble finding it, check your local Asian or Korean markets. You can get it in various spice levels - just keep in mind that you can also add more heat by adding chili flakes too!
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and provided for informational purposes. Nutrition may vary based on product availability, methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients, etc. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
HEY, I'M MIKHA!
...A fellow food lover who loves cooking up a delicious storm in the kitchen - and of course eating! These quick & easy Asian recipes will help you transform simple ingredients into a drool-worthy meal made with love, for the people you love - no matter your skill level & without spending all day in the kitchen.
Now come on - Grab a seat & let's eat!
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