Korean Fried Chicken

4.88 from 8 ratings

Extra crispy Korean fried chicken, coated in potato starch, double-fried and tossed in sticky, sweet and savory gochujang sauce.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Marinating30

Total Time1 20

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: chicken, chicken legs, chicken thighs, chicken wings, double fried chicken, fried chicken, gochujang, korean fried chicken, yangnyeom chicken

Servings:

Calories: 964kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

FOR THE KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN

3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (wings, drumsticks or small thighs) patted dry
2 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic grated
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

FOR THE COATING

1 cup potato starch (or cornstarch)
6-8 cups peanut oil for frying

FOR THE KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN SAUCE (YANGNYEOM SAUCE)

1 tablespoon neutral oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup gochujang
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey or rice syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons gochugaru
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

FOR SERVING

Toasted sesame seeds
Sliced green onions

Instructions

Season. Toss the chicken with the rice wine, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or up to overnight.
Coat. Roll the chicken in the potato starch, then squeeze each piece firmly to press the starch into the skin.
First Fry. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot to 350°F. Shake off any excess starch and fry the chicken in small batches until pale golden and nearly cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes for wings or 7 to 8 minutes for drumsticks and thighs. Transfer to a wire rack. Rest 5 to 10 minutes.
Sauce. Cook the garlic in the oil over low heat for 30 seconds. Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients except the sesame oil. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, until glossy and lightly syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
Second Fry. Raise the oil to 375°F. Fry the chicken again in batches for 3 to 5 minutes, until deep golden and crackly. Bone-in pieces should reach 175°F inside (165°F minimum). Drain on the rack.
Toss and Serve. Toss the hot chicken in the warm sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions and serve right away.

Notes

Heat Factor: Medium, nicely spiced but not hot. For milder, use mild gochujang and skip the gochugaru. For more heat, use a hot gochujang or add more gochugaru.
Soy Garlic Option: For the classic half and half platter, make a half batch of the yangnyeom sauce and a half batch of the soy garlic sauce in the post.
Boneless: Use 1½ to 2-inch chunks of boneless thigh or breast. First fry at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes, second fry at 375°F for 2 to 3 minutes.

Nutrition