Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
Crispy Korean Fried Chicken - Chicken is coated in flour, Cornstarch, salt, and pepper and then deep-fried "twice" for at least 24-minutes until it gets crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside. Then it is tossed in a sweet, spicy, and sticky sauce made of Gochujang paste, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, and honey. Similar to this Sticky and Spicy Korean Chicken Wings
That crispy crackling sound when you take your first bite takes you on a joyride of typical Korean flavors. Paired with sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce this recipe for Korean "Double" Fried Chicken is the ONLY recipe that you'll ever need. Also, try Korean Cauliflower Wings and Gochujang Chicken Meatballs Recipe
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Where did Korean Fried Chicken Originate?
Korean Fried Chicken actually originated in South Korea. This was mostly served as an appetizer or sometimes after the meal as a snack.
Fried Chicken is coated in sweet and spicy sauce and then it is generally served with Picked Radishes and Cold Beer. You can learn more about the origin of Korean Fried Chicken here.
Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
This recipe for Korean fried chicken is so crispy that you literally feel like having a cracker when you take a bite, only it is chicken. On top of that, you've got this amazing, sweet, mildly spicy, and sticky Asian sauce that makes you want to reach out for another one. It's seriously so addictive. You know what, it wasn't even 5-minutes past making this recipe and I had eaten about 8-pieces of chicken.
I have made Fried chicken in the past. Air Fryer Fried Chicken, Crispiest Air Fryer Southern Fried Chicken Recipe with Buttermilk, Oven-Fried Crispy Honey Lemon Popcorn Chicken but nothing compares to this amazing recipe for Korean Fried Chicken.
When I tried this recipe for the first time, I loved it so much that I wanted to re-create it for my blog. It's one of those recipes that creates a lasting memory in your mind. For me, that was the moment when I took the first bite and heard that crackling, crispy, crunchy sound.
In fact, every Asian recipe has wowed me in some way or the other. Be it Sweet and Sour Chicken or Mango Chicken with Sesame in Teriyaki Sauce, Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, Firecracker Chicken, and etc.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for quantities. And take a look at the video for a quick visual.
Jump to Recipe Jump to VideoFor Frying Chicken
- Boneless Skinless Chicken - cut into 1-2 inch cubes
- All Purpose Flour - you can also use whole wheat flour or any gluten-free flour
- Cornstarch - you can replace this with arrowroot powder.
- Salt and Pepper
- Eggs
- Oil for frying chicken
For Sticky Asian Sauce
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- minced garlic cloves
- Tomato Ketchup
- Honey
- Rice wine vinegar
- Gochujang Paste
For Garnish
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Green Onions
How to Make Korean fried Chicken
Step 1: Coat Chicken
Coat chicken pieces in flour, cornstarch, eggs, salt, and pepper. Dust off any excess and set aside. See my recipe Air Fryer Chicken Tenders where I had used a similar coating for chicken.
Step 2: Fry chicken in hot oil
In a wok heat some oil. You can use any cooking oil such as canola oil. Once the oil gets hot, add chicken and fry for 12-minutes or until the chicken shrinks and the outer coat turns golden brown. Get them out and remove the foam in the oil. Make sure you use a wok to do all the frying business. The wok is so useful in Chinese recipes. For recipes like - Sticky Asian Hoisin Chicken Drumsticks, Chinese Chilli Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, 10-minute Honey Garlic Chicken, Keto Chinese Lemon Chicken, General Tso's Chicken Recipe, Mongolian Chicken the wok works so well. You get a crispy coating on the chicken and the cooking process happens so quickly.
Step 3: Double Fry Chicken
Put chicken back into the oil and fry for another 12-minutes. This is when your chicken will get cooked from the inside and form a super-crispy coating on the outside. Once done, take it out and set it aside. While making this recipe, I was thinking about Lemon Chicken Francese Recipe where I had fried chicken breasts in a similar fashion.
Step 4: Make Sauce
In a separate pan heat some toasted sesame oil. Once the oil shimmers add minced garlic cloves and sear for 30-seconds until it gets fragrant. Then add tomato ketchup, honey, rice wine vinegar, and gochujang paste. Stir well and cook until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky. I love this Sticky Asian Sauce. See my Crockpot Chicken Thigh Recipe with Asian Glaze where I have made a similar sauce.
Step 5: Garnish and Serve
Coat Double Fried Chicken in the sticky sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with a cold beer or plain white rice
Variations
- Baking Powder - Though it is totally optional but some people like adding a pinch of baking powder while coating chicken for a crispier coat.
- Buttermilk - if you want to do it in a typical Southern American Format then you can coat your chicken in buttermilk and allow it to rest for 20-minutes in the refrigerator, then transfer it to the breading mixture. This helps chicken become juicy and tender on the inside.
- Chicken Thighs - I have used boneless skinless chicken breast to make this recipe, you can use boneless chicken thighs as well.
Substitutions
- Cauliflower - If you want to make it vegetarian then you can use cauliflower to make Korean Fried Cauliflower. Everything happens exactly the same way and just swap out chicken for cauliflower. I have made so many Asian recipes with Cauliflower in the past. See recipes like Ginger Soy Cauliflower, Bang Bang Cauliflower, Sesame Cauliflower in Air Fryer
- Tofu - If you want you can replace chicken with tofu. Tofu is an excellent source of plant based protein and I am sure you'll like it. I had made Orange tofu in the paste, inspired by my recipe for Orange Chicken.
- Shrimp - Instead of chicken you can use shrimp as well. In fact, if you use shrimp the cooking is going to be all the more easier. See more asian inspired shrimp recipes such as Honey Bourbon Shrimp, Thai Peanut Lime Shrimp Curry, Garlic Honey Lime Shrimp, Shrimp Udon Stir Fry, Peanut Shrimp Pad Thai Recipe, Sweet Chili Garlic Shrimp, Creamy Thai Coconut Shrimp Curry Recipe, Green Curry Shrimp and many more.
- Salmon - You can do the exact same recipe with salmon. See my other Asian inspired salmon recipes like - Thai Sweet and Sour Salmon
Top Tips
- Make sure the oil is smoking hot before you add your chicken in it. Ideally it should range between 130 to 133 degrees F.
- Make sure you use up all of the coating while frying chicken. Less coating won't create crispy chicken.
- Make sure you remove the frothy part in oil before you add chicken into the oil for the second course of frying.
- While making the sauce, make sure that your sauce thickens and becomes sticky.
More Asian Recipes
- Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs | Asian Chicken Meatballs
- Asian Cashew Chicken [Better Than Takeout]
- Instant Pot Thai Cashew Chicken
- Hibachi Fried Rice Recipe (STEP BY STEP & VIDEO)
- Chicken Adobo Recipe (Authentic Filipino)
if you like this recipe, then please leave a rating below. Snap it and tag me on Instagram with #recipemagik @recipemagik
Recipe Card
Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into large 1-2 inch cubes (2 large chicken breasts about 6-7 ounces each)
for frying chicken
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 large eggs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper as per taste
- cooking oil such as canola oil (about 1/2 inch)
For Sticky Asian Sauce
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup tomato ketchup
- ⅓ cup honey
- 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- ¼ cup gochujang hot pepper paste
for garnish (OPTIONAL)
- toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions
Instructions
- Coat chicken in flour, cornstarch, eggs, salt, and pepper. Dust off any excess and set aside.
- Heat about ½ inch oil in a wok. Once the oil reaches a temperature of about 330 degrees F add chicken. Deep Fry chicken for 12-minutes on medium-high heat or until the chicken shrinks and forms a golden brown coating on the outside. Once done, take them out and remove the frothy part in oil using a spoon.
- Again heat up the oil and add the chicken back into the wok. Deep Fry for another 10-12 minutes until the coating becomes crispy golden brown. Once done, take it out and set it aside.
- In a separate skillet heat 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil. Once the oil shimmers add minced cloves of garlic. Sauté garlic for 30-45 seconds until it becomes fragrant. Add tomato ketchup, honey, rice wine vinegar, and gochujang hot pepper paste. Toss well for 2-minutes and then allow the sauce to thicken. Keep stirring so that the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook until the sauce becomes sticky and thick.
- Add chicken into the skillet and toss lightly to coat fried chicken in this sticky Asian sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve right away with rice and cold beer.
Video
Notes
- Make sure the oil is between 130-133 degrees F before frying the chicken.
- You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Do not fry all chicken at once. Do not crowd the pan. Fry chicken in batches.
- Do not skip double frying. The first time that you fry, the hot oil creates a crispy golden brown coating on the chicken. But, it doesn't necessarily cook chicken. So, when you fry it for the second time, the moisture oozes out from the chicken and becomes completely cooked and extra crispy.
Racheal says
Excellent recipe ❤ tried this today. The crispiness in chicken was fabulous.
Anjali says
Thank you Racheal.
Grant Martin says
Excellent recipe- but I was wondering- I saw eggs in the ingredients, but nowhere did it mention actually using them. Did I miss that?
Anjali says
I am sorry I missed eggs. Basically, you'll need 2 large eggs to coat your chicken before you fry them in hot oil. I have updated the recipe. Thanks for pointing it out.