Korean Fried Chicken (recipe)
Korean Fried Chicken made using the #2 classic yangnyeom chicken sauce.
Korean Fried Chicken recipe (serves 2-3 people, 4-5 hours of inactive/brining, 1.2 hour of active cooking)
*Ideally, let your chicken thighs brine for 4-5 hours in the fridge + spend 1.5 hours to fry and prep the sauce **if you decide to skip the brining process, please do salt + pepper +a little soy sauce + garlic powder & let them sit in the fridge for a little (15-20 min) before frying!
Serves 2-3 people (as the main course): I am using 1.5 pounds of bone-in + skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. Using chicken thighs (or other dark meat that tends to stay moist longer) is crucial to the success of this recipe. I always brine chicken pieces before frying them to ensure success—so please do also brine them for about 4-5 hours (or overnight if you are planning on using it first thing in the morning/brunch time)
Ingredients
Approximately 1.5 pounds of chicken thighs
Extra paper towels to dry the chicken thighs thoroughly after they are done brining
<Brine>
1 tbsp of black pepper (ground)
2 cloves of garlic chopped roughly
1/2 tbsp of onion powder
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of ginger powder
2 tbsp of chicken stock bouillon (e.g., Knorr’s chicken flavored bouillon)
3 tbsp of mirin
1/2 tbsp of cayenne pepper powder
3.5 tbsp of oyster sauce
3 cups of cold water + 3tbsp of hot water to help dissolve chicken stock bouillon
<For frying>
1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
1.5 cups of potato starch (e.g., Bob’s Red Mill potato starch)
4.5-5 cups of vegetable oil for frying
<4 Different Sauces to Choose From>
1.Sweet Garlicky Soy Sauce
3 cloves of roughly chopped garlic
3 green onions chopped
1/2 cup of white sugar
3/4 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of mul-yeot (Korean-style corn syrup) * You can replace it with 1/4 cup of honey + 1/4 cup of molasses but the result will not be as “authentic.”
1/2 tonkatsu sauce (Japanese Bulldog brand is preferred in my opinion. NOT SPONSORED!)
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of chicken stock bouillon (e.g., Knorr’s chicken flavored bouillon)
4 cups of water
*(Optional) 5 dried Japones chile pepper (or Thai pepper is o.k too. Fresh peppers can be added as well—just watch the heat level depending on your personal preference)
2.Classic Yangnyeom Chicken Sauce
3.5 tbsp of soy sauce
3 tbsp of finely ground Korean red pepper powder
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of chopped fresh garlic
1/3 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup of gochujang
4/5 cup of mul-yeot (Korean corn syrup)
1/3 cup of water
*(Optional) chopped almonds or peanuts to serve
3.Spicy, Red Sauce **My favorite due to deeper flavor! Inspired by classic Korean Dalkalbi Sauce
For the ideal result, after mixing all the ingredients together (except for the Korean corn syrup), let the mixture sit a room temperature for about an hour. This will let the mixture develop a deeper flavor.
2.5 tbsp of white sugar
2 tbsp of coarsely ground Korean pepper flakes
1 tbsp of black pepper (ground)
4 tbsp of oyster sauce
4 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 tbsp of garlic powder
2 tbsp of gochujang
1 tbsp of curry powder (Any East Asian-origin curry powder will be perfect! Like S&B brand. Again. NOT SPONSORED by anyone! :) If using western-origin brands like McCormick’s use 1/2 tbsp instead)
8-9 garlic cloves chopped into chunks
(250ml or 8.5 oz) 1 whole small can of pineapple juice (or mango juice or some kind of tropical fruit-flavored juice will do)
1/4 cup of Korean corn syrup (mul-yeot)
0. Prep work:
<Brine>
Heat up a small cup of water in a microwave (or on a stovetop) & remove 3 tbsp of water from it and put it in a mixing bowl. Put in 2 tbsp of chicken stock bouillon in the mixing bowl. Use the hot water to dissolve the chicken stock bouillon using a spoon. Feel free to add more hot water if necessary!
Now add the rest of the ingredients for making the brine. Make sure 3 cups of water you are adding is cold (feel free to add ice if necessary). Once you mix everything together well inside the mixing bowl, add your chicken thighs inside so they are submerged under the brine.
Cover the mixing bowl with aluminum foil & put it in the fridge for 4-5 hours!
<For the spicy, red sauce>—if making
Mix all the ingredients (except the Korean corn syrup) into a mixing bowl. Cover the mixing bowl with aluminum foil to protect it from unknown objects going in! (e.g., your cat’s curious paws)
Leave the mixing bowl at room temperature for about an hour. Maximum of 2 hours should be o.k. if you forget. Put the bowl in the fridge after that.
Recipe begins!
1. Take the chicken thighs out of the fridge (+ brine mixture) & pat them dry on the surface with disposable paper towels. The better job you do removing the liquids on the chicken, the crispier they will be later when you fry them.
2. Prepare the double-bagged zip-locked bag—simply, place one zip-lock bag inside another bag. I recommend that you use large-sized ones that are big enough for you to be able to toss your chicken thighs inside with the flour + potato starch mixture.
3. Put 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour + 1.5 cups of potato starch inside the double-bagged zip-lock bag. After closing the bags, mix these two by shaking the bag in the air. Now place your chicken thighs inside the bag and shake the bag again—so your chicken thighs can be coated in all-purpose flour + potato starch mixture evenly.
4. Place the bag inside the fridge—so the chicken stays cold.
5. Prepare the sauce(s) you are making by mixing all the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl before pouring them into a saucepan.
**If you are making the spicy, red sauce, please do now add the Korean corn syrup before putting it into a saucepan.*
Heat up the saucepan using medium heat and stir frequently so they don’t burn. Your goal is to create a sauce that is sticky and syrupy. Reduce heat or turn off the heat if they are close to complete.
6. Now prepare to fry your chicken! In a deep saucepan (or a fryer), let your oil reach 340F (or approximately 170 degrees). If you don’t have a candy thermometer, make sure your heat is not at its highest but rather at its medium-high level.
** You can test your oil temperature by throwing in a small piece of batter in there. If it is too hot, the batter will immediately come up the surface. You want to reach a temperature where the batter stays down for a little (but not stick!) before lingering a little in the middle before ultimately rising to the surface.
7. Fry your chicken by adding them to your saucepan (or fryer). Don’t overcrowd the pan. Working in multiple batches is o.k.! Overcrowding your pan will mess with the temperature of the oil—messing with the texture of your chicken exterior! Turn the chicken pieces a few times as they are frying (so they don’t stick to one another). Depending on the size of the chicken pieces, your frying time should vary. But generally, a regular-sized chicken thigh should take about 10-12 minutes to fry.
**It’s not a bad idea to check on one of your chicken pieces & cut them open to make sure they are cooked all the way through. Nobody wants raw chicken with crunchy outside! As a rule of thumb, when a chicken is cooked, its meat juices will be clear.
8. Check on your sauce(s) and make sure they aren’t burning. If you turned off the heat, turn the heat back up to a low setting, so the sauce isn’t cold when you later apply them to the chicken.
9. Double-frying Process: (SUPER IMPORTANT!): Turn up the oil heat so slightly that this time the temperature is 350F (176 degrees). Double frying process will guarantee the extra crispy exterior that Korean Fried Chicken is so well known for! Fry your already-once-fried chicken pieces for another 10 minutes (if you are using regular-sized, bone-in thigh pieces) or until the chicken exterior looks golden brown but not burnt.
As you double-fry, place pieces that are done frying on a cooling rack or a plate (without paper towels underneath: some articles have pointed out paper towels DO catch oil but also make the fried items soggy by steaming them).
10. As soon as your chicken pieces have all gone through the double-frying process, dump your chicken pieces in a large mixing bowl + add sauce to coat them. You can also use a kitchen silicone brush (often used for basting) to brush on the sauce on them. ENJOY!
11. (Optional): If you decided to make a classic yangnyeom chicken sauce (#2), you can add some chopped peanuts or almonds on top before serving. I personally like to add chopped green onions on top for garnish + add fresh taste.
Korean Fried Chicken presented above here is made from bone-less, skin-on chicken thighs cut up into smaller pieces. You can ask your butcher to remove the bones and leave the chicken skin. I personally love eating crispy chicken skin but depending on your personal preference, you can just buy bone-less, skin-less chicken thighs and cut them up before brining and deep-frying.
Gochujang often come in a container like this one.
Utilizing double-layered large zip-lock bags are GREAT for throughly coating your chicken thighs with 1:1 ratio of all-purpose flour & potato starch mixture. Mess free! :)
Above are the ingrdients (except for 2 cloves of garlic) you need to make the brine for this Korean Fried Chicken recipe. Feel free to use any brand of your choice. These are just what I have at home! I strongly recommend that you brine your chicken to ensure maximum flavor & moist interior! All you need to do is just put everything in one bowl inside the fridge & walk away for 4-5 hours!
