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–+ servings
Pieces of boneless crispy Korean fried chicken in a white bowl.

Korean Fried Chicken

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Marinating Time 1 hour
Total 1 hour 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 2 pounds boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces or chicken wings flats and drummettes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger

Sweet and Spicy Korean Fried Chicken Sauce:

  • 1 teaspoon mild oil, vegetable, sesame or canola oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
  • 4 tablespoons Gochujang, Korean red chili pepper paste
 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon or 2 teaspoons of rice wine
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Coating:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup cornstarch
  • Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
  • Oil for deep frying, (About 1.5 quarts or 6 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds , (optional garnish)

Instructions

Marinate the Chicken:

  1. Pat dry the chicken with paper towels.
  2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, onion powder and baking powder. Set aside. (see notes)
  3. In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, toss the chicken with the grated fresh ginger. Add the baking powder mixture and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
  4. While the chicken is marinating, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and a second rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Set a wire rack over the second baking sheet.

Make the Sauce:

  1. In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for about 30 seconds to a minute or until aromatic. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and cook over low heat until bubbly. Remove from the heat. Keep warm.

Mix Coating:

  1. In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

Coat Chicken

  1. Dredge the chicken with the coating mixture. Place the chicken on the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

First Fry: Times for each chicken cut can be found on the Chef's notes.

  1. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, gently drop each piece of chicken into the hot oil. The temperature of the oil will drop sharply after adding the chicken so try to maintain the temperature between 325 - 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cook the chicken until lightly golden, about 4-5 minutes for boneless chicken breast, turning occasionally with a metal spider or kitchen tongs. Remove chicken from the oil and place it on the wire rack set over the paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.

Second Fry:

  1. Bring the oil temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Carefully, return all the chicken pieces to the oil and cook, stirring the chicken as it cooks for about 2-4 minutes for boneless chicken breast, or until deep golden brown and very crispy (time will vary depending on size and thickness of the chicken). Remove from the oil and and set on the rack to drain.
  2. Transfer the chicken to the reserved sauce and toss until evenly coated. Serve garnished with sesame seeds.

Notes

  • If using dried ginger for the marinade, whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl, then toss this mixture with the chicken to coat.
  • If you don’t have a frying thermometer, you can test the oil temperature by lowering a piece of chicken into the oil. If it bubbles, it’s ready.
  • Remove the chicken from the fridge right before you start making the sauce so the chicken has time to come to room temperature.
First Fry:
  • Boneless chicken breast: Cook until lightly golden, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Boneless chicken thighs: Cook until lightly golden, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Bone-in wings: Cook until lightly golden, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Second Fry:
  • Boneless chicken breast: Cook for about 2-4 minutes or until deep golden brown.
  • Boneless chicken thighs: Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until deep golden brown.
  • Bone-in wings: Cook for about 7 minutes or until deep golden brown and crispy.
Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken:
  • Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Lightly spray the base of air-fryer basket with vegetable oil spray.
    Bone-in wings: Arrange chicken wings in prepared basket spaced evenly apart. Place basket in air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. After the timer goes off, open and carefully flip over the chicken wings. Cook for 10-12 more minutes or until cooked through and crispy.
    For boneless chicken breast, make sure the chicken is not too thick. Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees. Lightly spray the base of air-fryer basket with vegetable oil spray. Arrange chicken pieces in prepared basket spaced evenly apart. Place basket in air fryer and cook for 6 minutes. After the timer goes off, open and carefully flip over the chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until cooked through and crispy.

Nutrition

Calories: 324 kcal, Carbohydrates: 33 g, Protein: 34 g, Fat: 6 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 97 mg, Sodium: 736 mg, Potassium: 703 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 9 g, Vitamin A: 67 IU, Vitamin C: 4 mg, Calcium: 50 mg, Iron: 1 mg
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