Korean Fried Chicken

For most people, the letters KFC bring to mind red-and-white striped buckets of fast-food chicken. Well, move over Colonel, there’s another crispy treat in town that’ll make you want to lick your fingers: Korean fried chicken.

Like its American cousin the Buffalo wing, Korean fried chicken is the perfect blend of crispy fried skin on the outside and tender-juicy meat on the inside. With its sticky-sweet sauce that can be either spicy or mild (or both! Koreans call this ban-ban or half-half), this Korean fried chicken recipe is a great game day appetizer, or can be served with other Korean-inspired dishes for a savory family meal.

Ingredients for Korean Fried Chicken

• Chicken: Gather 4-1/2 pounds of chicken wings for this Korean fried chicken recipe. If you have a habit of washing meat before cooking it, it’s time to stop. Nothing is really being washed off, and, instead, bacteria is spreading all over the sink and anywhere else the water droplets fall when they splash off the chicken.
• Gingerroot: To mince fresh gingerroot, break off a 1-inch nub, then use a spoon to scrape off the skin. Mince enough of the gingerroot to measure 1 teaspoon for this recipe.
• Cornstarch: Our breading of choice is naturally gluten-free cornstarch. Cornstarch makes the breading crispier and lighter than all-purpose flour.
• Oil: I usually use canola oil, which has a neutral flavor and high smoke point and is generally affordable. Other oils for deep-frying include avocado, safflower, peanut, soybean, sunflower and cottonseed, depending on your taste and budget.
• Sauces: Our spicy gochujang sauce is made with fresh garlic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, gochujang, ketchup and sesame oil. Not a fan of spice? Check out our mild sauce recipe in the Variations section below. You could also go the ban-ban (half-half) route for the ultimate Korean fried chicken experience.
• Garnish: Thinly slice green onions (I love the look of a bias cut!) and toast sesame seeds for a lovely garnish on your Korean fried chicken.

Directions

Step 1: Make your sauce(s)

TASTE OF HOME

In a large saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, five to seven minutes. Keep the sauce warm.

Step 2: Prep the chicken wings

TASTE OF HOME

Using a sharp chef’s knife, separate the wing into drumettes, flats and tips. Discard the tips or use them to make a homemade chicken broth. Place the drumettes and flats in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt, black pepper and minced ginger. Mix well.

TASTE OF HOME

Measure the cornstarch into a shallow bowl and roll the wings one by one until thoroughly coated. Set the wings on a baking sheet. Don’t let them touch to keep them as dry as possible before frying.

Editor’s Tip: Korean cooks often mix their meats and marinades by hand and wear disposable gloves to make the job less messy.

Step 3: Heat the oil

Set a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with paper towels. You’ll need this for draining the wings later. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven to 350°F.

Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have a thermometer, heat until the oil has a slight shimmer. You can test the oil by dropping in one wing and seeing if it sizzles. If it just drops to the bottom, remove the wing with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and wait a bit longer.

Step 4: Fry the chicken wings

TASTE OF HOME

Working in batches, drop the wings in the oil one by one, being careful not to splatter or crowd the pan. Fry until the wings are lightly golden, about six to eight minutes.

Remove the wings from the oil with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and drain on the wire rack. Let the oil heat back up to 350° before starting the next batch.

Editor’s Tip: Depending on the size of your pot, you can usually fry about six wings per batch. (I like to cook the drumettes and flats in separate batches, as the drumettes take longer to cook.)

Step 5: Fry the wings a second time

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Increase fryer heat to 375°. Drop the wings in the oil one at a time. Fry until they’re medium-brown and crispy, about three to four minutes. Remove the wings from the oil with a slotted spoon or wire skimmer and drain them on the wire rack. Let the oil heat back up to 375° before starting the next batch.

Repeat until all the wings have been double-fried, then turn off the fryer or burner.

Editor’s Tip: For this batch, you don’t need to be as careful about crowding. Depending on the size of your pot, you can usually fry about eight wings per batch.

Step 6: Sauce and garnish

TASTE OF HOME

Keeping the wings on the wire rack, brush the sauce generously on one side of the wings, then flip them to brush sauce on the other side. Arrange the wings on a serving platter. Garnish them with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.

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Korean Fried Chicken Variations

• Swap the spicy sauce for a mild sauce: For those who are spice-averse, skip our gochujang sauce and make this mild sauce instead! In a large saucepan, combine four cloves of freshly minced garlic, 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 1/3 cup of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, five to seven minutes. Keep the sauce warm until it’s time to slather the wings.
• Use another cut of meat: Korean fried chicken is really about the extra-crispy skin and the sticky-sweet sauce, not about the cut of meat. You can use a whole cut-up chicken, drumsticks or—my personal favorite—boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size chunks. (You’ll need to adjust the cooking times to accommodate the larger pieces.)
• Make it gluten-free: Believe it or not, this Korean fried chicken recipe is already almost entirely gluten-free. Our “breading” is cornstarch—no flour here! All you have to do to make this recipe gluten-free is swap the soy sauce for tamari and make sure you’re buying gluten-free gochujang. You can also double-check that the rest of your ingredients are certified gluten-free, too, if needed.

How to Store Korean Fried Chicken

Before storing any leftover Korean fried chicken, allow it to cool completely to room temperature. Transfer the chicken to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to four days.

How do you reheat Korean fried chicken?

For chicken that’s been breaded and deep-fried, warm it back up in an air fryer. It’s the best method for reheating chicken while also keeping the skin nice and crispy. Let your chicken come to room temperature, then lightly spray it with cooking spray. Bake the wings at 360° for four minutes, then turn up the heat to 400° and bake the wings for another five minutes.

Korean Fried Chicken Tips

TASTE OF HOME

Can you make Korean fried chicken without deep-frying?

Yes, you can make Korean fried chicken without deep-frying. Cook the chicken wings in the oven, air fryer or on the grill and brush the mild or spicy Korean fried chicken sauce on the outside. You won’t get the same extra-crispy texture as you would with the double-fry method, but you’ll still enjoy the sticky-sweet flavors of Korean fried chicken. Follow our air-fryer fried chicken recipe or our crispy baked chicken recipe for guidance.

What side dishes should you serve with Korean fried chicken?

Korean fried chicken is often served with pickled vegetables, but would also go nicely with macaroni salad, potato salad or coleslaw. This chicken pairs well with an icy-cold beer too. In Korea, they have a special name for this combo: chimaek, a blend of chi (for chicken) and maek (for maekju, which means beer).