Name: Korean fried chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 750 grams chicken legs; 5 cm fresh ginger; 2 cloves of garlic; 100 grams cornflour; 1 litre sunflower oil (for frying); 5 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tbsp gochujang; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 2 tbsp honey; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1 lime (wedge); 2 spring onions (sliced); 3 tbsp sesame seeds; Salt and pepper to taste; 1 bunch coriander

Crunchy, sweet, salty, spicy and just plain delicious, Korean fried chicken or korean bbq chicken is a fantastic snack. Delicious with a cold beer, or just like that. I recently made air fryer crispy chicken and those were amazing but these korean fried chicken pieces are the perfect blend of savory and sweet.

Korean fried chicken

First, a fun fact: in Korea, Korean fried chicken is also called chiken, which is literally translated as the Korean pronunciation of ‘chicken’. I found that quite funny. You may be wondering what is so Korean about this chicken, but it is mainly the use of gochujang. Korean food and Korean recipes seems to become increasingly popular these days and with good reason as I love Korean dishes. One of my favorites is the bibimbap which I made a while ago.

What else goes into the chicken

Chicken legs or chicken drumsticks – chicken breast can also be used but tends to be a little dryer. I prefer to use boneless chicken thighs or drumsticks. But use whatever cut of chicken you prefer
Cornstarch
Garlic and ginger
For the sauce and marinade ingredients, you will need
Soy sauce
Brown sugar
Gochujang – this is a spicy, chilli-based Korean red chili paste. You can substitute Sriracha if you prefer. I will soon be sharing a recipe for Korean chili paste too.
Sesame oil

And to serve, some green onions, sesame seeds and lime. If you like, you can also add a little coriander. It’s delicious served with some white rice or a spicy cucumber salad.

Preparing Korean bbq chicken recipe

Preparing the Korean fried chicken is not very different from ‘just’ frying chicken. You make a layer by coating the chicken in cornflour (shake off any excess) and then deep frying it in hot oil.

If you don’t have a frying pan, make sure you have some sort of thermometer. Ideally. Then you can keep an eye on the temperature. If you do not own a thermometer you can check if the oil is hot enough by adding a small piece of bread to the oil. It should start to bubble immediately. If it turns black within seconds the oil is too hot. After baking the chicken golden brown let it drain on paper towels and brush with the dipping sauce.

Making the sauce

To make the sauce, take a small saucepan, place on medium-high heat and add the sauce ingredients (gochujang, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and brown sugar). Bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken slightly. Taste to make sure the flavor is right. And season with black pepper and salt if needed. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples with the exception of the chili paste. But you can definitely make this spicy sauce with sriracha, sambal or harissa if you want.

Stir the fried chicken legs through the sauce and serve with the spring onions, sesame seeds and lime. Happy cooking!

Can I replace the cornstarch with flour in the batter?

You can but in general cornstarch will give a lighter and crunchier result, compared to all purpose flour.

How do I prevent the chicken from getting soggy once the sauce is added

Part of the appeal of this korean spicy chicken is of course the crunchy coating on the chicken. If you have fried the chicken take it out and let it first drain on paper towels to crisp up. Toss in the sauce and serve immediately. Do not let it stand for too long or it will get soggy.

Which cuts of chicken are best

Traditionally chicken legs or chicken wings are used as they do go best with frying. The skin will get nice and crispy giving it something extra. Boneless chicken thighs are another good option. Either with or without the skin on.