I don’t eat fried chicken often, but when I do, it’s usually sauced or spiced in some way. There’s nothing wrong with plain fried chicken, but I really prefer the added flavor interest. Speaking of flavor, this Korean fried chicken has it in spades. It’s both sweet and spicy, but neither too much nor too little of either.
The first thing you’ll want to consider when making this is how spicy you want it. The called-for amounts will give you something a bit spicy, but not overly so. I would say most people can handle it as-is. If you want something more spicy, consider adding a bit of “normal” red pepper flakes to the sauce.
You’ll also want to consider where to put the sauce prior to saucing the chicken. A pan is most convenient – especially if you melt the butter in the same pan. However, saucing the chicken in a skillet can be difficult. You could add it to a large bowl, but you’ll need a way to keep the bowl and sauce warm.
Finally, you’ll want to think about the kind of chicken you’re using. The listed cook times are for chicken-tender-shaped pieces. If you’re cooking something thicker or thinner, you’ll want to change the cook time to fit what you’re using. I highly recommend an instant-read thermometer for this; it’ll be helpful for both the oil and the chicken.
If you like this recipe for Korean fried chicken, check out my recipe for spicy chicken stew.
Ingredients
For the chicken/breading:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken, 454 grams
1/2 cup corn starch, 80 grams
1/2 tsp kosher salt, 3 grams
large pinch of baking soda, about 1/2 tsp
2 large eggs
For the sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce, 62 grams
1/4 cup ketchup, 80 grams
1/4 cup light corn syrup*, 75 grams
1/4 gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes,) 26 grams
1/4 cup melted butter, 56 grams
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp finely-grated ginger**, 2-3 grams
Preparation
Preheat a deep fryer or large pot of oil to 350 f (177 c). Add your chicken and breading ingredients to a large bowl, then mix until combined. Fry the chicken for about 5 minutes, then remove.
Make your sauce by combining all ingredients in a pan*** and cooking for 2-3 minutes over medium-low heat. Also begin heating your oil to 425 f (218 c).
Once your oil is heated, fry your chicken again for about 5 minutes. Briefly remove excess oil from the chicken, then add to the sauce. Combine the sauce and chicken, then serve.
Notes
* This would normally be rice syrup, but many people (myself included) won’t have it on hand. Even then, it’s probably not available for many people, so I decided on corn syrup instead.
**When I say finely-grated, I’m thinking of a rasp-style grater. You could do a fine knife mince, but the amounts won’t be quite the same.
The gram amount is also a rough estimate. Ginger is notoriously hard to measure, but both amounts should be fairly accurate.
*** You’ll want to start the sauce in a pan since warm sauce is easier to apply than a cold, thick sauce. It’s also good for cooking the red pepper flakes a bit; they’re somewhat chewy if left uncooked.
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