This Korean fried chicken is chicken thighs in a crispy coating that are tossed in a sweet, spicy and savory sauce. A unique meal or snack that’s totally delicious!
If you’ve never had Korean fried chicken before, you’re missing out! Once you try it, you’ll be hooked. Looking for more Asian fried chicken recipes? Be sure to check out my sesame chicken and Chinese lemon chicken.
I first tried Korean fried chicken at a local restaurant, and ever since then I’ve been trying to recreate the flavors at home! Korean fried chicken is unique in that the sauce is the perfect blend of savory, sweet and spicy for a truly addictive end result. I can say with confidence that my homemade version of this dish is just as good as what you’ll get in a restaurant.
How do you make Korean fried chicken?
The first step is to cut your chicken into bite sized pieces. I use chicken thighs, but you can use chicken breast if you prefer. The chicken is dipped in egg, then coated in a mixture of cornstarch and flour before it gets fried to perfection. The final step is to make the sauce, which is a blend of sugar, ketchup and gochujang paste.
Tips for Korean fried chicken
- I recommend using a thermometer to monitor the temperature of your oil as you fry the chicken. You want the temperature of the oil to be in the 350-375 degrees F range. If the oil is too cold, the chicken will be overly greasy. If the oil is too hot, the outside of the chicken will burn before the inside is cooked through.
- The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead of time.
- This dish is best served immediately, as the chicken coating will soften as it soaks up the sauce.
- Want a fun curly green onion garnish like I have here? Cut some green onions into very thin slices, then soak them in ice water and they’ll curl up!
What is gochujang?
The main flavoring agent in the sauce is a sauce made with Korean red chili paste called gochujang. This condiment is sweet, savory and spicy all at once, and it’s the primary flavoring for this chicken. You can find gochujang sauce in many grocery stores in the ethnic foods aisle, or check your local Asian market.
How to serve Korean fried chicken
Korean fried chicken is most often served as a finger food style appetizer. You can also offer it as a main course and offer a side of rice and pickled vegetables. I’ve served it both ways and it’s always a hit no matter what!
This Korean fried chicken is a bit on the spicy side, so it’s not the best bet for young kids or people that are sensitive to heat. If you’d prefer to remove most of the spice factor, you can cut the amount of gochujang in half. The flavor won’t be quite as authentic, but you’ll still have an amazingly delicious dish!
More Asian food recipes
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Veggie Fried Rice
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Korean Beef Bowls
- Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
Korean Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- green onions for garnish optional
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons gochujang sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix the flour and cornstarch together and place in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
- Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pot to 350 degrees F.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg, then roll into the flour mixture. Repeat with all of the chicken.
- Fry 7-8 pieces of chicken at a time for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat the process with all of the chicken.
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk together the ketchup, gochujang paste, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil until smooth.
- Pour the sauce ingredients into a small pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 1-2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve, garnished with green onions if desired.
Donna Swiger says
Absolutely awesome!! My husband said it was the best flavorful heat he had eaten. This is definitely going to be a recipe I use again and again. I served it over shrimp fried rice. YUM
George says
Made this recipe twice now. I did not have/could not find Gochujang and substituted Sriracha Chili Garlic Sauce once and then a mango-habanero sauce the second time, both times were AMAZING.
Jordan says
I haven’t finished making these yet but the sauce is dope. One slight concern though, could you be clearer what you mean by “2 inch” piece of chicken? Are they supposed to be 2 inch cubes? I’m so confused
Sara says
Yes 2 inch cubes
Marjie says
Wow wow wow is all I can say! This Korean recipe is so delicious. My husband even comments it’s the best Korean chicken he’s ever tasted…. better than the restaurant he says!! Woah!! I’ll definitely be cooking this again. Love love love !!!!
Rahim says
This recipe is amazing. I tried it tonight but substituted wings for thighs. My wife really enjoyed it and I can’t wait to whip them up for friends. I don’t believe I’ve ever left a comment t on a recipe site but this one was especially deserving. Thanks and 모두 잘되길 빕니다!
Kerstine Banares says
Hi. I like to try it. But I don’t have gochujang paste though ☹️. Is it okay to use Sriracha chili sauce instead?
Thank you,
Sara says
Sure, it’s a different flavor but should be fine!
Kristin says
Loved the sauce! Put it over crispy chicken wings that I had baked in the oven. Such a versatile recipe!
Chelsea says
This came out amazing. It was easy to prepare and cook. Everyone loved it. I will definitely use again. Thank you!
Chichi says
This Korean chicken looks soo good. We love this recipe in my house. Yummy.
Jess says
These are literally finger-licking good!
Genevieve says
Oh my does this Korean fried chicken look good or what! Super easy to make too!
CLARA says
Simply delicious and I love me some good Korean food with crispy Korean chicken being one of my favorites. Gochujang is like ketchup in our home, a staple ingredient we use almost weekly. So happy I gave it a try!
Jenn says
Whenever I’m in the mood for serious flavor, this is the recipe I turn to! So perfectly balanced, I just love everything about this , especially the finger licking sauce!
katie says
can anyone tell me why mine wasnt browning? it was done? just whiteish
Renan says
Did you allow the chicken to sit out a bit before frying? It is recommended that chicken not be fried straight from the fridge. Instead allow the chicken to sit out for several minutes before frying it. This will allow for more even cooking.
Also be sure to use an oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or peanut oil. Make sure your oil is at the appropriate temperature before frying. If it is not hot enough then it will be more difficult and/or take longer to brown it.
Colleen says
We love Korean Food. This is absolutely the best recipe! I usually don’t post comments either but this was so good we want to thank you.
shankar das says
I followed the recipe precisely. I used chicken wings. My whole family agreed they were the best wings we’ve ever eaten.
Sandra says
Im 14 and I made this for my siblings and parents, they absolutly LOVED IT. They said I should make it agian and so next time ill consider doubling the recipe.
Mhairi says
Where has this recipe been all my life? It’s just swooped in and taken place as my favourite dish I’ve ever made! Thankyou so much for this recipe as someone else had wrote not a single adaption made and it’s perfection. Flavourful, kills the takeaway cravings and so so moreish. I made some fried rice to have with it which just finished it off nicely as a meal
Violet says
Well. I hardly ever leave comments because I often don’t get around to it or to be honest, most recipes for some reason always need a bit of adaption to make it really work for me. So it has been such a long time since I last didn’t feel the need to change things and I just got to make a recipe and enjoy all of it heheh … thanks for sharing! 😀
PS … I pinned this recipe, it’s the third I used to make this sauce and it’s the first that gave me the same flavour as at my go to restaurant. No longer need to search for a better one 😀