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Home » Appetizers » Korean Fried Chicken

Published: February 24, 2019 Last Modified: March 3, 2019 By Sara 45 Comments

Korean Fried Chicken

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Korean Fried Chicken Recipe | Fried Chicken | Korean Chicken #chicken #friedchicken #appetizer #dinner #dinneratthezoo

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.

Korean Fried Chicken Recipe | Fried Chicken | Korean Chicken #chicken #friedchicken #appetizer #dinner #dinneratthezoo Korean Fried Chicken Recipe | Fried Chicken | Korean Chicken #chicken #friedchicken #appetizer #dinner #dinneratthezoo

Korean fried chicken on a serving plate topped with curly green onions.

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.

Chicken thigh pieces coated in egg, flour and cornstarch.

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!

Fried chicken thigh pieces on a sheet pan.

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.

Fried chicken thigh pieces in a pan of sweet and savory Korean sauce.

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!

A pan of Korean fried chicken coated in a sweet and spicy sauce then garnished with sesame seeds.

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 on a serving plate topped with curly green onions.
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5 from 29 votes

Korean Fried Chicken

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!
Course Main
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 323kcal
Author Sara Welch

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 551mg | Potassium: 367mg | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2.2mg
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Filed Under: Appetizers, Asian Food, Dinner

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    Comments

    1. D says

      May 27, 2020 at 3:32 am

      Tried this tonight and it was so delicious! Will definitely be making it again.

      If I wanted to make it spicier should I add fresh chilli or more gochujang? If more gochujang is added should I reduce the honey or sugar?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        May 27, 2020 at 3:27 pm

        Either chili or more gochujang would would fine. I would keep the sweetener amount the same!

        Reply
    2. Kathleen fazio says

      May 3, 2020 at 9:11 am

      Is it Gojang PASTE or Sauce? I bought sauce

      Reply
      • Sara says

        May 3, 2020 at 7:51 pm

        That will work fine!

        Reply
    3. B. Self says

      April 16, 2020 at 12:01 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! Thanks initially made the sauce according to the recipe, but found the gochujang to be a bit strong for my taste, so when I went to double the recipe, I just omitted the gochujang. Sauce was amazing. The chicken came out just like the pictures, though I didn’t curl my green onions. Husband was very pleased. We served as you suggested with rice and pickled vegetables. It tasted like we had gone out to eat. What a treat!

      Reply
    4. Kristen M says

      March 18, 2020 at 7:14 pm

      Delicious! I paired with noodles and broccoli and it was great.

      Reply
    5. Cassie from Ohio says

      January 12, 2020 at 1:00 pm

      Made your Korean chicken today and added about 3 tablespoons of orange juice to the sauce and some corn starch slurry to thinker. It was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    6. Kaityln says

      November 24, 2019 at 3:41 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing in a sandwich.

      Reply
    7. Amalia says

      November 5, 2019 at 2:12 am

      I love Korean fried chicken! Wondering how this would go in the air fryer..

      Reply
      • Sara says

        November 5, 2019 at 8:43 am

        I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work, although I haven’t tried it myself!

        Reply
    8. Autumn Murray says

      February 27, 2019 at 3:37 am

      YUM! My kids and I are hooked on Korean fried chicken after tasting it in Asia this past summer. I am going to surprise them by making this recipe. Thank you!

      Reply
    9. artchee says

      February 27, 2019 at 1:06 am

      5 stars
      Woah, another chicken recipe that I would really like to try. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    10. Shannon Gurnee says

      February 26, 2019 at 9:23 pm

      This looks like a delicious recipe! I would love trying to make this sometime.

      Reply
    11. Tiffany La Forge-Grau says

      February 26, 2019 at 10:00 am

      5 stars
      You can never go wrong with an Asian dish. This chicken looks absolutely delicious with all that sauce.

      Reply
    12. Subhashish Roy says

      February 26, 2019 at 6:48 am

      The dish looks yummy. Would surely love to have it sometime.

      Reply
    13. Emmanuel Damian says

      February 26, 2019 at 5:20 am

      5 stars
      Korean Fried Chicken looks so easy to do. I would like to prepare it this weekend. This is so yummy!

      Reply
    14. Mary Edwards says

      February 26, 2019 at 4:46 am

      This looks delicious. I have all the ingredients in my house now, except the gochujang sauce. But it looks like I can make it at home!

      Reply
    15. Shahrom Martijn says

      February 25, 2019 at 9:50 pm

      I tried this recipe yesterday and everyone was in awe. Thanks for sharing your korean fried chicken recipe.

      Reply
    16. Elicit Folio says

      February 25, 2019 at 8:06 pm

      5 stars
      I love how this recipe pairs with pickled veggies. I can’t wait to try another one of your amazing recipes!

      Reply
    17. Heather says

      February 25, 2019 at 7:36 pm

      Wow, this really sounds like something my family would love. I’ll have to make it for them soon.

      Reply
    18. Rosey says

      February 25, 2019 at 6:29 pm

      That’s a good idea to pair it with rice and pickled vegetables. I have made something similar and it was a huge hit. This looks tasty.

      Reply
    19. Beth Pierce says

      February 25, 2019 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      This really is glazed perfection! Your presentation is gorgeous, as well! Looks delicious!

      Reply
    20. Stacie says

      February 25, 2019 at 9:07 am

      5 stars
      These flavors sound so good! I love Asian flavors, especially when they’re paired with chicken. I can’t wait to try this. It looks amazing!

      Reply
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