Korean Fried Chicken is known for its incredible crunch and bold flavor. Each piece is double-fried to stay perfectly crispy, then coated in a sweet and spicy glaze that clings beautifully to the chicken.
I first tried Korean Fried Chicken at a small restaurant in London, and I've been hooked ever since. Now, I love making it at home, it's much easier than you'd expect and doesn't need any fancy ingredients. With just ketchup, honey, and soy sauce, plus the simple trick of double frying, you can create that same crispy, flavorful chicken right in your own kitchen.
The sauce is easy to customize too, you can make it as mild or spicy as you like. I often serve it with rice or noodles, but it's just as good on its own. Whether it's for a casual dinner or to impress guests, Korean Fried Chicken always hits the mark. It's the perfect mix of crispy, juicy, sweet, and spicy, a must-try for any fried chicken lover.
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⭐Why You'll Love My Recipe
- Easy: It may seem like a special dish, but it's actually pretty easy to make, and I'm sure everyone will be impressed when you serve it!
- Crispy outside, juicy inside: The double frying makes the chicken extra crispy while keeping the inside nice and tender. It's that perfect crunch you'll love with every bite!
- Delicious sauce: The sweet and spicy sauce is so good! It's got that perfect balance of tangy ketchup, honey, and a little kick from the chili flakes.
🧾Korean Fried Chicken Ingredients
You'll find the exact measurements in the recipe card, but here's a closer look at a few of the ingredients and why I use them.
- Chicken & Marinade: I use chicken breasts for their lean texture and ability to soak up flavors, marinated with salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, ginger, and lemon juice for a tender, flavorful base.
- Batter: A mix of flour, cornstarch, salt, and water makes the perfect coating, light, crisp, and golden once fried in hot vegetable oil.
- Sauce: I combine chili flakes, paprika, crushed garlic, and ginger for heat and depth, balanced with ketchup, soy sauce (or Worcestershire sauce), and honey for that sweet-spicy glaze.
- Garnish: Fresh spring onions and crunchy peanuts add the final touch, giving every bite brightness, texture, and a nutty finish.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Korean Fried Chicken
You can find the complete printable recipe with measurements below, but for now, here's a quick overview of how it goes:
1. Dice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and marinate with salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, ginger, and lemon juice for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, corn-starch, salt, and water to create a batter, then dip the marinated chicken pieces into the batter, ensuring they are fully coated.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer to 350°F (180°C), and fry the coated chicken pieces until golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken, drain excess oil, and fry again for an even crispier texture.
4. In a small bowl, mix chili flakes, paprika, garlic, ginger, ketchup, soy sauce (or Worcestershire sauce), and honey. Cook the sauce until it thickens and becomes glossy. Toss the fried chicken in the sauce and garnish with chopped peanuts and spring onions before serving.
💭My Tips for Recipe Success
Use cornstarch in the batter: I always mix a bit of cornstarch into the batter, it's such a simple trick but makes a world of difference. The combination of flour and cornstarch gives the coating that light, extra-crispy texture that makes Korean fried chicken so addictive. If you use just flour, it never turns out quite the same!
Storage: When it comes to leftovers, I store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. I like to keep the sauce separate, so the chicken stays crisp. When reheating, I pop it into the oven or air fryer, it brings that perfect crunch right back without drying out the meat.
🍗More Chicken Recipes!
If you love this Korean fried chicken, you'll also enjoy these tasty chicken recipes!:
- Fried Chicken
- Chicken Teriyaki
- Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
- Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Fried Chicken Breast
🍛More Appetizer Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite appetizer recipes! Try these:
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Recipe
Korean Fried Chicken
Ingredients
For The Fried Chicken
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1½ teaspoon Garlic and Ginger - Minced
- ½ tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Chili Flakes
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Crushed Garlic and Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1½ tablespoon Soy Sauce - or Worcester Sauce
- 3½ tablespoon Honey
For The Glaze:
- 50 g Flour
- 50 g Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 120 ml Water
- 1 l Vegetable Oil
For Garnish:
- 1 Spring Onion - Sliced diagonally
- 30 g Peanuts - Roasted
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and place them in a mixing bowl.
- Add salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, ginger, and lemon juice to the chicken pieces, mix well, and coat the chicken pieces with this marinade. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, cornstarch, salt, and water to create a batter.
- Place the marinated chicken pieces into the batter and mix, ensuring they are well coated.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or fryer to around 350°F (180°C).
- Carefully place the coated chicken pieces into the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy.
- Once the chicken is cooked and crispy, remove it from the oil and drain the excess oil on paper towels.
- Carefully place the fried chicken into the hot oil and fry again until golden brown and crispy.
- Once the chicken is crispy, remove it from the hot oil and place it on a plate with paper towels to drain excess oil.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine chili flakes, paprika, crushed garlic, ginger, ketchup, soy sauce (or Worcester sauce), and honey.
- Place the sauce in a pan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens and becomes glossy.
- Toss the fried chicken pieces in the prepared Korean fried chicken sauce until evenly coated.
- Add chopped peanuts for a delightful crunch and chopped spring onion to the fried chicken for freshness and color.
- Serve your Korean Fried Chicken immediately while it's hot and crispy. You can enjoy it as is or with a side of steamed rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
John says
Thanks for the recipe