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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Main Dishes / Korean Fried Chicken

    Korean Fried Chicken

    Posted: Oct 14, 2021 Last Modified: Oct 14, 2021 by Carmy · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Super easy to make and absolutely delicious, this Korean Fried Chicken will have you wishing you made more! Double fried to golden crispy perfection and then coated with a sweet, spicy, and sticky gochujang sauce, you’ll be making this Korean chicken wings recipe regularly!

    Korean fried chicken is perfect for all occasions. You can use any cut of chicken for KFC. We usually use chicken thighs but recently started making them with chicken wings as it was a more budget-friendly option, plus who wouldn’t want some Korean fried chicken wings? There are many different types of Korean fried chicken but my go-to’s are this Yangneyom chicken and Dakgangjeong chicken (soy garlic fried chicken).

    Overhead view of a plate of Yangnyeom chicken wings.


     

    What Makes Korean Fried Chicken So Good?

    Korean fried chicken has a thin crispy exterior that is double deep-fried. Then, it’s tossed in a sticky, spicy, and sweet sauce. Despite being coated in sauce, the chicken stays crispy thanks to double frying the chicken. The method of double frying helps render out the fat that is in the chicken skin, giving the chicken its signature crispy and crunchy exterior.

    Close up of Korean fried chicken wings on a plate.

    Ingredients You’ll Need

    Ingredients needed to marinate chicken wings.
    • chicken wings — you can use a mixture of wingettes and drumettes or just one. It’s up to you.
    • mirin — a Japanese sweet rice wine.
    • salt
    • garlic powder
    Ingredients needed to make yangnyeom sauce.
    • potato starch — I prefer potato starch to cornstarch as it gives the skin a thinner, smooth crust that’s light and crispy. While I prefer making Korean fried chicken using potato starch, you can use what you have on hand.
    • baking powder — adding baking powder to the coating makes for a lighter, crispier fried chicken.
    • olive oil
    • minced garlic
    • ketchup
    • brown sugar — light or regular brown sugar will work.
    • gochujang (고추장), aka hot pepper paste. This is a key ingredient that you cannot change. It’s what gives the wings that delicious spicy flavour. You might even call these gochujang chicken as they play a huge role in the sauce.
    • oil for deep frying — I like using vegetable oil or canola oil. You want something with a high smoke-point.

    What is the Difference Between Wingettes and Drumettes?

    Whole chicken wings are made up of three parts: drumettes, wingettes/flats, and tips.

    The drumette is the part that is attached to the main part of the chicken and resembles a chicken drumstick. One end is rounded and meaty as it tapers off to the bottom.

    The wingette/flat is the part between the drumette and tip. It’s my favourite part as it has the most skin to meat ratio. There are two bones running horizontally with the meat in the middle. This piece tends to come out more crispy since there’s less meat on it.

    The tip is…the tip! It’s tiny and pointy with next to no meat on them.

    How to Make Korean Fried Chicken

    • Chicken wings with mirin, salt, and garlic powder added to them.
    • Bowl of chicken wings tossed in starch.
    • Pat dry the chicken wings with a paper towel if they are moist.
    • Coat the chicken with mirin, garlic powder, and onion powder and set aside in the fridge for an hour.
    • Combine the potato starch and baking powder and then coat the chicken wings in the coating.
    • Prepare a lined sheet pan with a cooling rack on top.
    • Chicken wings fried in a pan of oil.
    • Chicken wings after the first round of frying on a cooling rack.
    • Chicken wings on a cooling rack after being double fried.
    • To a Dutch oven or large skillet, add just under 2 inches of oil and heat it to 345F/174C.
    • Slowly add in a couple chicken wings at a time. Fry for around 8 minutes, flipping the chicken wings at the halfway mark. Transfer to the cooling rack and repeat until you’ve fried all of the wings.
    • Increase the temperature of the oil to around 375F/195C and add the cooked chicken back in, again in batches.
    • Double-fry the chicken wings for around 2 minutes or until the wings are golden.
    • Yangnyeom chicken sauce in a pan.
    • Chicken wings added to Yangnyeom chicken sauce.
    • Chicken wings tossed and coated in Yangnyeom sauce.
    • To make the sauce, add the olive oil and garlic to a pan on medium heat. Let the garlic cook for thirty seconds to a minute before adding the ketchup, brown sugar, gochujang, rice wine vinegar, and water. Let the sauce cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring throughout and add more water if you’d like for the sauce to be thinner.
    • Toss the fried chicken in the sauce and serve.
    Close up of a plate of yangnyeom chicken.

    Recipe Tips and Notes

    • I like using a pan to make my sauce so it’s easier to toss the Korean chicken wings than in a small saucepan.
    • The Korean wings are done when they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165F/74C. I recommend using an instant read meat thermometer. You can also use it to check the temperature of the oil.
    My Recommendation
    This is my go-to meat thermometer for making sure that the internal temperature of my meat is good to go. It’s also magnetic so I have it on my fridge door to save drawer space!
    Get it Now!
    The Meat Thermometer I Use!
    • I like to garnish my Korean fried chicken wings with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
    • Don’t add too much chicken to the oil at once as that will bring down the temperature of the oil. When that happens, your chicken will absorb more oil than neccessary and be greasy.
    • Keep an eye on the sauce as it’s very easy to burn the Korean fried chicken sauce if you walk away from it.
    • Keep a wet napkin nearby! These definitely fall under a Korean sticky chicken recipe as the delicious sauce is sticky and thick. I love it!

    Make Ahead Tips

    • Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked air fryer in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
    • Reheat: I like to reheat mine in the air fryer when I’m able to. It keeps it crispy. Alternatively, you can reheat it in the oven or microwave.
    Overhead view of a plate of Yangnyeom chicken wings.

    Korean Fried Chicken

    Super easy to make and absolutely delicious, this Korean Fried Chicken will have you wishing you made more! Double fried to golden crispy perfection and then coated with a sweet, spicy, and sticky gochujang sauce, you’ll be making this regularly!
    5 from 30 votes
    Print Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time: 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
    Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Servings: 2 servings

    Ingredients

    For the Chicken

    • 1½ chicken wings
    • 1 tbsp mirin
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 cup potato starch
    • 2 tsp baking powder

    For the Sauce

    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 tbsp minced garlic
    • ⅓ cup ketchup
    • ⅓ cup brown sugar
    • 4 tbsp gochujang
    • 3-4 tbsp water
    • oil for deep frying

    Instructions

    • Pat dry the chicken wings with a paper towel if they are moist.
    • Coat the chicken with mirin, garlic powder, and onion powder and set aside in the fridge for an hour.
    • Combine the potato starch and baking powder and then coat the chicken wings in the coating.
    • Prepare a lined sheet pan with a cooling rack on top.
    • To a Dutch oven or large skillet, add just under 2 inches of oil and heat it to 345F/174C.
    • Slowly add in a couple chicken wings at a time. Fry for around 8 minutes, flipping the chicken wings at the halfway mark. Transfer to the cooling rack and repeat until you’ve fried all of the wings.
    • Increase the temperature of the oil to around 375F/195C and add the cooked chicken back in, again in batches.
    • Double-fry the chicken wings for around 2 minutes or until the wings are golden.
    • To make the sauce, add the olive oil and garlic to a pan on medium heat. Let the garlic cook for thirty seconds to a minute before adding the ketchup, brown sugar, gochujang, rice wine vinegar, and water. Let the sauce cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring throughout and add more water if you’d like for the sauce to be thinner.
    • Toss the fried chicken in the sauce and serve.

    Notes

    • This makes 2 servings if you’re eating them as a main or 3 to 4 servings as an app.
    • Feel free to double or triple the recipe. The sauce is just enough for 1½lbs of wings so be sure to scale up the sauce as well. 
    Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥

    Nutrition Per Serving

    Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 130g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 2105mg | Potassium: 1201mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 323IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 352mg | Iron: 3mg
    Author: Carmy
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course
    Cuisine: Korean
    Nutrition Disclaimer
    Overhead views of Korean chicken, one deep fried, one air fried.

    More Fried Chicken Recipes You’ll Love

    • Korean Air Fried Chicken (Dakgangjeong or Soy Garlic Fried Chicken, pictured above)
    • Chicken Katsu
    • Taiwanese Fried Chicken (Popcorn Chicken)
    • Crispy Sesame Chicken
    • Air Fryer Orange Chicken

    Other places to connect with me
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    Carmy is a healthy-ish living blogger based in Ontario. Here, you can find healthy-ish recipes including meal prep recipes, Instant Pot recipes, air fryer recipes, and lightened-up family favorites! Follow along for easy, straightforward recipes for any cooking level.

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