Korean Fried Chicken

Updated Jan. 22, 2024

Korean Fried Chicken
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(2,093)
Comments
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Yangnyeom dak, or Korean fried chicken, known for its crunchy exterior and spicy-sweet glaze, became popular in South Korea when fast-food places opened there after the war. Along with budae jjigae, tteokbokki and corn cheese, it’s part of a category of food known as “anju,” or dishes typically eaten with alcohol, but it's a crispy, sticky delight no matter what you're drinking. This five-star version, which was adapted from “Quick & Easy Korean Cooking” by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee (Chronicle, 2009), can be made with boneless chicken thighs or bone-in wings. —Julia Moskin

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 1small yellow onion, coarsely grated
  • 2cloves garlic, minced
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for coating
  • ¼teaspoon black pepper, plus more for coating
  • 8 to 10boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered, or 24 wings
  • 3tablespoons gochujang paste
  • 3tablespoons ketchup
  • ¼cup granulated sugar
  • 2tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, more for garnish
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Oil for deep frying
  • ½cup all-purpose flour
  • cup cornstarch
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

817 calories; 54 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 31 grams monounsaturated fat; 15 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 45 grams protein; 761 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium-size bowl, combine grated onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat well. Cover and set aside to marinate for about 1 hour.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, stir together chili paste, ketchup, sugar, sesame seeds and lemon juice. Taste and adjust flavors to get a spicy-sweet-tangy finish. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Pour oil into a large heavy pot to a depth of 1½ inches. Heat to 350 degrees. Combine flour and cornstarch in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Working in batches to avoid crowding, lift chicken from marinade, dredge lightly in seasoned flour and cornstarch, gently drop into oil and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining chicken, checking oil temperature between batches.

  5. Step 5

    For wings only, when all pieces are done, increase oil temperature to 375 degrees and refry in batches for 30 to 60 seconds, until very crisp. Drain once more on paper towels. While chicken is still hot, brush all pieces thickly with chili sauce. Serve hot, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,093 user ratings
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Comments

Excellent Korean Fried Chicken recipe and I’m Korean-American. My only suggestion is in the chili sauce, It was a little too sweet and a little too ‘ketchupy.’ I also suggest using the sauce for dipping rather brushing it on. The chicken will stays crispier. I suggest: 1/4 cup gochuchung 2 Tbs ketchup 1 Tbs sugar 2 Tbs sesame seed juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Delicious as the other reviewers have noted. The sauce on its own is a simple revelation. In lieu of grating the onions, which is pure misery, I cut it into smaller pieces and then tossed it and the garlic/salt/pepper in the food processor and pulsed/scraped down for about 1 minute until it was a fine moist consistency. Definitely a make again.

I've cooked a lot of different Korean Fried Chicken recipes over the last couple years, and I was surprised this one didn't double-fry the chicken. You gotta do that to get the crispiest coating. And the sauce would benefit from like 4-6 cloves of fresh minced garlic.

1. Time estimate doesn’t include hour of marinating 2. This recipe requires batch cooking, I had to do 3 batches, hence 3x the cooking time. Took over 1.5 hours in total, for a weeknight, this was not a wise meal choice. Cooker, beware!

One that we will definitely cook again

We enjoyed this, but I’d skip the marinading step completely. We tried some of the fried chicken without sauce to see what it added, and we couldn’t taste the onion or garlic at all. Next time, we’ll just salt it.

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Credits

Adapted from “Quick and Easy Korean Cooking” by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee (Chronicle Books, 2009)

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