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korean fried chicken

Korean Fried Chicken

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This Korean Fried Chicken is impossibly crispy with a glass-like coating that crackles when you bite into it. Double-fried to perfection and tossed in sweet-savory soy garlic or spicy gochujang sauce — it's the kind of chicken that makes people stop mid-conversation and ask how you made it. Way better than any restaurant, and once you nail the technique, you'll wonder why you ever ordered takeout.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6 pieces
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, korean
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 pounds chicken wings or boneless thighs cut into 2-inch pieces if using thighs
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1 cup cornstarch or potato starch
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
  • 0.5 cup cornstarch
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup vodka or soju
  • 0.75 cup cold water
  • 1 large egg
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 0.25 cup gochujang Korean chili paste
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • green onions sliced
  • pickled radish optional
  • For Frying:
  • 6-8 cups vegetable oil for deep frying

Equipment

  • 1 Heavy pot or deep fryer For frying chicken at controlled temperatures
  • 1 Instant-read or clip-on thermometer CRITICAL - for monitoring oil temperature accurately
  • 2 Large mixing bowls One for dry coating, one for wet batter
  • 1 Wire cooling rack Never use paper towels - they create steam and sogginess
  • 1 Large pan or wok For heating sauce and tossing chicken
  • 1 Tongs or spider strainer For safely handling chicken during frying

Method
 

  1. Prep and coat your chicken
  2. Pat chicken completely dry with paper towels—moisture kills crispiness.
  3. Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ginger powder, then let sit 30 minutes at room temperature.
  4. Mix cornstarch, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl for dry coating.
  5. Whisk together cornstarch, flour, vodka, cold water, and egg in another bowl for wet batter—keep it cold.
  6. Dredge chicken in dry coating, dip in cold batter, then back in dry coating for double-layer crunch.
  7. First fry at lower temperature
  8. Heat oil to exactly 325°F in a heavy pot or deep fryer—use a thermometer, not guesswork.
  9. Fry chicken in small batches for 8-10 minutes until just cooked through—don't crowd the pot.
  10. Don't worry about golden color yet—this fry is about cooking the meat.
  11. Drain on wire rack (never paper towels which create steam), then let rest for at least 10 minutes before second fry.
  12. Oil temperature drops when you add chicken—wait for recovery before adding more pieces.
  13. Second fry for ultimate crispiness
  14. Increase oil temperature to 350-375°F for the second fry.
  15. Fry chicken again in small batches for 3-4 minutes until deep golden brown and glass-like crispy.
  16. This is where the magic happens—coating becomes impossibly crunchy.
  17. Work in batches to maintain proper temperature—don't crowd or temperature drops 50+ degrees.
  18. Drain on wire rack again while you prepare sauce.
  19. Sauce and serve immediately
  20. For soy garlic: Heat soy sauce, honey, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, and butter in large pan until bubbling.
  21. For spicy: Combine gochujang, honey, soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, and ketchup; heat until thickened.
  22. Toss fried chicken in hot sauce immediately while both are hot—work quickly or it gets soggy.
  23. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
  24. Serve immediately with pickled radish and cold beer for authentic experience.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pieceCalories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 26gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 980mgPotassium: 340mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 180IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1.4mg

Notes

The secret to Korean fried chicken? Double-frying at two temps. I learned this after four years of disasters, including serving my husband's boss completely raw chicken. We ordered pizza at 9 PM. Once I bought a thermometer and started double-frying (325°F then 350-375°F), everything changed. Measuring beats guessing every time.

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