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Warning: Once you try this Korean fried chicken, you’ll be hooked for life! The double deep-frying process gives it an ultra-crunchy texture, while the sweet and spicy glaze is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before. This is a MUST-TRY if you haven’t experienced Korean fried chicken yet!
Fried chicken is a popular snack in Korea, the traditional fried chicken, the gochujang-based sauce fried chicken, or the soy sauce fried chicken, you’ll find all those in fast food such as KFC or in many bars to enjoy along with a good beer! My all-time favorite is definitely dakgangjeong (닭강정) particularly the spicy one with gochujang glaze. The crunchy batter coupled with this sweet and spicy sauce makes this chicken particularly ADDICTING. Believe me, you need to try this!
Korean fried chicken is double deep fried for an even more crispy outside. The first fry will cook your chicken to 90%, and the second fry with increased oil temperature will cook it fully and allow the batter to become extra crispy.
The second trick to give the batter extra crunchiness is to make it thick, the batter coating your chicken will as a consequence be thicker and mixed with the fried chicken powder coating, both of them will combine to make this super crunchy outside once deep fried. The ratio of fried chicken powder/water I like using is 1 ½:1.
My favorite place to have this snack is when I go to bars for a drink. It goes well with a nice beer and good company! In Korea, most bars will only serve you drinks if you order some food along. Never drink on an empty stomach 🙂
If you wish, you could also have this dish as dinner with some rice and banchan (side dishes). Especially if you’re planning to cook something quick, you can achieve this spicy Korean fried chicken in just a bit over 30 min. And trust me when I say THIS FRIED CHICKEN IS CRAZY GOOD!
Ingredients
- boneless chicken thighs – make sure to use thighs; chicken breast can make the fried chicken too dry
- garlic
- salt and pepper
- Korean fried chicken mix (for coating) – coating with extra mix ensures extra crispiness and helps prevent the batter from leaking
- cooking oil – use an old pan or a fryer if you have one
- unsalted peanuts – avoid salted peanuts to prevent the dish from becoming too salty
For the batter:
- Korean fried chicken mix – the water-to-mix ratio varies by brand or flour type. Some absorb more water than others, so adjust accordingly. Aim for a somewhat thick but still pourable batter
- cold water
NOTE: Be careful! Ready-made flours can vary significantly from brand to brand. Some absorb much more water than others. With Ottogi flour (the one I use most often), a flour-to-water ratio of 1½:1 (210g / 240ml) works perfectly. However, Beksul brand flour absorbs much more water, so in that case, it’s better to use a ratio of 1:1 (210g / 360ml).
If you’re using my homemade Korean fried chicken flour recipe, it will depend on the type of flour you’re using. Start with a flour-to-water ratio of 1:1. If the batter seems too runny, adjust to 1½:1.
For the sauce:
- oligo syrup – in case you cannot find the Korean oligo syrup (올리고당) you can substitute it with mulyeot (Korean corn syrup)
- mulyeot (Korean corn syrup) – avoid using Western brands of corn syrup, as they might have a different taste and texture
- ketchup
- gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) – adjust to your spice preference
- soy sauce
- water
Preparation
- Chop the chicken into smaller bite sizes (depending on how big you want them)
- Season the chicken pieces with minced garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Combine and mix all the sauce ingredients. You can adjust the spiciness by decreasing the amount of gochujang and gochugaru. The gochugaru makes the sauce spicier but it is not necessary if you prefer a softer spicy taste. On the other hand, gochujang should not be omitted, reduce it to max 1 tbsp.
- In a bowl, mix the Korean fried chicken powder with water.
- Add the chicken bites to the batter and coat the pieces well. Then drop the chicken in a plate/bowl filled with fried chicken powder and coat properly. This will make your fried chicken extra crunchy. (If you have a large container, you can also place 2/3 of the dry chicken mix in it, drop the chicken on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 chicken mix. Close the lid and shake a few times so all chicken is well coated with the chicken powder mix).
- Heat up some cooking oil in a pan, pot or fryer. Fry the chicken at 160°C / 320°F for about 6 min or until ¾ cooked. Do this per batch as all the chicken will not fit in your cooking pot, plus your chicken bites may stick to each other if overcrowding your pot. Remove chicken from frying oil and place it on a rack lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Increase the heat to medium-high heat. Use the double frying method: fry the chicken a second time for 1 min. Increase the heat to 180°C / 360°F. Use the double frying method: fry the chicken a second time for 1 min. Do this per batch also. The chicken should be golden brown. Since everyone has a different stove, and chicken may fry at a different speed according to your stove, cut one piece to check if the chicken is cooked inside. If not, fry it again a little longer.
- In a separate pan, pour the sauce and cook it on medium heat for about 4 min or until the sauce has thickened a little.
- Add the fried chicken to the sauce, and mix well.
- Sprinkle some unsalted crushed peanuts.
Can’t find Korean fried chicken mix?
Can’t find a ready-made Korean fried chicken mix? No worries, here’s how to make your own with basic ingredients you can find at any supermarket (or already have at home).
RECIPE: HOMEMADE KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN MIX
Simply mix together:
300g / 2 cups all-purpose flour
70g / ½ cup cornstarch
½ tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
½ tbsp black pepper powder
½ tbsp garlic powder
½ tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg powder
For more details on this recipe, you can check out my Korean Fried Chicken mix post.
In the mood for Asian fried food? Check these!
- Dubu Gangjeong – Korean Sweet and Crunchy Tofu
- Nems – Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls
- Korean Corn Dogs
- Fried Coconut Shrimps
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Bite-Size Spicy Korean Fried Chicken (Dakgangjeong)
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless chicken thighs
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- salt and pepper
- 150 g Korean fried chicken mix | for coating (Note 1)
- 1 bottle of cooking oil
- 20 g unsalted peanuts, crushed (optional) (Note 6)
For the batter:
- 220 g Korean fried chicken mix (Note 2)
- 240 ml cold water (Note 3)
For the sauce:
- 160 g oligo syrup
- 80 g mulyeot | Korean corn syrup (Note 4)
- 70 g ketchup
- 1.5 tbsp gochujang | Korean red pepper paste
- 2 tsp gochugaru | Korean red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken – Chop the chicken into bite-size (depending on how big you want them)
- Season the chicken pieces with minced garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Prepare the sauce – Combine and mix all the sauce ingredients. You can adjust the spiciness by decreasing the amount of gochugaru. The gochugaru makes the sauce spicier but it is not necessary if you prefer a less spicy taste.
- Prepare the batter – In a bowl, mix the Korean fried chicken powder with water. The water-to-mix ratio varies by brand or flour type. Some absorb more water than others, so adjust accordingly. Aim for a somewhat thick but still pourable batter (see photo).
- Add the chicken bites to the batter and coat the pieces well. Then drop the chicken in a plate/bowl filled with fried chicken powder and coat properly. This will make your fried chicken extra crunchy. (If you have a large container, you can also place 2/3 of the dry chicken mix in it, drop the chicken on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 chicken mix. Close the lid and shake a few times so all chicken is well coated with the chicken powder mix)
- Fry the chicken – Heat up some cooking oil in a pan, pot or fryer. Fry the chicken at 160°C / 320°F for about 6 min or until ¾ cooked (Note 5). Do this per batch as all the chicken will not fit in your cooking pot, plus your chicken bites may stick to each other if overcrowding your pot. Remove chicken from frying oil and place it on a rack lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Increase the heat to 180°C / 360°F. Use the double frying method: fry the chicken a second time for 1 min. Do this per batch also. The chicken should be golden brown. Since everyone has a different stove, and chicken may fry at a different speed according to your stove, cut one piece to check if the chicken is cooked inside. If not, fry it again a little longer.
- Coat fried chicken with sauce – In a separate pan, pour the sauce and cook it on medium heat for about 3-4 min or until the sauce has thickened a little.
- Add the fried chicken to the sauce, and mix well.
- Garnish – Sprinkle some crushed unsalted peanuts.
This was delicious! I substituted syrups with corn syrup and it worked fine. This reminded me of the chicken I had in Korea. Easy to follow instructions. Thanks!
Thanks a lot Miwa! I’m so glad you enjoyed my recipe! ☺️
Could I sub tofu for chicken ?
Hi Eli, you definitely can. But I would fry the first time for 2-3 minutes instead of 6 minutes since tofu doesn’t need to be cooked while chicken does. You can also use my tofu recipe here: https://www.thatcutedish.com/korean-sweet-and-crunchy-tofu/
I like so much and i will try this for business thank you