Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chicken - Dakgangjeong

soy garlic korean fried chicken bite-size pieces on a white plate with chopsticks aside

Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chicken - Dakgangjeong

5 from 7 votes

This soy garlic korean fried chicken (dakgangjeong) is the ultimate Korean fried chicken experience! Bite-sized boneless chicken thighs are coated with a crunchy batter and smothered in a mouthwatering garlic and soy sauce. Top it off with chopped peanuts to add some crunch and a nutty flavor that will take your fried chicken to the next level!

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Korean

Yield:

Calories: 875kcal

Author: Emma Choi

Prep Time: 30

Active Time: 20

Total Time: 50

Ingredients

500 g boneless chicken thighs
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
140 g Korean fried chicken mix (Note 1) | for coating
a bottle of cooking oil
20 g unsalted peanuts , chopped (optional)

batter

210 g Korean fried chicken mix (Note 2)
240 ml cold water (Note 3)

soy garlic sauce

3 tbsp minced garlic
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
5 tbsp brown sugar
240 g mulyeot | Korean corn syrup (Note 5)

US - M

Instructions

Make the sauce

In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients together.

Prepare the chicken

Cut the chicken into small bite sizes (depending on how big you want them)
Season the chicken pieces with minced garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper.
In a big bowl, mix the Korean fried chicken mix with water.
Add the chicken bites to the batter and coat the pieces well. Then drop the chicken pieces in a large container filled with fried chicken mix, close the lid and shake it well to coat all chicken pieces with the fried chicken mix (Note 2). Do this per batch according to the size of your container. This step will make your fried chicken extra crunchy.

Fry the chicken

Heat up some cooking oil in a pan or a fryer. Fry the chicken at 160°C / 320°F for about 6 minutes or until ¾ cooked (Note 4). Do this per batch as all the chicken will not fit in your pan/fryer, plus your chicken bites may stick to each other if overcrowding your pan/fryer. Remove the chicken from frying oil and place it on a rack lined with 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 minute. 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.

Toss the chicken into the sauce

In a pan, pour the sauce and heat it up on medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and add the chicken to the sauce. Using a kitchen brush, coat all pieces of chicken with the sauce.
Sprinkle crushed peanuts immediately. Don't wait that the sauce has cooled as the peanuts won't stick as easily to the chicken.

Notes

1. You can buy the fried chicken mix and all other ingredients at any Korean grocery store. You can also buy it on Amazon. However, in case you can't find it, here is my recipe to make homemade Korean fried chicken mix.

2. 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.

3. If you prefer a lighter coating of batter, increase the amount of water to 375g / 1 ½ cup. Note that the chicken will be less crunchy as a consequence.

4. Frying time of chicken may vary depending on your stove. Adjust the heat accordingly.

5. Korean corn syrup can be substituted with Korean oligo syrup (올리고당 - oligodang). It's slightly less sweet than mulyeot but works well. DO NOT use honey as a substitute. Honey has a distinct flavor that can overpower the dish. If you're outside Korea, the closest Western substitute is glucose syrup, often used in baking and cake decorating. It has a similar texture and neutral sweetness.

Nutrition