Korean Fried Chicken

Although I’ve eaten and appreciated various kinds of Korean fried chicken, I’ve never attempted to make it myself until today.

Korean fried chicken from a South Korean worldwide chain is my go-to while dining out.

Korean fried chicken, much like its American counterpart, features a crunchy outside and tender, juicy within. The two main distinguishing features are:

The sauce is a sweet or savory sticky mixture that lightly coats the chicken.

The method of twice frying produces a crunchy, crispy exterior.

We can classify dakgangjeong and yangnyeom as two of the most common varieties. Traditional Dakgangjeong is essentially a fried chicken marinated in soy sauce and garlic. One such variant is Yangnyeom, a Korean fried chicken dish that uses a slightly different dredging and frying technique to achieve its signature spicy flavor.

I’m not sure where to categorize this dish, but I can say it has both sweet and spicy undertones with a nice, pungent garlic flavor.

This is by far the best Korean fried chicken I have ever tasted!

INGREDIENTS:

CHICKEN MARINADE:

• 3 pounds of chicken tenders, wings, drumsticks or thighs
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

COATING AND FRYING:

• 4-5 cups of vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1/3 cup of potato starch
• 1/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs

SOY GARLIC GLAZE:

• 7 cloves of minced garlic
• 3 dried chili peppers
• 1 finely minced small shallot
• 2/3 cup of mirin
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of gochujang
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

INSTRUCTIONS:

SOAK THE CHICKEN IN A MARINADE AND DREDGE IT:

1. Put the chicken, 2 teaspoons of water, salt, white pepper, ginger, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of water into a large mixing bowl. Combine everything and let it sit for 15 minutes.
2. While that’s going on, prepare the coating. Mix the potato starch and panko in a wide, shallow dish. Combine by hand after adding 2 tablespoons of water. This produces clumps in the dry mixture, which adds texture to the finish.
3. Repeatedly tossing the chicken in the marinade will help ensure that all of the pieces are uniformly coated with flavorful liquid.
4. Coat chicken pieces thoroughly with a dredge.

FRY THE CHICKEN FOR THE FIRST TIME:

1. Deep-fry anything you want by heating 4 to 5 cups of oil to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius) in a large saucepan. Half full is good, as too much oil in a frying pan can cause burns and splatters.
2. Lightly brown the chicken in batches, frying it for a total of 3–4 minutes for nuggets and 6–8 minutes for whole wings, 4–6 minutes for drumettes and flats, and 9–11 minutes for drumsticks or bone-in thighs.
3. Use a cooling rack set over a baking sheet for draining, and strain the oil between batches to get rid of any residual debris.

PREPARING THE GLAZE:

1. Combine the shallot, garlic, and dried chili peppers with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan and cook over low heat (if using, for optional spice).
2. Continue cooking for another 3–4 minutes, stirring periodically, or until the shallots have become transparent. If using dried chili peppers, you have the option of leaving the seeds in before chopping them up to use for a milder flavor or leaving them in for a more robust one. Leave them out completely if you want your sauce on the light side.
3. Then, stir in the rice vinegar, light brown sugar, gochujang, dijon mustard, and remaining soy sauce.
4. Maintaining a constant rate of stirring, bring the sauce to a simmer (4-5 minutes). When the sauce reaches a simmer, take it off the heat but keep it covered and heated.

SAUCE THE REFRIED CHICKEN:

1. Raise the oil temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) for a second and final frying. Pieces with bones should be fried for 1 minute, whereas boneless chicken should only need 30 seconds. Put in a refrigerator rack for draining.
2. After a second round of frying, place the chicken in a big bowl and cover it with the sauce. Coat the chicken pieces by tossing them in the sauce. If you choose, you can garnish the dish with toasted sesame seeds.