Best Korean Fried Chicken

close up of crunchy Korean fried chicken covered and dipped in a gochujang yangyeom sauce

5 from 385 votes

Make these double fried, crunchy, and crispy Korean fried chicken wings covered 2 sauces - sweet gochujang sauce or a sticky soy garlic sauce!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer, dinner, entree

Cuisine: Asian, Korean

Servings:

Calories: 414kcal

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken wings - about 30 to 36 wings
2 cloves garlic - finely minced
½ teaspoon ginger - grated
1 Tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoons sea salt
vegetable oil for frying

Dry Batter (see notes below for wet batter)

2 cups flour or cornstarch or potato starch - see photos above for comparison
1 teaspoon baking powder

Soy Garlic Sauce - Sweet and Tangy

¼ cup honey
¼ cup soy sauce
3 cloves garlic - minced
½ teaspoon ginger - grated
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Gochujang Sauce (yangnyeom sauce) - Sweet and Spicy

¼ cup gochujang
¼ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons strawberry jam - use the seedless variety
2 ½ Tablespoon soy sauce
1 ½ Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon ketchup
6 Tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic - minced
½ teaspoon ginger - grated
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Season the wings with garlic, ginger, sea salt, and mirin and let it marinate for at least 1 hour.
Mix the ingredients for the dry batter in a large bowl. Coat each wing thoroughly with the dry mix, being sure to completely cover the entire surface.
Pour enough oil to get 1 ½ to 2 inches of depth in a large pot. Heat the oil to 345 degrees F. Add the wings and fry them for 5 to 7 minutes. Work in batches and avoid crowding the pot. Let it drain on a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining wings.
Once done, raise the temperature of the cooking oil to 375 degrees F. Double fry the wings in batches until the exterior becomes crunchy and golden brown. Let it drain on a cooling rack. *See Notes for the benefits of double frying.
Serve immediately if you wish to eat them plain without sauce. Otherwise, coat with soy garlic sauce or gochujang sauce and serve.

Soy Garlic Sauce or Gochujang Sauce

Add all the ingredients in a medium pot and bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce it for 2 to 3 minutes or until it's reduced to your liking. Drip a small amount onto a plate and let it cool to test the consistency.
If it's too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time to thin it out. While still hot, drizzle the sauce onto the wings and toss to coat.

Notes

Serve with Korean pickled radish on the side to complete the meal.

Flour, cornstarch, and potato starch yield different flavors and texture. See comparison photos in the post above to choose your favorite.
Double Frying: What sets Korean fried chicken apart from other recipes is the double frying technique. The first fry renders out fat from the chicken skin which is why it's done at a lower temperature. The second fry crisps up the exterior while fully cooking the chicken which is why we raise the temperature.
Leftovers - store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating - reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through. If the sauce starts to burn, lower the heat and cover the top with foil.

Wet batter:

2.5 cups water
1.25 cup cornstarch
1.25 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups cornstarch - for coating the wings before dredging into the wet batter

Make a wet batter by mixing together the water, cornstarch, flour, and baking powder. Coat the wings with the 2 cups of cornstarch and then dip it into the wet batter. Add it to the fryer immediately and proceed with the steps above.

Nutrition