What could be tastier than Korean-style fried chicken? Crisp, juicy pieces of chicken coated in a sticky, spicy-sweet gochujang sauce. For a totally addictive snack, this combo is always a winner—especially since the air fryer makes it so easy.
What is Korean fried chicken?
Similar to American fried chicken, Korean fried chicken is coated in a crisp crust, then tossed in a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce. That sauce gets its heat and depth from a Korean chili paste called gochujang, which is as flavorful as it is spicy.
Like my Japanese chicken karaage, Korean fried chicken is usually fried twice: first to set the coating and start crisping the outside, then again at a higher temperature to make it extra-crunchy. Along the same lines, you can also try my recipe for Korean chicken tenders.
Here, though, we’ll use the air fryer, which saves time by avoiding double-frying—or even deep-frying altogether.
The coating is a simple mixture based on cornstarch (also called cornflour). Traditionally, potato starch is used.
How do you serve Korean fried chicken?
This dish is usually served with Korean pickled radish on the side and enjoyed with alcoholic drinks such as beer or soju.
In fact, serving it with beer is so common in Korea that the pairing has its own name: “chimaek,” a combination of “chikin” (fried chicken) and “maekju” (beer).
Culinary source
This tasty recipe was kindly contributed by Max, a Korean cuisine enthusiast who shares his love of Korean food through his YouTube channel “Max Tries Korean Food.” For a deeper dive and practical tips, don’t hesitate to watch the detailed video on his YouTube channel. For more culinary inspiration and to discover his food adventures, also follow Max on Instagram @maxtrieskoreanfood.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken thighs or wings
- 100 g starch potato starch or cornstarch
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 100 mL water
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 30 g sesame seeds, for garnish
Sauce
- 30 mL light soy sauce
- 15 g gochujang
- 15 g gochugaru
- 2 cloves garlic
- 30 g sugar
- 30 g ketchup
- 30 g corn syrup or honey
Instructions
Chicken
- Whisk together half the flour, the egg, the starch, and the water.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining flour with salt and pepper.
- Dip each piece of chicken first into the wet batter, then coat it in the seasoned flour mixture.
- Place the chicken in the air fryer, making sure the pieces do not touch, and cook at 200°C for 15 minutes. Flip halfway through cooking.
Sauce
- Grate the garlic.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a shaker.
- Pour the sauce into a pan and bring it to a boil, then add the cooked chicken and toss to coat well.
- Add a tablespoon of sesame seeds and toss to combine.
To serve
- Garnish the chicken with the remaining sesame seeds.
