An ultra-crispy recipe for chicken fritters coated in a Korean gochujang sauce
Korean fried chicken is a classic of Korean cuisine. It stands out particularly for the use of gochujang in the recipe and potato starch for the crispy coating. You can easily substitute it with sweet chili sauce.
I chose to deviate from tradition to make Korean fried chicken fritters, making them more convenient to eat. If you’re looking for authentic Korean wings, I have a great recipe here.
The ingredients for Korean fried chicken
The gochujang: key element of the recipe. This Korean chili paste is unique, the taste is both spicy and sweet, in short, it’s killer!
Sesame oil: Don’t use too much! I love its taste but it’s so powerful that overuse will completely mask the rest of the sauce ingredients, even the very powerful gochujang.
Light soy sauce: Not to be confused with dark soy sauce, the two are very different. This is the classic salty sauce found in supermarkets
But you do what you want, I’ll love you anyway and you’re going to enjoy it. Bon appétit!
Tips for Korean fried chicken
Be careful not to fry too many pieces of chicken at once to prevent the pieces from sticking together. I usually fry about 6 to 8 pieces at a time if I’m using my small Asian fryer. It’s the same rule as for the Korean corn dog recipe
To spice up the Korean fried chicken, don’t hesitate to add more gochujang. You can also add whole chilies to the sauce, the choice is yours!
It’s better to serve immediately. My special breading is tough but this sauce is devilishly acidic and will soon soften your chicken fritters
Use a cooking thermometer to ensure your oil is at the right temperature. If the oil is too hot, the outside of the chicken may burn before the inside is cooked.
If the oil is too cold, the chicken will absorb more oil and be heavy and greasy (fat is life but in moderation).
If you want to have leftovers for another day, plan to keep some of the crispy chicken separate from the sauce.
This way, you can reheat the chicken and sauce alone, and the dish will retain its flavor and texture. The ideal is even to freeze the chicken after the first frying and then ‘reheat’ it by passing it through the fryer. Like frozen fries in the end
Use chicken breast if you want but thigh meat clearly gives the best flavor.
Another spicy chicken fritter recipe is that of General Tao’s chicken
Korean Popcorn Chicken
Matériel
Ingredients
MARINADE
- 500 g of chicken diced, preferably thigh meat
- 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons of ginger sliced
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon pepper
Batter
- 6 tablespoons of wheat flour
- 6 tablespoons potato starch
- 16 tablespoons water refrigerated
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
SAUCE
- 3 pods of garlic minced
- 1.5 tablespoon of gochujang
- 1.5 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 2.5 tablespoons of honey
- 1.5 tablespoon of butter
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Procédé
- In a large bowl, marinate the chicken pieces for 30 minutes (or overnight)500 g of chicken, 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoons of ginger, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.5 teaspoon pepper
- In another bowl, mix the ingredients for the batter. We’re looking for a very thick cream-like texture. Add more flour if needed6 tablespoons of wheat flour, 6 tablespoons potato starch, 16 tablespoons water, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 pinch of salt
- Dip the chicken in the batter
- Fry at 180 degrees until lightly golden. Set aside for 3 minutes on paper towels
- Fry again until well golden. Drain on paper towels
- In a preheated wok or pan, over high heat, add all the sauce ingredients and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring vigorously until it thickens.3 pods of garlic, 1.5 tablespoon of gochujang, 1.5 tablespoon light soy sauce, 2.5 tablespoons of honey, 1.5 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Lower the heat and gently mix the chicken with the sauce
