Korean Fried Chicken Recipe (Double-Fried Yangnyeom Chicken)
Korean fried chicken recipe: wings double-fried until glassy and crisp, then tossed in a sticky sweet and spicy gochujang yangnyeom glaze.
This Korean fried chicken recipe gives you wings with a thin, shattering crust that stays crunchy even after they are coated in a glossy, sweet and spicy gochujang sauce. In Korea this style is called yangnyeom chicken, which simply means seasoned chicken, and it is one half of the famous order "ban-ban": half plain fried, half sauced.
Fried chicken arrived in Korea with American soldiers after the Korean War, but Koreans quickly made it their own. In the 1980s a small shop in Daegu started brushing its chicken with a sticky chilli glaze, and yangnyeom chicken was born. Today there are tens of thousands of chicken shops across the country, and "chimaek", chicken with an ice-cold beer, is a national late-night ritual.
The secret is the double fry. The first, gentler fry cooks the chicken through and pushes moisture out of the skin. A short rest lets steam escape, and the second, hotter fry turns the coating golden and almost glass-like. Potato starch is the other key: it fries up lighter and crisper than wheat flour, and a pinch of baking powder makes tiny bubbles that keep the crust airy. The sauce is cooked only briefly so it is thick enough to cling without soaking the crust.
You can use boneless thighs cut into chunks instead of wings; just fry them a minute or two less. Cornstarch works in place of potato starch, and honey or light corn syrup can replace Korean rice syrup. For a milder sauce, use less gochujang and add more ketchup. For soy-garlic chicken, skip the gochujang and simmer soy sauce, garlic, sugar and a little vinegar instead. If you want to cook it in an air fryer, toss the battered chicken in a spoon of oil and air fry at 200°C for about 22 minutes, turning halfway, then glaze.
Serve the chicken straight away with cubes of pickled radish (chicken-mu), a crisp slaw and steamed rice, or with cold beer for the full chimaek experience. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and crushed peanuts on top for extra crunch.
Watch how it is made on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/shorts/EQYhZGsvjz4
Watch how it is made
Ingredients
- 1000 g chicken wings, split into flats and drumettesSubstitute: boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic, grated
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 80 g potato starchSubstitute: cornstarch
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 120 ml ice-cold water
- 1500 ml neutral oil for frying
- 3 tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 4 tbsp rice syrup (ssal-yeot)Substitute: honey or light corn syrup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)Substitute: a pinch of cayenne
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed (optional)
Method
- Season the chicken. Pat the wings very dry with paper towels, then toss them with the salt, pepper, grated garlic and ginger. Leave them for 20 minutes while you prepare everything else.
- Make the batter. In a large bowl whisk the potato starch, flour and baking powder, then whisk in the ice-cold water to a thin batter. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is lightly coated.
- Heat the oil. Pour the oil into a heavy pot or deep fryer, at least 5 cm deep, and heat it to 170°C.
- Fry the first round. Fry the chicken in batches without crowding the pot, turning now and then, until pale golden and cooked through (75°C inside). Lift it onto a wire rack.
- Rest the chicken. Let the fried chicken rest on the rack so steam escapes from the crust, and bring the oil up to 180°C.
- Fry it again. Return the chicken to the hotter oil in batches and fry until deep golden and very crisp. Drain on the rack.
- Cook the yangnyeom sauce. In a wide pan stir together the gochujang, ketchup, rice syrup, soy sauce, brown sugar, minced garlic, gochugaru and water. Simmer over medium heat, stirring, until glossy and slightly thick. Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
- Toss and serve. Add the hot chicken to the warm sauce and toss quickly until coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and crushed peanuts and serve right away, with pickled radish on the side.
Dry chicken and cold batter are what make the crust crisp, so pat the wings well and keep the water ice-cold. Use a thermometer: oil that is too cool makes greasy chicken, and oil that is too hot browns the outside before the inside is cooked. Never skip the second fry, and toss with the sauce only right before eating, because sauced chicken softens as it sits. If you are cooking for a crowd, do the first fry up to an hour ahead, then do the second fry just before serving. Leftovers crisp up again in a 200°C oven or air fryer for 6 to 8 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Korean fried chicken so crispy?
It is fried twice and coated in a thin batter made mostly of potato starch. The first fry cooks the chicken and dries the skin, and the second hotter fry makes the crust light, golden and glass-like.
What is the difference between yangnyeom chicken and regular fried chicken?
Yangnyeom chicken is Korean fried chicken tossed in a sticky sweet and spicy sauce made with gochujang, garlic and syrup. Plain Korean fried chicken (huraideu) is served without sauce, often with salt and pickled radish.
Can I make Korean fried chicken in an air fryer?
Yes. Toss the battered chicken with a spoon of oil and air fry at 200°C for about 22 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp and cooked through. Then toss it in the warm sauce.
Is Korean fried chicken very spicy?
This sauce is medium: sweet first, with a gentle chilli warmth. Use less gochujang and more ketchup for kids, or add extra gochugaru if you like it hot.
What can I use instead of potato starch?
Cornstarch is the best swap and gives a very similar crunch. Avoid using only wheat flour, because the coating will be heavier and less crispy.
What do you serve with Korean fried chicken?
In Korea it comes with cubes of sweet pickled radish called chicken-mu and an ice-cold beer. It is also great with steamed rice, a crunchy cabbage slaw or kimchi.
