Korean-Style Fried Chicken

My version of a Korean-Style Fried Chicken promises three things – more crunch, more flavour, and more sauce! The crispy batter is light and flaky, while the sauce is sweet, spicy, tangy, and savoury. With such a robust flavour, this recipe warranted drumsticks rather than wings!

A few weeks ago, I was alone at our house. Both John.e and McKenna were in Toronto, and I found myself craving fried chicken. But, do you know what you can’t get out here in the middle of nowhere? Fried chicken! Well, I shouldn’t say that; you can get fried chicken and anything else you want for that matter, but not without driving into town. We have one car and it was in Toronto. Plus, I don’t drive. So, you see the predicament I was in, right? Don’t worry; I got my fix with this Korean-Style Fried Chicken!

That’s the one thing about having a get-away home outside the city that I miss the most – convenience! But, it forces me to be less dependent on convenience. It forces me to pause whatever program I’m binge-watching at the moment and to get up off the couch. When one has a well-stocked pantry and fridge, that’s all the convenience one needs!

I had just prepared a batch of Korean Gochujang Sauce a day or two prior, and when I opened the fridge door, there it was, staring me right in the face. That’s the push I needed to make a batch of Korean-Inspired Fried Chicken. And, it was delicious, Dear Reader. Once it was done, I went back to my spot on the couch with a platter of sweet and sticky chicken and continued watching the Vikings for the third time!

KOREAN-STYLE FRIED CHICKEN

Lord Byron’s Kitchen is no stranger to a great chicken recipe. In fact, I have already published many of my favourite chicken recipes already. I always get asked what my absolute favourites are, and to be honest, they all are! Sharing a recipe that I don’t absolutely love is not something I do. If I don’t love it, why should you? With that said, I do love an easy recipe, and Indian-Spiced Chicken is so easy and so delicious! And, I can eat Cashew Chicken until I burst!

When I set out to make Korean-Inspired Fried Chicken, I wanted the batter to taste just as good as the sauce I was planning to smother it in. Many times the sauce can mask the fact that the chicken itself is mediocre at best. For me, the chicken should be just as delicious without the sauce as it is with it. So, I turned to one of my favourite chicken batter recipes. I have used this one before and I will use it again because it’s perfect every time!

I can’t ever remember my mom making fried chicken from scratch. Fried chicken came from either KFC or in a box from the grocery freezer. I prefer to make my own because you get so much more flavour! The batter I used in this recipe certainly did help to satisfy my craving. Once you try this, you’ll agree that buying a box of frozen fried chicken from the grocery store is no longer an option.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Chicken – I used drumsticks. You can use other cuts, but make sure it has the bone still. Cooking time will vary if you use wings or thighs instead of drumsticks, so keep that in mind!
• Buttermilk – The chicken is soaked in buttermilk to help tenderize the meat and it locks in moisture so that the chicken doesn’t dry out while frying.
• Oil – This chicken is deep-fried. Use an oil that has little or no flavour. When deep frying, I like to use vegetable or canola oil.
• Flour – All-purpose flour is good here.
• Cornstarch – This helps to create a lighter breading on the chicken.
• Pantry Spices – These are quite simple and need no explanation – onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and ground black pepper.
• Korean Gochujang Sauce

HOW TO PREPARE KOREAN-STYLE FRIED CHICKEN

In a large bowl, add the chicken legs, buttermilk, and salt and pepper. Move the chicken about so that it is well-coated and fully submerged. Set aside for 20-30 minutes. Next, add the oil to a deep Dutch oven. Preheat the oil to 350 degrees F. It’s ideal to use a thermometer when frying to ensure the oil maintains the right temperature.

While the oil is heating, add the flour, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.

Set up a workstation. You will need two baking sheets with a cooling rack sitting on each one. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, remove it from the buttermilk. Gently shake off the excess liquid. Coat the chicken well in the flour and cornstarch mixture and set it on one of the prepared baking sheets/cooling racks. Do this with all of the chicken, working with one piece at a time.

Once all of the chicken has been coated, again, working with one piece at a time, dip it once more into the buttermilk until fully submerged. Remove and gently shake off the excess liquid. Coat once again in the flour and cornstarch mixture and place it back onto the cooling rack.

YOU’RE ALL SET – LET’S FRY THE CHICKEN!

Now that all of the chicken has been dipped and coated twice, it’s time to fry. First, preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.

Fry the chicken in batches – about 4 or 5 pieces at a time. It will take about 8-10 minutes for the chicken to be fully cooked through. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. Once fully cooked and browned, remove from the oil and place on a clean baking sheet/cooling rack. Set in the oven. Do not cover!

Continue with frying the next batch until all of the chicken is done.

SAUCE IT UP!

While the fried chicken drumsticks rest in the warm oven, it’s time to get the sauce going. If you have prepared the Korean Gochujang Sauce ahead of time, transfer about a cup or so of it to a large skillet and add two tablespoons of water. Over high heat, bring the sauce to a bubble.

If you have not prepared the sauce ahead of time, no worries, you can do it now. It will take you about 10 minutes to make the sauce. The chicken will be fine in the oven. It won’t dry out, trust me! If you are just preparing the sauce now, do not add the extra two tablespoons of water as I mentioned in the previous paragraph. The purpose of that is to loosen up the previously prepared and chilled sauce.

Add a tablespoon of sesame seeds to the sauce and stir to combine. Finally, fetch the prepared chicken from the oven and add it to the sauce. Toss well to coat each piece in the sauce. Plate and garnish with more sesame seeds and some sliced green onions. Now, dig in!

HOW TO SERVE KOREAN-INSPIRED FRIED CHICKEN:

If you’re much like me, you can be easily satisfied with just a plate of fried chicken and a few napkins. That’s how I enjoyed these, but if I were serving it as a meal, I would want to serve it with a few sides. Keep in mind that fried chicken is heavy, and in the case of this particular chicken, it’s sweet and spicy. So, serve it with something light, refreshing, crisp, and plain.

Plain!? I can’t think of another word! What I mean is something with a subtle flavour – like steamed rice! That’s a great option with this chicken. I would also consider serving it with coleslaw. I’m not sure if that’s a Korean thing, but fried chicken with coleslaw is certainly common in North America.

Everyone seems to like carrots and celery sticks with fried wings, so why not fried chicken? Veggies will certainly help to cool the tongue if this chicken is too hot for you. Pickled Radish is the perfect accompaniment! Koreans love pickled radish with fried chicken. At the end of the day, you can serve it with whatever you want. I completely support serving whatever works for you – what about just a plate of well-seasoned fries? Yes!