Years and years ago in New York, Steph and I discovered a new Korean fried chicken and it was different than anything we had before. Crispy, crunchy, spicy, sticky and sweet, it was like a whole new level of chicken. We liked it so much that we went out to find all the versions in town, from the shiny BonChon chain to a strange third-floor lounge in the fashion district overlooking a discount ticket seller. reduced where we were the only ones (spoiler, it was the best 6-8 we've ever had).
Korean fried chicken was so big at the time that David Chang even had an East-West chicken feast; Korean fried chicken vs old bay south buttermilk fried chicken, for an ungodly sum of money at the original Momofuku. We went there too.
These days, Korean fried chicken is everywhere, as long as you live in a big city with decent Korean restaurants. It's a classic Korean beer/late night snack. But even if you don't, nothing beats doing it at home, cool and warm.
What is Korean fried chicken?
Korean fried chicken has extra crispy double-crispy wings and drums, topped with a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce. It's like well-made buffalo wings, amplified by the power of gochujang.
What is the sauce that goes with Korean fried chicken?
This magical sauce is a mixture of honey, brown sugar, gochujang, and tomato sauce. Actually, ketchup is a very important ingredient if you want to keep it authentic.
Gochujang is a very spicy fermented soybean paste that goes well with everything. We also use it for our sweet and spicy honey gochujang roast chicken and potatoes, our spicy 10-minute weekday break beef udon, and our kimchi stew with an egg mochi recipe. Much more convenient squeeze bottles in the Asian aisle of any grocery store.
How to make Korean fried chicken in an air fryer?
The secret to Korean fried chicken is double frying. Double frying in the air fryer works just as well as deep frying, but much easier. I developed this double air frying technique based on essentially copious amounts of oil. The secret is to coat the chicken after the first fry with canola oil spray. It's not totally necessary, but it really helps. To prepare Korean fried chicken in an air fryer:
- Cover the chicken. I first coated the chicken with oil to help with heat transfer, then seasoning (because all the sauce in the world won't help you if the chicken isn't seasoned), then corn or potato starch, which is what Asian chicken It is made in a classic way for a lighter, crispier outer shell.
- Air fry the chicken. 400ºF for 15 minutes. It is not necessary to preheat the fryer.
- Make the sauce. While the chicken is air frying, prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients for the sauce, then heat it to a very light boil (or even microwave it for a minute).
- Flip the chicken. When 15 minutes have passed, flip the chicken and continue frying for another 5 minutes. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Double frying and sauce. Once the chicken has cooled, spray it again with oil, then air fry it one last time at 400°F for 5 minutes. Remove and mix the sauce, then taste immediately.
That's it, and it's even easier than it seems.
What if I don't have spray oil?
Spray oil is really good, cheap, and irreplaceable in the kitchen, especially if you have an air fryer. It's no worse for you than any other type of oil, as long as you know when to use it and your limits. We love a good oil without a high smoke point propellant, but you can use any oil you like (except olive) and you can even make your own.
How to make Korean fried chicken with just one French fry?
If you don't have an air fryer, you should definitely consider purchasing one, but you can easily do it the classic way: fry the chicken until 39; It's golden, then remove it and let it cool slightly before replacing it for a few minutes. Then mix into sauce, as usual.
Will this sauce work with any type of fried chicken?
Yeah! If you're feeling lazy, you can make the sauce and throw it at the grocery store or chain fried chicken. It won't be as good or the same, but it will still be pretty impressive.
On the other hand, although it may seem like more work than just ordering delivery, right after making this chicken, we literally missed and tried the local Korean fried chicken to compare and contrast (it's something we do). This version was tastier and crispier . There is no comparison, it is worth a try.
Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
It serves 1 delivered
Time to cook 25 min
Total time 30 min
- 1 kg chicken wings
- 1 soup spoon oil
- 3 soup spoon cornstarch
For the sauce
- 1 soup spoon ketchup
- 1 soup spoon gochujang see note
- 1 soup spoon my dear
- 1 soup spoon brown sugar
- 0,5 soup spoon soy sauce
- 0,5 soup spoon toasted sesame oil
- 0,5 soup spoon ginger grated
- 2 cloves Garlic crushed
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Coat the chicken with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Mix with cornstarch.
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Drizzle oil from the fryer basket or use a paper towel to wipe off a thin layer of oil. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and air fry at 400°F for 15 minutes.
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While the chicken is air cooking, combine the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat to a brief boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
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When the 15 minutes are up, flip the chicken and air fry for another 5 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a plate or grill to cool for 5 minutes.
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Once the chicken has cooled, spray the chicken with a very light coating of oil (optional), return the chicken to the air fryer and fry for another 5 minutes at 400°F. Mix in the sauce, making sure to get all the nooks and crannies. Try immediately with lemon wedges and sliced green onion.
