Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Recipe

Fried chicken wings are arguably the perfect dish — they're a crowd-pleasing protein that can be enjoyed as an entree, an appetizer, or even a snack. But grabbing (or making) your standard batch of fried wings can start to feel stale. So the next time you start craving fried chicken, consider whipping up this version of crispy Korean fried chicken, which offers the perfect combination of sweet and spicy flavors. "I enjoy the crispiness of the chicken in combination with the sweet sauce. It offers a great balance of texture and taste," says recipe developer Chanel Murphy-Lowe, of My Fabulous Food.

Just make sure you follow the recipe exactly when it comes to making the wing sauce — this is what sets the recipe apart. "The special ingredient in this recipe is gochujang, a Korean chili paste," Murphy-Lowe explains. "It adds a unique spicy and savory flavor to the sauce, giving the dish its distinct taste." 

For this recipe, you'll need the ingredients for the chicken's dry rub, as well as ingredients for the sauce. While the dry rub ingredients are fairly standard, you may have to check the international foods section at your grocery store to locate all of the sauce ingredients. For the chicken, you'll need 2 pounds of chicken wings, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, sea salt, grated ginger, black pepper, and oil for frying. 

For the sauce, you'll need gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic cloves, and red pepper flakes. You may also want to garnish your wings with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, but these are optional ingredients. 

You'll need to start by prepping the chicken for frying. Mix together the dry rub ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir them until they've thoroughly combined. Add the wings to the bowl and toss them until they're completely coated in the mixture. 

"This recipe doesn't require dipping the chicken wings in a wet mixture before dredging them in the flour mixture. The goal of this recipe is to achieve a light, crispy, and flavorful coating, and the dry dredging with the flour mixture helps achieve that desired texture," Murphy-Lowe explains. 

This recipe actually calls for a double-fry, so go ahead and bring a pot or deep skillet of oil to medium-high heat — about 375 F. When the oil is to temperature, fry the wings in batches until they're partially cooked and lightly golden. "The duration of the first fry may vary depending on the size of the chicken wings and the heat of the oil. As a general guideline, you can fry the wings for about 8-10 minutes during the first fry," Murphy-Lowe instructs. 

She also adds that frying the chicken in batches helps ensure they cook correctly. "It's best to leave some space between the chicken wings [while frying]. You can fry around 4-5 wings per batch, depending on the size of your pot or skillet. Overcrowding the pan can lower the oil temperature and result in less-crispy wings," says Murphy-Lowe. When the wings have finished frying the first time, set them aside on a rack to cool. 

The resting time between fries is important. It doesn't have to be very long, but the wings should cool slightly between fries. "Allowing the wings to cool slightly helps ensure that they cook evenly and become extra crispy during the second fry," says Murphy-Lowe. "The initial cooling period also helps the chicken retain its moisture and juiciness." 

After letting the wings cool slightly, add them back to the hot oil and fry them again, only removing them when they're a deep golden brown and extra crispy. Set them aside. 

While the wings cool, mix the wing sauce by combining the gochujang, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a bowl. Stir everything together until it's well-combined. 

Just keep in mind this wing sauce has a bit of a kick to it. "The sauce [is] moderately spicy due to the Gochujang and red pepper flakes. However, the spice level can be adjusted to personal preference. To decrease the spice, you can reduce the amount of Gochujang or red pepper flakes. If you prefer more spice, you can increase these ingredients," Murphy-Lowe says. "I recommend tasting the sauce during preparation to achieve your desired spice level. You can also increase the sweetness of the sauce by adding honey, to taste." 

With the sauce mixed, drizzle it over the wings, coating them fully. You may want to toss the wings as you drizzle the sauce on top to ensure both sides of the chicken receive an even amount. 

All that's left to do is garnish your wings (if desired), and serve them up. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and sliced green onions on top of the wings if you're opting to use them, then put them on a serving platter. "These wings pair well with steamed rice, kimchi, stir-fried noodles, or a salad," says Murphy-Lowe. "For drinks, I would pair this with a cold beer or lemonade." 

And if you don't finish the whole batch in a sitting, you can save them for leftovers. "Store the cooled wings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days," says Murphy-Lowe. "To reheat, you can place them in a preheated oven at 350 F for about 10-15 minutes."