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Foodemium

Korean Fried Chicken (Yangnyeom Chicken)

Crispy double-fried Korean chicken coated in a glossy sweet-spicy gochujang sauce. This boneless thigh version serves four and is finished with toasted sesame seeds and scallions.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and coating
  • 800 g Boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 3–4 cm pieces
  • 1 tsp Fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Fresh ginger finely grated
  • 2 tbsp Rice wine or water use water for alcohol-free version
  • 1 cup Potato starch approximately 150 g
  • 1/2 cup All-purpose flour approximately 60 g
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 2 Large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 L Neutral frying oil approximately; actual absorption varies
Sweet-spicy sauce
  • 3 tbsp Gochujang check ingredients if avoiding alcohol
  • 3 tbsp Ketchup
  • 3 tbsp Honey
  • 2 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp Water
  • 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
  • 2 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
To serve
  • 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds
  • 2 Scallions thinly sliced

Equipment

  • 1 Deep heavy-bottomed pot For frying in batches
  • 1 Deep-fry thermometer Monitor oil temperature
  • 1 Mixing bowls For coating chicken
  • 1 Wire rack and tray For draining fried chicken
  • 1 Medium Saucepan For the sauce
  • 1 Instant-read food thermometer For checking chicken doneness

Method
 

SEASON THE CHICKEN
  1. Combine the chicken with salt, black pepper, ginger, and water (or rice wine). Mix well and refrigerate for 20 minutes while preparing the sauce and coating.
PREPARE THE SAUCE AND COATING
  1. Whisk together the gochujang, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, water, rice vinegar, garlic, and toasted sesame oil in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring until glossy. Turn off the heat; reserve until serving.
  2. Mix the potato starch, flour, and baking powder in a bowl. Add the beaten eggs to the marinated chicken and stir to coat. Toss the chicken in the dry mixture, pressing to create a craggy coating. Shake off excess flour.
DOUBLE-FRY THE CHICKEN
  1. Heat the frying oil in a deep heavy-bottomed pot to 170°C (340°F). Carefully fry the chicken in batches for 5–7 minutes, depending on piece size, until pale golden and the internal temperature reaches at least 74°C (165°F). Do not overcrowd. Drain on a rack for 3–5 minutes.
  2. Raise the oil temperature to 190°C (375°F). Fry the chicken again in batches for 1–2 minutes until deeply golden and crisp. Return to the rack to drain.
SAUCE AND SERVE
  1. Warm the sauce gently if it has cooled. Immediately before serving, toss the fried chicken with the sauce until lightly and evenly coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions and serve at once.

Notes

This is boneless yangnyeom-style Korean fried chicken. Traditional bone-in versions require longer frying times.
Rice wine is optional; water gives an alcohol-free preparation. Commercial gochujang can contain alcohol, so check the label if necessary.
The 1 L frying oil is the approximate amount needed for the pot, not the amount absorbed; nutrition is intentionally omitted without a measured oil-absorption calculation.
Frying temperatures and times are guides; check that each chicken piece reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).

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