Korean Fried Chicken - CJ Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of Korean fried chicken? ›

Using whole wings eliminates the possibility of overcooking light breast meat and ensures a good ratio of skin to meat. The correct ratio of cornstarch, baking powder, and vodka in the batter makes for perfectly thin, crispy, tender, and golden-brown skin.

The Korean fried chicken is super crispy because potato starch is added to its batter and the chicken is fried twice. This second frying also cooks off the excess water in the chicken from the first frying. Korean fried chicken is known to stay extra crispy for a long time, even with a glazed surface.

The chicken itself is often marinated in a mixture of buttermilk, spices, and sometimes even fruit juice to add flavor and tenderize the meat. This step ensures that every bite is bursting with juicy, flavorful chicken. Of course, you can't talk about Korean fried chicken without mentioning the side dishes.

One thing to note is that many Korean fried chicken recipes call for the use of cornstarch or potato starch as a coating. While this can make the chicken crispier, it also adds extra carbs and calories. However, there are healthier alternatives such as using almond flour or coconut flour instead.

This is because most of the fat is removed in the cooking process: usually Korean chicken is double-fried chicken. Thus, after the first cooking, the excess oil is removed and the chicken is left to dry, which significantly reduces the level of fat.

Of all the flavours, yangnyeom is the most popular of all. Made with a glaze from gochujang, a sweet and spicy Korean paste used in many sauces, it creates a sensational taste and sticky texture. Don't forget to lick your fingers after each bite!

When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color! (It has to do with prevention of gluten development.) The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which also helps form a crispy coating.

The milk acts as a tenderizer, so if you can let the chicken soak in the buttermilk overnight, the crumbs will adhere well to the chicken and it will come out tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

This process renders the fat out of the skin leaving behind tender morsels of chicken wrapped in a lightweight crispy, crunchy crust-like skin that's simply addictive. It also results in a far less greasy fried chicken, making it a healthier option than regular fried chicken.

Higher-Quality Ingredients

In addition to the chicken, Korean fried chicken is also marinated in a unique blend of spices and sauces, giving it its distinct flavor. These sauces often require high-quality ingredients, such as Korean chili paste, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.

What is the number 1 fried chicken in Korean? ›

BBQ Chicken

Of course, if you don't know this brand, you'll say it's barbecue. In Korea, the word BBQ is more commonly referred to as this brand name than barbecue. Started in a small village in the countryside in 1995, this brand is the number one fried chicken brand in Korea as of 2022.

The difference between American and Korean Fried chicken is that American Fried chicken is typically coated in a breading or batter before being deep-fried, while this chicken isn't. It is coated in a sweet and spicy sauce after being deep-fried, which gives it its unique flavour.

Korean fried chicken is unique in the sense that is known for being double-fried. It is first fried at a low temperature and then fried at a higher temperature, giving the chicken a crispy texture that is loved by many.

Key takeaways: Regularly eating fried foods is associated with a higher risk of developing heart problems. Fried foods are high in saturated fat and trans fat, so they promote plaque buildup in arteries that can put you at risk for coronary artery disease, heart failure, heart attack, and stroke.

The most notable difference is the type of soy sauce used. In contrast, the American version uses a thinner soy sauce that doesn't have any sugar mixed in with it. The result is a saltier flavor that can sometimes be slightly overpowering depending on the person's preference.

The difference between American and Korean Fried chicken is that American Fried chicken is typically coated in a breading or batter before being deep-fried, while this chicken isn't. It is coated in a sweet and spicy sauce after being deep-fried, which gives it its unique flavour.

The spicy gochujang sauce is made using a mixture of gochujang paste (<-- affiliate link), honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger that's been bubbled together until sticky and syrupy. Then we fry the chicken until golden and crispy.

It makes chicken more crispy and tender inside. These starches create a light and crunchy texture that adheres well to the chicken. The combination of double frying and starch coating contribute to the signature crispiness of Korean fried chicken.