Korean fried chicken nicknamed ”candy chicken”, is known for its addictively crunchy exterior and its thick sweet and spicy sauce. Increasingly popularized in recent years, Korean fried chicken was born around the time of the Korean War: African-American soldiers stationed in South Korea brought with them culinary soft spot for a soul food staple-deep fried chicken. Recipes evolved through the following decades and boomed during the 1997 Asian financial crisis when high unemployment rates led many jobless workers to create their own fried chicken joints to make a living. When made right, these cornstarch battered, sauce glazed wings get so crispy that even the bones become crunchy enough to eat (if you are adventurous enough). This recipe has a couple of tricks up its sleeve for maximum texture payoff.
Ingredients
For wings
- Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 lb chicken wings
- 1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
For sauce
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 5 small dreid red chilis, sliced
- 1 Tbsp. freshly minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic,minced
- 1/4 cup red chili sauce (gochujang)
- 2 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
For garnish
- 1/2 cup cocktail peanuts
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, sliced
Procedure
Korean fried chicken is pretty easy to make with the right ingredients and measurement. Here;s a step by step method of achieving that crunchy, sweet and spicy candy chicken.
- Prep wings: In a deep pot over medium high heat, heat 4 to 6 cups vegetable oil to 275°. Line a large plate or baking sheet with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, baking powder, and garlic powder.
- Pat wings dry with paper towels, then rub with grated ginger and season with salt mixture. In a large bowl, toss wings with cornstarch and squeeze to compress coating onto each wing
- Carefully add wings to oil and fry until skin is just lightly crisped and golden, occasionally flipping with tongs, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove wings from oil and set aside on prepared plate and let rest briefly.
- Heat frying oil to 400°. Return wings to pot and fry again until deeply golden and skin is crisp and crunchy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove wings from oil and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Make sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add butter, dried chilis, ginger, and garlic and cook until fregrant, 2 minutes. Stir in red chili sauce (gochujang), ketchup, vinegar , and soy sauce and cook until bubbling. Stir in honey and brown sugar and continue cooking until bubbling and slightly thickened.
- Pour sauce over wings and toss until evenly coated. Add in peanuts and toss to combine.
- Garnish with sesame seed and green onions before serving.
Enjoy!
