Nicknamed “candy chicken,” Korean fried 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 a 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’re adventurous enough). This recipe has a couple of tricks up its sleeve for maximum texture payoff.
A light cornstarch coating with a bit of baking powder. The small amount of baking powder reacts with the chicken skin to create more surface area that then blisters in the hot frying oil, allowing for a crispier texture. Don’t substitute baking soda, or your wings might emerge with an unpleasant and overwhelming alkaline aftertaste.
Temperature-controlled double-fry. It’s okay if you don’t have a candy thermometer—your wings will still turn out delish. But if you do, it will be super-helpful in this recipe. For our first fry, we submerge the wings at a low temperature, par-cooking the meat gently to keep it tender. The skin will crisp up only a little because the main goal here is to prime it for the fast-and-furious subsequent fry. The second fry is much shorter and set at a much higher temperature in order to crisp the skin as quickly as possible without overcooking the entire wing.
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 c.cornstarch
For sauce
- 3 tbsp.butter
- 5small dried red chilis, sliced
- 1 tbsp.freshly minced ginger
- 3cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c.gochujang
- 2 tbsp.ketchup
- 1 tbsp.rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp.low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 c.honey
- 2 tbsp.packed brown sugar
For garnish
- 1/2 c.cocktail peanuts
- 1 tbsp.sesame seeds
- 1green onion, sliced
Directions
-
- Step 1
Make 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.
- Step 2Pat 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.
- Step 3Carefully 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. Let rest briefly.
- Step 4Heat frying oil to 400°. Return wings to pot and fry again until deeply golden and skin is crisp and crunchy, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove wings from oil and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Step 5Make sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add butter, dried chilis, ginger, and garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Stir in gochujang, ketchup, vinegar, and soy sauce and cook until bubbling. Stir in honey and brown sugar and continue cooking until bubbling and slightly thickened.
- Step 6Pour sauce over wings and toss until evenly coated. Add in peanuts and toss to combine.
- Step 7Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion before serving.
- Step 1
