Pepper chicken

Today I’m introducing you to another Korean Chinese dish called yuringi (pronounced yu-rin-gi). It’s fried chicken with peppers and a light sweet sour sauce. A piece of crunchy chicken soaked in sweet, sour, salty sauce tastes so crispy and juicy! The chopped spicy fresh pepper served with this dish adds delightful flavor for spicy food lovers like me! It never feels greasy but rather very refreshing. This dish originated in China and is another Korean Chinese dish along with the many others I have made (see the full list of my Korean Chinese recipes here).

Unlike most Korean fried chicken, yuringi is served with crispy vegetables and lots of sweet, sour, salty sauce. Now, with my recipe, you can easily make it at home, And if you’d prefer to make this dish mild, use less spicy or non-spicy peppers and even green and red bell peppers instead of spicy peppers. Be sure to slice them very thinly!

If you have any leftovers, refrigerate them for up to 3 days and serve with rice. This dish always goes well with rice!

Enjoy the recipe and Happy Holidays!

Ingredients

for 3 to 4 servings

• 1 pound boneless & skinless chicken thighs
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 inch of white part of dae-pa (or 2 to 3 regular green onions), thinly sliced lengthwise
• ¼ of small onion (about 2 tablespoons), thinly sliced
• 2 cups grape seeds oil (or vegetable oil, corn oil) for frying
• 4 to 5 lettuce leaves
• 3 to 4 spicy green and red chili peppers (or non-spicy peppers, green and red bell pepper), thinly sliced

For sauce:

• 2 tablespoons grape seeds oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 teaspoon crushed chili pepper (or 2 small dried red chili peppers or Korean hot pepper flakes)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 3 tablespoons Turbinado sugar (or white or brown sugar)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For batter:

• ¼ cup potato starch
• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg

Directions

Prepare the chicken and onions

1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Score a crosshatch patten on both sides of the chicken pieces.
2. Pound the thighs to an even thickness with a meat tenderizer or with the back of your kitchen knife.
3. Sprinkle both sides with salt and ground black pepper.
4. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
5. Place the shredded green onion and onion in a bowl and add cold water. Let it sit.

Make the sauce:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan until it begins to smoke, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pepper flakes until they are slightly brown. Strain the oil into a medium sized stainless steel bowl.
3. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, water, garlic, and sesame oil.
4. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Make the batter:

1. Prepare a shallow and wide bowl (I use my large, shallow plastic bowl).
2. Add the starch and salt. Crack in an egg.
3. Mix well with a spoon or a whisk.

Fry the chicken:

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan over medium-high heat until it reaches about 340° to 350° F. If you don’t have a kitchen thermometer, test the oil temperature by dipping a tip of a chicken piece into it. If it bubbles, it’s ready.
2. Dip a chicken piece into the batter and wipe off the excess with the side of the bowl. Add it to the oil one piece at a time, working in batches if your pan is small. My 12 inch large pan is perfect for frying 4 pieces of chicken thighs at a time. Repeat with the rest of the chicken pieces until all are in the pan.
3. Deep-fry, turning the chicken with tongs, until all sides are light golden brown and crunchy, about 5 to 6 minutes. As each piece is done, transfer it to a strainer over a bowl to drain the excess oil.
4. Reheat the oil for about 1 minute and add all the chicken again. It will look a little soggy at first. Deep-fry, turning occasionally, until all the chicken pieces are dark golden brown and very crunchy, another 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken pieces to the strainer over the bowl to drain. Let them cool for a few minutes until you can handle them.

Serve:

1. Add the sliced chili pepper to the sauce and mix it together.
2. Drain the soaking green onion and onion through a strainer set in your sink. Rinse it under cold running water, turning it over by hand for 10 seconds. Drain well.
3. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and put them on a large plate lined with the lettuce. Spoon the peppers out of the sauce and put them on top of the chicken.
4. Add the shredded green onion and onion and gently pour the rest of the sauce all over top.
5. Serve right away.

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