Today, let’s meet crunchy dakgangjeong once again.
Ever since I shared my dakgangjeong recipe years ago, so many of you have made it for your families and friends.
Today’s version is boneless dakgangjeong, bite-sized, easy to eat, and much quicker to cook. But the double-frying method hasn’t changed.
Be sure to make this for your next party!
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken tenderloin (chicken breast or thighs)
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup potato starch
- 6–7 small dried red peppers, stemmed
- ½ cup peanuts (or cashews, almonds, or walnuts), optional
- Cooking oil
For the sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
- 2 teaspoons peeled ginger, very thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ cup rice syrup (or dark corn syrup)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Directions
Prepare the chicken
- Mix the chicken with the milk and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Drain the chicken well and mix with the salt and black pepper.
- Put the potato starch into a large plastic bag (I used a gallon-size Ziploc bag). Add the chicken, seal the bag, and shake and rub the outside of the bag to coat evenly (without touching the chicken directly).
- Keep the coated chicken in the refrigerator until ready to fry.
Make the sauce
- Combine the rice syrup, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and yellow mustard in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for about 1 minute, until the garlic turns light brown.
- Add the dried red peppers and stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour the syrup mixture into the pan with the garlic, ginger, and red peppers. Gently stir for a few minutes, until bubbling and slightly sticky. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Fry the chicken
- Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a large pan until it reaches 340–350°F (170–175°C).
- Carefully add the chicken pieces one at a time, working in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Fry for 4–6 minutes over medium-high heat until crispy. Transfer to a wire strainer set over a stainless steel bowl.
- Reheat the oil for 1–2 minutes until it returns to 340–350°F. Fry the chicken again for 3–4 minutes, until very crunchy and golden brown. Transfer back to the strainer.
- Place the peanuts (or other nuts) in a stainless steel slotted spoon. Carefully dip them into the hot oil and fry for about 10 seconds, just until lightly browned. Transfer to the chicken.
Coat the chicken
- Reheat the sauce until bubbling.
- Add the chicken and peanuts (if using) to the sauce and toss gently with a wooden spoon until evenly coated.
- Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.
- Let cool for 5–10 minutes. If the chicken pieces stick together, gently separate them with your hands.
- Serve right away.
Storage
The chicken stays crunchy for several hours at room temperature. You can also cover and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Buy this recipe's ingredients online
I really like Weee! they deliver quality packaged and fresh Korean ingredients to the continental USA. Cheaper and better than Amazon! Check them out!
