Dakgangjung is a very popular traditional Korean dish and is usually made with chunks of chicken from a whole chicken. I’m using chicken wings in this recipe, but you could use chunks.
Each piece of chicken wing is coated with sweet and crispy sauce. Of the ingredients, thinly sliced ginger will turn into something like candy which has not only its own special chewy taste but also influences the whole flavor of chicken. Peanuts turn it into an amazingly crispy snack!
I also posted an easier version of dakgangjeong where you don’t need to mix a batter or slice ginger. It’s just as delicious as this one, so check it out!
Ingredients
- 40 pieces of chicken wings
- 2 ts kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 ts ground pepper
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup starch powder
- vegetable oil
- 1 cup ginger, sliced thinly
- 2 tbs soy sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup corn syrup (mulyeot)
- ¼ cup vinegar
- 1 cup peanuts
- ½ cup toasted sesame seeds
- ½ tbs dried and crushed red hot chili pepper
Directions
- Prepare 40 chicken wings or chunks of chicken, rinse them off in cold water and drain them.
- Transfer the chicken into a big bowl.
- Add kosher salt, ground pepper, eggs, and a mixture of the flour and the starch powder. Mix it by hand.
- Deep fry the chicken wings in vegetable oil 2 times at about 350” to 380”F.
Make sauce:
- Prepare a big wok or pan.
- Place 1 cup of water in the wok and heat it up.
- Add the ginger to the boiling water.
- Add soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and boil it over medium heat.
- 5 minutes after, add corn syrup and keep boiling over low medium heat about 30 minutes.
- Raise a spoon of the sizzling sauce above the wok in the air and drop it until the sauce starts to stop halfway down. Then turn off the stove.
Mix it up:
- Reheat the sauce.
- Add the deep fried chicken, peanuts (or any kind of nuts), dried red hot chili pepper, and the toasted sesame seeds into the sizzling sauce and mix it with a spatula. The amount of sticky sauce will decrease while you are stirring. Then turn off the heat and you are done!
*tip: Before the chicken cools down, separate each piece of chicken to prevent them from sticking to each other.
For the spicy food lover
You can sprinkle 2 tbs of dried and crushed red chili pepper instead of ½ tbs.
For vegetarians
Just make the sauce following the recipe above, and then add whatever dried ingredients you like and make candy! You can use sliced ginger, nuts (almond, walnuts, pine nuts, and peanuts), or sesame seeds.
- Place plastic wrap on your cutting board
- After mixing all the dried ingredients with the sticky sauce, spread it on the plastic wrap. Wait a few minutes for it to harden.
- Cut into bite size pieces and enjoy!
Maangchi's Amazon picks for this recipe
It's always best to buy Korean items at your local Korean grocery store, but I know that's not always possible so I chose these products on Amazon that are good quality. See more about how these items were chosen.
This looks so goo.
Can you use Korean rice syrup instead of corn syrup? Just bought rice syrup today.
Thanks for the great recipes.
yes, rice syrup is even better. Good luck with making sweet and crunchy dakkangjeong!
Can I substitute ginger to ginger powder? If so how much ginger powder should i put?
Ginger by itself is delicious when cooked. You can use ginger powder, maybe 1 teaspoon?
Thank you very much ! I tried to do this and it was very tasty ! :) stomach is full
yum! : )
I was at a loss as what to make for dinner tonight. My husband is Korean and I live in Korea, and we have chicken in the fridge, I was going to make 닭볶음탕 but my wee son loves sticky and spicy things..so this is what we are having tonight!!!
oh delicious dakgangjeong! That’s what your son said? : ) Happy New Year to you and your family!
Please help me with this recipe. I have tried it, and it keeps coming out….well….
I now know how to make Peanut-Brittle….or “Chicken-Brittle”….i thought maybe i boiled the sauce too long, and that is why it was so hard. Do you have any ideas?
Please let me know.
Thanks.
“i thought maybe i boiled the sauce too long, and that is why it was so hard. Do you have any ideas?”
yes, you are right. You probably boiled the sauce too long.
Hi Maangchi. I’m a university student, and I’m living with my friend (also a university student) at his grandmother’s house. The other night I made dakkangjeong. I offered some to that friend, and he loved it. He told me it was even better than buttered kitchen. He kept saying all sorts of nice things “Oh, you should make this for the girl I’m courting. I think she likes Korean food” “Thanks, you can be my mother now!” “we should make a business with delicious chicken, we’ll be rich” “I’m sure the person you will marry will be very lucky” “This is so good”
I felt happy that my cooking was appreciated that way. At some point though I thought to myself “hey, you’re getting too much! That’s supposed to be my meal for 2 days! I don’t have anymore allowance to buy more food” haha… However I was so happy that he liked, so I just allowed him to get as much as he wanted. Maybe next time I will be stricter. haha… Thanks so much Maangchi. Dakkangjeong was the first korean recipe I ever tried. It’s been over a year now since I tried korean food, and I’m still very happy with it.. Thank you for teaching me and so many others to cook delicious food!
wow, thank you so much sharing your dakkangjeong story with us! Your dakkangjeong must have been so tasty! “I felt happy that my cooking was appreciated that way.” yes, I know how you feel! : )
Happy cooking!
Hello! ^ ^ Erm, I was wondering.. I do not have a “wok” .. Could I use something else? o:
~
You can use a heavy-bottomed skillet, too.
Hi Maangchi ^_^ I love, love, love your site! I’m a huge Korean fan -total egg ;) anyhow, Can I use corn starch in place of starch powder? I’m not really familiar with starch powder… Also, is their a big difference between chives, and asian chives? Kam-sa-hap-mi-da!!!
yes, you can use corn starch, too.
Asian chives: https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/asian-chives
Hello, mannchi :)
I have a quick question for you!
How do you take care of used oil after frying something?
Please share with us how to clean the mess!
Every time I try a new recipe, I found answers in posted comments , this one was very delicious, awesome, thank you Maangchi, thank you for share and thanks for bring to my life again in Korean flavor.
Korean flavor! I’m glad to hear that! Thank you very much!
candied chicken wings, i love it… perfect for a snack or picnic basket…
Can you use rice vinegar instead of plain vinegar?
Yes, you can use any type of vinegar. Happy cooking!
Hello Maangchi,
Just make dakkangjung, my daughter cannot stop eating it!!!! it’s better than bonchon chicken. Keep doing what you do, You the best.
Thai mom in Philippines :)
yes, I saw the photo! looks amazing! https://www.maangchi.com/photo/sweet-and-crispy-chicken-dakkangjung
I am so serious about the ginger because i do not like the strong ginger’s smell( a little bit is okay) so is it have strong smell?
skip it if you are not a fan of ginger.
I made this tonight with the zucchini pancakes (although I also put in squash and a little bit of green onions), rice and dumplings. Took me about 2 hours for prep and cooking but it was well worth it; sooooo good! I used chicken chunks and forgot the chili pepper but it was still a hit at my house! (I let my mom try it too and even though she usually does not like chicken, she loved it!)
awesome! Cheers!
We made this chicken for dinner last night. It was so incredibly good! But I think we cooked the syrup a bit too long! This morning the leftovers are one big lump of delicious hard chicken wing candy! I will practice this and make it many more times. We loved it. Thanks!
yeah, the sauce must have been too sticky. You can simply fix it before mixing with fried chicken. Add a little bit of water and stir it well to thin it out.
Dear maangchi,
Hi~~ I’m thinking of making this for my mom today for mother’s day dinner, but I went to the store and couldn’t find any vinegar. Is it still okay to make this recipe without the vinegar then?
Thank you!
How did your dakkangjung turn out? I hope your chicken made your mom happy!
Since I hate plastic when placing hot things, I use banana leaves, it adds more pungent smell to the sticky mixture. I find it good as well. would you try ? This recipe is loved by everyone. Since one of my daughter doesn’t eat so hot, I have to lessen the dosage of chili. Another recipe that adds to my record.
“..Since one of my daughter doesn’t eat so hot, I have to lessen the dosage of chili” yes, you can modify the recipe according to your taste. Banana leaves sound great!
i just made it it was great love it:)
awesome!
Hello Maangchi i tried this recipe dakkangjung several times but i could not get a right consistancy on the sauce. It is always syrupy instead of sticky. Is there a a way to get the sauce stickier? Thank you and hope you can get back to us soon.
I just watched the video and read this, then I created a profile and saw a bit about squid. I got to thinking, instead of chicken, making sweet deep fat fried squid… Something crunchy, chewy, and sweet. Sounds like candy!
Hi Maangchi! I need to buy starch powder and what is it called in Korean please? Is it potato starch? Also what do you call Sweet rice flour in Korean? And when you say ‘Plain flour’ what should I buy, Cos I live in Korea!! And Korea has various types of plain flour. I enjoy making your dishes here.Thank you!
Yes, potato starch is good. It’s called gamja jeonboon: 감자전분 https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/potato-starch
Hi Maangchi
Tried your recipe and everyone loved it. One question though. Should the sauce be sticky, or harden into a crisp layer?
Great! : )
The sauce should be sticky but still runny. “Raise a spoon of the sizzling sauce above the wok in the air and drop it until the sauce begins stopping halfway. Then turn off the stove.”
I think the problem might be substituting Corn Syrup for Mul Yeot. Corn Syrup makes it harden into a crispy layer, turning the wings into candy. They’re almost impossible to eat. Stick to Mul Yeot or you’ll have this problem.
You can use corn syrup. If the sauce turns out too sticky, simply add some water and boil it. When you stir it, the sauce will turn less sticky.
trying to find a good potluck-ish dish for my Korean Culture class that I am taking going to try it out this weekend (teacher told me to try kimchi but I like chicken better :) thanks for the easy to follow instructions!
A question to Kayla whose grandmother bakes her chicken in the oven to make it crispy with oatmeal….. ground oatmeal? Quick cooking oatmeal as is?
I made this once for japan day last year, it was a huge hit at my club especially for spicy lover, i made it for my family soon after and barely put any spice b/c of their health reasons but they still like it. There are less people in my home than at the club and yet less leftovers ^_^. I made it again for my boyfriend sunday and he loved it, but he likes it spicy spicy while i can take it more in the middle. It was fun cooking it every time. I still have some corn syrup so i know i’ll probably be making a batch soon. I usually do boneless cuts though, that way people just eat the whole piece
This is not really a Japanese, but Korean dish.
Jenneida says she made this on the special occasion named Japan day last year. She didn’t say it’s Japanese food.
Jenneida, boneless chicken sounds great to me! I used chicken breast once and it turned out awesome. It was still crunchy and juicy!
I MADE THIS LAST NIGHT!!! SUCCESSFULLY!!! Hahahahaha~~~~!!!
I didn’t have peanuts but had roasted pumpkin seeds, so I put the pumpkin seeds which was fantastic!! If people have peanut allergy, then they could replace peanuts with roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. My husbannd WOWed several times and I also impressed my friend as well. I got two thumbs up!! Thank you Maangchi!
Hehe… I don’t know what I did wrong but my sauce thicken up within 5 mins after I pourned in the corn syrup. It burned slightly at the bottom of my stainless steel pot. Now I am having a hard time trying to scrub it off. The sauce turned into toffee like but dumbo me still mixed in the chicken. No burn taste. However…. the toffee like sauce sticked onto my teeth as I chewed into the chicken. And I thought to myself… “OMG~ If it still doesn’t come off, I would have a hard time at the dentist. *imagines the contruction worker drilling onto my teeth to remove those ‘toffees’. Lucky thing it came off. Haha… Nevertheless, I will still try to make this dish again.
Next time if you make this again, cook the sticky sauce over low heat to simmer and cook it for a shorter period. You don’t have to scrub your pot off to clean it. Add some water to the pot and boil it. The sticky stuff will be melted and cleaned. And be careful not to break your teeth. Bite it slowly and eat it with hot tea. It may work. Cheers! : )
hi, maangchi,
i really go crazy these days because i tried this recipe, and my son really really love it and he ate lots of wings. i don’t have word to describe it since it means lots to me!! thank so much!! i am not cooking person but i have to cook for my family and ur recipes help me much! once again, thanks a lot and hope u can creat new delicious dishes in 2011!
helen
Helen,
Thank you very much for letting me know that your son loves dakkangjung you made. “i don’t have word to describe it since it means lots to me!” I know how you feel. You are happy when you child is happy.
I made this for New Year’s Day. It’s so delicious~~~. The only problem is that I can’t find corn syrup to make the sauce sticky. Thank God I remembered corn starch~~ Now, I can enjoy it with family and friends. Happy 2011 and more recipes to come Maangchi!
Happy New Year!
corn syrup – caro syrup (common for decorating cakes).. you could also probably use rice syrup or just about any kind of syrup that doesn’t have a maple taste (like pancake/waffle syrup would be bad).. agave nectar would probably work, too. all corn syrup is, is sweet liquid. not sure if you could use honey, but it’d be worth a shot! :) everyone can get honey! :D
Hi Maangchi: I can’t wait to try this on New Year’s day! We love korean food, and I especially love the taste of Korean Hot Pepper flakes and hot pepper paste. May I use one to those to replace the dried and crushed red chili pepper instead?
And how would the ratio be if I can do that?
One more question: Could I use drumsticks instead of wings?
Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes and Happy New Year!
“May I use one to those to replace the dried and crushed red chili pepper instead?” yes, you can but add it when it’s done. Hot pepper flakes burns very easily. Ratio? It depends on your taste.
“Could I use drumsticks instead of wings?” yes, you can.
Thanks for your prompt reply. Am going to cook this for our Noche Buena :D Happy Holidays! :D
Maangchi, Do you think I could slice garlic in with the ginger too? Have you ever tried it with it?
Garlic will be mushy when it’s cooked but sliced ginger will turn into chewy candy.
Hi Maangchi, thank you for sharing your recipes… I love watching your videos and you inspire me to try your recipes. I would like to ask if I can substitute corn syrup with honey for this recipe? Thanks and more power!
yes, you can replace corn syrup with honey or sugar. If you use honey, the amount should be less than corn syrup because honey is much sweeter than corn syrup.
you are very beautiful and kind..
im from Philippines, and im very glad that most of the ingredients were accessible in our supermarket. thank you!!I’ll continue trying your recipes!!
That’s good news that you have no problem with Korean ingredients! If you want, please add the supermarket information to the grocery store list for my other readers. https://www.maangchi.com/shopping
Maangchi,do you think it would be good to add garlic to it? Would I add it with the ginger in the boiling water? I used to eat chicken wings like these at a Chinese restaurant and they were garlicky and sweet- so good!
yes, you can add garlic and ginger to the sauce! good idea!