Crispy and crunchy fried chicken

Hi everybody! Today I’m going to show you how to make dakgangjeong, a crispy and crunchy Korean fried chicken (aka “kfc”).

Many of you probably know that I posted it once already, years ago, but the version I’m showing you today is a little easier than the last one, and will be faster to make: I don’t mix a batter, I just coat the chicken in potato starch powder. I also skipped the ginger slices so we can cook the sauce faster. It has an incredible crunch!

In this recipe, both the peanuts and the chilis are optional.

Both versions are delicious in their own way, and both of them are authentically Korean, they’re just two ways of making the same dish, kind of like there are many ways to make pizza. Take this chicken to a party and everyone will give you compliment. “Whoo ah~ this crispy chicken is crunchy crunchy like candy!”

If you love fried chicken, I strongly advise you to try this recipe and my other Korean fried chicken recipes like dakgangjeong with ginger slices (including a vegetarian version), and my yangnyeom-tongdak recipe (aka yangnyeom chicken) which has also been incredibly popular on YouTube! You’ll love all of them. And all Korean fried chicken should be enjoyed with pickled radishes (aka chicken-mu)! If you drink alcohol, it also goes great with beer (“chi-maek” in Korean, which means “chicken and beer”).

Steps:

1. Mix chicken with seasonings and cover in starch.
2. Fry in hot oil for 7 to 8 minutes.
3. Shake off, let sit, then fry for another 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Coat in seasoning sauce.
5. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top and serve immediately.

Ingredients

• 3½ pounds chicken wings (about 1.6 kg), washed and drained
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• ⅔ cup potato starch or corn starch
• ⅓ cup peanuts (optional)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 to 4 large dried red chili peppers, seeded, cut crosswise into ⅓ inch pieces (optional)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup rice syrup or corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mustard (optional)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• Grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil, peanut oil)

Directions

Prepare the chicken

1. Cut off the tip of each wing and chop the wing in half. After this is done you should have about 3 pounds of chicken, with 24 to 26 pieces.
2. Put the chicken in a large bowl and mix with salt, ginger, and ground black pepper by hand.
3. Put the potato starch in a bowl and dip each wing in the powder to coat it, one by one. Squeeze each wing to press the coating to it tightly.
   

Make the sweet, spicy, and sticky Korean fried chicken sauce:

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons cooking oil, minced garlic, and the dried red chili pepper (if used).
2. Stir with a wooden spoon until fragrant for about 30 seconds.
3. Add soy sauce, rice syrup, vinegar, and mustard sauce (optional). Stir with a wooden spoon and let it bubble for a few minutes.
4. Add the brown sugar and continue stirring the mixture. Remove from the heat. Set aside.

First fry:

1. Put 4 cups of cooking oil in a frying pan or pot and heat it up for 7 to 8 minutes over high heat.
2. See if the oil temperature is ready by dipping a test wing into it. If the oil bubbles, it’s hot enough to start frying. Slide the coated wings one by one into the hot oil and deep fry for about 12 to 13 minutes, turning over a few times with tongs.
3. Take the wings out of the oil and shake them off in a strainer or let them drain on a wire rack. Turn off the heat, and let the wings sit for a few minutes.

Second fry:

1. Reheat the oil and fry the wings again for another 12 to 15 minutes until they all look golden brown and feel super crunchy through the tongs. If your frying pan or pot is not large enough to fry all the chicken at once, divide it into batches like I do in the video. If you use a larger frying pot to deep fry them all at once, you’ll have to use more cooking oil.
2. If using the peanuts, place them in a slotted spoon or a small mesh strainer, carefully dip them into the hot oil, and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, just until light golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl.

Coat the fried chicken with the sauce:

1. When the chicken is done, reheat the sauce until it bubbles.
2. Add the hot chicken and peanuts (if using) and mix well with a wooden spoon to coat.
3. Remove from the heat and transfer the coated chicken to a large platter. Sprinkle some sesame seeds over top and serve immediately. This chicken won’t lose its crunchiness, even by the next day, and you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You don’t need any dipping sauce, but it goes well with white kimchi (baek-kimchi) and pickled radishes (chicken-mu) are the perfect garnish.

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