Korean Fried Chicken is sweet, spicy, sticky, crispy, and anything but bland! Chicken bites are coated in a from-scratch sweet yet spicy sauce that’s made with staples like sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and more.
What’s in this Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
These fried chicken bites are seriously addictive thanks to their crispy consistency and mouthwatering sticky sauce!
- Chicken Breasts: They’ll need to be cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Sesame Oil: This oil helps to create the BEST flavor!
- Seasonings: You’ll need a simple mixture of salt, pepper, and ground ginger.
- Cornstarch: This is used on both the chicken to help make it crispy and in the sauce to thicken it.
- Oil: Vegetable oil is needed for the frying process.
- Honey: I like to use organic, local honey for the best flavor.
- Soy Sauce: Coconut aminos or tamari also work well.
- Water
- Gochujang Korean Chili Paste: Add more or less to control the spice level.
- Rice Vinegar: This helps to create a subtle tangy note in the sauce.
- Onion: Make sure it’s very finely chopped! We don’t want any big chunks of onions in our sauce.
- Garlic: Use fresh (not pre-minced) garlic for the best flavor and aroma.
- Ginger: Freshly minced ginger adds an incredible fresh flavor to the sauce.
PRO TIP: Work in batches. Not all of the chicken will fit in the skillet at one time. While frying, make sure the chicken is not layered on top of each other.
Is Korean fried chicken spicy?
The gochujang sauce certainly creates a spicy kick, but this fried chicken probably won’t make you break too much of a sweat! Feel free to add more or less gochujang to adjust the overall spice level to your liking.
For the best results, use boneless, skinless chicken cut into small pieces. If you don’t have chicken breasts on hand, make sure the chicken you use is boneless and skinless.
The chicken bites should be crispy! You’ll know the bites are done cooking when the outside is golden brown in color.
This super simple recipe uses seasoned cornstarch to coat the chicken. It gets a nice crispy consistency that way without being coated in thick breading.
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the oven so the chicken bites stay crispy.
Serving Suggestions
The most classic way to serve this saucy fried chicken is with white rice and garnishes like sesame seeds and green onions.
Top Reader Review
- “This was delicious! I’m not usually keen on frying with a lot of oil, but the sauce sounded so good, I decided to, and indeed, it was worth it — very spicy and just the right consistency. I’ll definitely be making this one again!” – Helen Betts
More Fried Chicken Recipes We Love
- Popeyes Chicken Sandwich
- Kentucky Fried Chicken
- Chicken Egg Rolls
- Popcorn Chicken
- Chicken Taquitos
- Hot Honey Fried Chicken
Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¾ cup oil for frying
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons gochujang Korean chilli paste
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
- Cooked white rice for serving
- Chopped green onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, sesame oil, salt, ground ginger, and pepper. Stir well.1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the cornstarch and toss to fully coat the chicken pieces.½ cup cornstarch
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Line a plate with paper towel and set aside.¾ cup oil
- Fry the chicken in batches. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and fry for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with paper towel. Turn off the heat.
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, water, gochujang, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.¼ cup honey, ¼ cup soy sauce, 3 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- Drain or wipe the excess oil from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and fresh ginger to the pan. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in the sauce and stir.¼ cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 inch fresh ginger
- Combine the 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water to make a slurry. Stir it into the sauce. Let the sauce sizzle for a minute until thickened.1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon water
- Once thick, turn off the heat, stir in the chicken pieces, and toss to coat them in the sauce.
- Sprinkle with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, serve, and enjoy.2 tablespoon rice vinegar, Chopped green onions and sesame seeds
Bob says
This a great recipe and I will use it for the Super Bowl Party this weekend.
Becky Hardin says
Let us know how it goes!
Helen Betts says
This was delicious! I’m not usually keen on frying with a lot of oil, but the sauce sounded so good, I decided to, and indeed, it was worth it — very spicy and just the right consistency. I’ll definitely be making this one again!
Becky Hardin says
Thanks for sharing with us, Helen!