The BEST Korean Fried Chicken (Dak Gangjeong)
The BEST Korean Fried Chicken. Double frying -- in small batches -- and a light coating of potato starch keep these wings irresistibly crispy and crunchy. A soy garlic sauce will leave you licking your fingers. Juicy chicken wings with an unbeatable crunch!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2 lb chicken wings
- 11/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 cup potato starch (or corn starch)
- 1/4 cup neutral oil ((Peanut or Vegetable oil))
- 2-3 Tbsp Chinese chile flakes from Asian Grocer ((depending on taste))
- 1 inch ginger (minced)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- sesame seeds
- 2 green onion (chopped)
- 2 Tbsp cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Marinate chicken. Place chicken wings in a large bowl. Add garlic, curry powder, and salt. Mix throughly. Cover and refrigerate, preferably overnight. If cooking right away, do not refrigerate but keep at room temperature.
- 2
Add potato starch. Right before frying, add potato starch and mix thoroughly with hands. The potato starch should stick to the chicken wings in a thin coating. Feel free to pat the starch onto the chicken wings firmly with hands.
- 3
Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Set aside.
- 4
Attach a thermometer to the side of a deep, cast iron Dutch oven. Another alternative is a regular pot with high sides. Add 2-3 inches of cooking oil with a high smoking point. (I use vegetable oil.) The goal is to add enough oil for the chicken wings to float in the pot and not stick to the bottom.
- 5
Deep fry 1st time. Wait until the oil temperature reaches 380F. Then, add the chicken wings in batches until golden and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. The temperature will initially dip but keep the oil temperature at 350F for the rest of the cooking time. Drain wings and set aside.
- 6
Deep fry 2nd time. The temperature of the oil will not dip down as much as the first fry. Fry the (already-fried) chicken wings in batches until they are darker and golden-brown in color, about 8-10 minutes per batch, at 350F. The wings are done when they look shrunken and compacted with a very crispy coating. Drain and set aside.
- 7
Add corn syrup, soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a measuring cup. Mix throughly with a spoon and set aside.
- 8
Prepare the minced garlic and ginger. Set aside.
- 9
Make glaze/sauce. Heat a wok or deep stock pot over medium-high heat and add oil. (I use oil from deep frying but be careful, it's hot.) When hot but not smoking, add chili flakes, garlic, and ginger. Mix around with a spatula or wooden spoon until fragrant and crispy looking, about 1 minute.
- 10
Add the corn syrup mixture and mix until the sauce bubbles vigorously, about 2-4 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- 11
Add the chicken wings. Transfer deep fried chicken wings to the wok, directly on top of the sauce. Toss with a spatula or wooden spoon until each wing is coated in sauce.
- 12
Garnish and serve. Transfer to a platter and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion and/or cilantro Serve with ice cold beer!