Korean fried chicken (double-fried, sticky gochujang glaze)
Ultra-crispy double-fried chicken wings with a sticky, spicy-sweet gochujang glaze — perfect for sharing or dinner with a kick.
This is proper Korean fried chicken — double-fried for insane crunch, then tossed in a sticky gochujang glaze that hits sweet, salty and spicy all at once. It’s brilliant for sharing, a pub-night upgrade, or for anyone who takes their snack seriously.
Double-frying is the trick: a gentle first fry cooks the meat through, a short rest lets steam escape, then a hot second fry turns the exterior impossibly crisp. The glaze finishes it with a lacquer that clings to every ridge of crunch.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg chicken wings and drumettes
- 10 g sea salt
- 0 g black pepper — freshly ground
- 5 g garlic powder
- 150 g plain flour — for the coating
- 90 g cornflour — for the coating and to thicken the glaze
- 5 g baking powder
- 1 1/2 l vegetable oil — for deep-frying (use a neutral oil with a high smoke point)
- 80 g gochujang
- 45 ml soy sauce — use regular soy sauce
- 60 ml honey
- 20 g brown sugar
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 5 ml sesame oil
- 3 fresh garlic — cloves, finely minced
- 20 g fresh ginger — finely grated
- 2 spring onions — finely sliced, for garnish
- 10 g sesame seeds — toasted, for garnish
Equipment
- deep-fat thermometer
- wire cooling rack
- large deep saucepan or deep-fryer
- slotted spoon or spider
Instructions
Pat the chicken wings and drumettes very dry with kitchen paper. Trim any long tips and, using a sharp knife, make a couple of small shallow cuts through the skin on the thicker parts so heat can penetrate. Transfer to a large bowl and season with sea salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate to rest for 30 minutes.
Make the seasoned flour: in a shallow bowl or tray combine plain flour, cornflour and baking powder. Add a light pinch of sea salt and a grind of black pepper and toss to mix.
Working in batches, dredge the rested chicken in the seasoned flour so each piece is evenly coated; shake off any excess and transfer to a wire tray or plate.
Pour vegetable oil into a large deep saucepan or deep-fryer to a depth of about 6–8 cm. Heat gently and bring to 150°C (use a deep-fat thermometer). Fry the chicken in batches at 150°C for 8–10 minutes until cooked through but still pale — do not overcrowd the pan.
Lift the chicken out with a slotted spoon or spider and drain on a wire cooling rack set over a baking tray. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes — this brief rest is essential before the second fry.
Increase the oil temperature to 190°C. Return the chicken to the hot oil in batches and fry for 2–3 minutes until deeply golden and crackling-crisp. Remove and drain again on the wire rack.
While the final batches are frying, make the glaze. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add fresh garlic and fresh ginger and fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Make a cornflour slurry by mixing a teaspoon of cornflour with about 15 ml cold water, then whisk it into the simmering glaze. Cook for another minute until the sauce is glossy and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.
Tip the hot, drained chicken into a large bowl, pour over the glaze and toss quickly until every piece is lacquered. Transfer to a serving platter and scatter with spring onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Pat the chicken thoroughly dry before coating — moisture is the enemy of crispness.
- Fry in small batches so the oil temperature doesn’t drop; use a deep‑fat thermometer to keep temps steady at 150°C and 190°C.
- Rest the chicken on a wire rack, not kitchen paper — paper traps steam and makes the coating soggy.
- If your gochujang is very spicy, balance with a little extra honey or brown sugar rather than more soy sauce (which would make it saltier).
- Leftover plain fried chicken (without glaze) stores in the fridge for 48 hours; re-crisp in a 200°C fan/220°C conventional oven for 8–10 minutes before glazing.
Substitutions
gochujang → 2 tbsp sriracha mixed with 1 tbsp miso paste and 1 tbsp tomato purée
Noticeably differentplain flour → gluten-free plain flour blend, same weight
Stays closehoney → golden syrup or maple syrup, same quantity
Stays closesoy sauce → tamari for a gluten-free option
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 780
- Calories
- 30 g
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 18 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these in an air fryer?
Air fryers struggle to replicate the intense double-fry crunch. You can cook at 200°C for 20–25 minutes turning halfway, but the texture will be slightly different — best to use deep frying for authentic crispiness.
How do I tell when the chicken is cooked through?
After the first fry the chicken should be cooked through; a thermometer into the thickest part should read 74°C. If you don’t have one, ensure juices run clear and pieces are not jelly-like before the second fry.
Can I make the glaze less spicy?
Yes — reduce the gochujang by a third and increase honey or brown sugar slightly, tasting as you go until the heat level suits you.
Why double-fry instead of a single long fry?
Double-frying removes more surface moisture and creates a drier, crisper crust that stays crisp even after glazing — a single fry won’t achieve the same sustained crunch.
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