A full breakdown of how to make truly crispy, juicy Korean fried chicken at home — from butchering the bird and building a custom brine, to a thin double-fried crust, plus four classic sauces: soy honey glaze, yangnyeom, garlic confit, and cheese powder.
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Adapted from a video by Doobydobap
How to Make the BEST Korean Fried Chicken (+ Science)
Chicken (cut into pieces)Whole chicken broken down into wings, thighs, drums, breast1 kg
Water (for wet brine)Enough to bring chicken + water to 1000g total~500 mlest.
Kosher saltFor the master curing blend70 g
SugarFor the master curing blend30 g
MSGOptional5 g
Garlic powderFor the spice blend1 tbsp
Onion powderFor the spice blend1 tbsp
Cayenne pepper½ tbsp
Black pepper½ tbsp
White pepper¼ tbsp
Turmeric½ tbsp
Curry powder1 tbsp
Capsicum powderIncrease to 3 tbsp for more spice1 tbsp
Parsley1 tbsp
White vinegarFor the wet brine30 g
All-purpose flourFor the dredge900 g
Tapioca flourFor the dredge100 g
Cold waterFor dunking the dredged chicken between coats~300 mlest.
Frying oilFor double frying~2 litersest.
HoneyFor the soy honey glaze100 g
Minced garlicFor the soy honey glaze1 tbsp
Minced ginger1 tsp
Soy sauceFor the soy honey glaze2 tbsp
Oyster sauce1 tbsp
Water (for soy honey glaze)200 ml
Chili pepperWhole, for a hint of spice1
Corn syrupFor yangnyeom sauce½ cup
Ketchup3 tbsp
Gochujang1 tbsp
Soy sauce (for yangnyeom sauce)1½ tbsp
Minced garlic (for yangnyeom sauce)2 tbsp
Gochugaru1 tbsp
Sugar (for yangnyeom sauce)2 tbsp
Sesame seedsFor garnish1 tbsp
GarlicFor garlic confit sauce400 g
Neutral oilEnough to cover the garlic for confiting~500 mlest.
Garlic cloves (fresh, for punch)Optional2 cloves
Sesame oil1 tsp
Honey (for garlic confit sauce)1 tbsp
Confit garlic oilReserved oil from confiting the garlic4 tbsp
Vinegar (for garlic confit sauce)1 tbsp
Salt (for garlic confit sauce)2 tsp
Black pepper (for garlic confit sauce)1 tsp
Cheddar cheese powder¼ cups
Onion powder (for cheese powder)1 tbsp
Salt (for cheese powder)1 tsp
Icing sugar1 tbsp
Parsley powder (for cheese powder)1 tbsp
Steps
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1
Break down the whole chicken: separate the thighs and drumsticks, remove the wings, then separate the breast from the spine. Cut the breast into 6–8 pieces and save the spine for stock.
2
Mix kosher salt, sugar, and optional MSG together to make the master curing blend.
3
Combine garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black and white pepper, turmeric, curry powder, capsicum powder, and parsley to make the spice blend.
4
Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl, add enough water so the total weight (chicken + water) reaches 1000g, then mix in 30g of the curing blend and 15g of the spice blend, massaging well.
5
Stir in 30g of white vinegar, cover with cling film, and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally 4 hours to overnight.
6
Make the dredge: mix 900g all-purpose flour with 100g tapioca flour (totaling 1000g), then whisk in 30g of the curing blend and about 10–20g of the spice blend. For a single chicken, scale this down to about 20% of the batch.
7
Remove the marinated chicken, shake off excess brine, then toss it in the dredge mix, agitating 20–30 times to build a thin, wavy crust.
8
Dunk the dredged chicken in cold water for 10–20 seconds to gelatinize the starch, shake off excess water, then dredge again for 10–20 more agitations to create an even thinner, crispier coating.
9
Heat oil to about 165°C and fry the chicken in batches for 6–7 minutes until lightly golden, then remove.
10
Let the fried chicken rest for at least 30 minutes (about 1 hour in the video), then raise the oil temperature to 195°C and fry again for 1–2 minutes until deeply golden and extra crispy.
11
Make the soy honey glaze: combine honey, minced garlic, minced ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, and a whole chili, then simmer on low until reduced to about two-thirds and glossy. Strain and brush over the fried chicken.
12
Make the yangnyeom sauce: combine corn syrup, ketchup, gochujang, soy sauce, minced garlic, gochugaru, and sugar, heat until it just starts to simmer, then remove from heat. Toss the sauce with the fried chicken while warm and garnish with sesame seeds.
13
Make the garlic confit sauce: heat the garlic together with an equal amount of neutral oil until small bubbles appear, then reduce to medium-low and gently confit until the garlic turns golden and soft. Remove the garlic and reserve the oil.
14
Blend the confited garlic with fresh garlic cloves, sesame oil, honey, some of the reserved confit oil, vinegar, salt, and black pepper into a smooth sauce, then toss it with the fried chicken.
15
Make the cheese powder: mix cheddar cheese powder, onion powder, salt, icing sugar, and parsley powder, then dust it over the fried chicken.
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