I’m lucky to have friends that love to cook! My friend Sojung has introduced me to Korean dishes throughout the years and this chicken dish is a favorite amongst her children. It’s sweet from honey, but also a bit spicy from chili sauce. The chicken pieces get quickly fried, which adds a delicious crunch to the dish. Served this dish with simple sushi rice and steamed green beans for a dinner that was devoured!

Tips:

• Next time I make this dish I will sauté the chicken pieces instead of frying them. I will lose the crunch on the chicken, but it will be healthier and faster. And really the sauce is so good, I think it will be okay.

• Without frying the chicken, I think you could make it ahead of time and just keep warm. You won’t have to worry about soggy chicken.

• I didn’t bother soaking the chicken in milk.

• Seems like a lot of ingredients, but like all asian dishes, prep the ingredients before you start cooking! Things go quickly.

• I made four pounds of chicken for 4 people. No leftovers. Multiply the recipe to accommodate your family.

Dakgangjeong (Sweet Crispy Korean Fried Chicken)

Originally from www.koreanbapsang.com

Makes 4

PREP 15 minutes

COOK 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thigh and/or breast

1/2 cup milk optional

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon rice wine if not using milk

1/3 cup potato starch or corn starch

oil for deep frying

Sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons rice wine or mirin

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon gochujang Korean red chili pepper paste

3 tablespoons honey or corn or rice syrup

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger

pinch pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped peanuts or seeds

Instructions

1. Soak the chicken pieces in milk for at least 2 hours in the fridge. This step is optional.

2. Drain thoroughly. Remove any visible fat. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Mix with the salt, pepper, rice wine (if you didn’t use milk) garlic, and ginger. Let it stand for 20 to 30 minutes.

3. In a pan, add all the sauce ingredients, and stir well. Bring it to a boil. When it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until it thickens slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off.

4. Add the potato (or corn) starch to the chicken, and mix well to coat evenly

5. Pour about 1 inch of oil in to a heavy bottom pan. When the oil is sufficiently hot (350°F or starts smoking), drop the chicken pieces in one at a time. Fry them in two batches. Overcrowding will drop the oil temperature too quickly. Cook until light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set them on a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate.

6. Reheat the oil to 350°F. Deep fry again until golden brown, about 30 to 40 seconds. You can do the second frying in one batch. 

7. Heat the sauce over medium low heat. Add the chicken and stir well until the chicken pieces are evenly coated.