Crispy, juicy, spicy and slightly sticky — this is Korean fried chicken at its finest. Chicken strips are soaked in buttermilk, coated in a seasoned flour mix, fried until golden and crunchy, then tossed in a rich Korean-style gochujang sauce that is sweet, spicy and utterly addictive. The sauce comes together in minutes in one pan. Serve with rice or noodles, or tuck the chicken into soft bao buns for a street-food treat.
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Lucy said: “This was outstanding! Those flavors…thanks for sharing your recipe!” See comment
Nicky’s Notes
As a recipe creator, few things delight me more than setting a plate of food down and watching everyone fall quiet after the first bite. That wide-eyed, satisfied silence — with the occasional “Mmmmm” — is exactly what happens with this Korean fried chicken.
I start with my popular buttermilk chicken method, which keeps the meat tender while helping the coating cling. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s worth experimenting with other variations, like a chicken burger with honey mustard coleslaw. Having worked in fried chicken shops in my younger years, I’m confident in the approach and results here.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 📋 Ingredients
- 🧑🍳 How to make it
- Top Tip For Success
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
- 🍽️ What to serve it with
- ? Frequently Asked Questions
- 🥙 More Street Food Recipes
📋 Ingredients
For the crispy chicken:
For the Korean-style sauce:
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chilli paste with a smoky-sweet and subtly spicy profile. Some brands are hotter than others; the paste is generally richer than the ready-made sauce. It adds heat, depth, tang and a gentle sweetness to sauces and marinades, and works beautifully in dishes like bulgogi, pork ramen and sticky Asian ribs.
🧑🍳 How to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card below.
- Marinate the boneless chicken in buttermilk with salt, white pepper and a touch of garlic salt.
- Coat the chicken in the seasoned flour mixture (see recipe card for exact proportions).
- The gochujang sauce is a simple blend of gochujang paste, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger, simmered until syrupy and sticky.
- Fry the coated chicken until deep golden and crispy.
- Toss the hot chicken with the sauce, then finish with sesame seeds, sliced spring onions and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
Serve immediately and enjoy with no distractions.
Top Tip For Success
After frying, the coating will be well adhered, but the longer you wait before saucing the chicken, the more gently you must toss it to keep the crust intact. For the crispiest result, toss the chicken in the sauce while still very hot.
📺 Watch how to make it
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Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade:
- 4 chicken breasts (approx 700g) sliced into thick strips
- 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
Crispy coating:
- 180 g (1½ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp celery salt
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- oil for deep frying (at least 1 litre) — neutral oil such as avocado, sunflower or canola
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp gochujang paste
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a bowl with the buttermilk, salt, white pepper and garlic salt. Mix, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to low to keep cooked chicken warm. Heat a deep pan or fryer with at least 1 litre of oil until hot (a cube of bread should sizzle and rise quickly).
- Mix the crispy coating ingredients together in a bowl.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting excess drip off. Dredge each piece in the flour mixture until completely coated. Place on a tray and repeat.
- Fry 5–6 pieces at a time, depending on pan size, without overcrowding. Cook 3–5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Check by slicing a piece to ensure no pink remains.
- Keep cooked pieces warm in the oven while you finish frying the rest. To retain extra crispness, follow the tip above.
- Make the sauce: combine gochujang, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, neutral oil and sesame oil in a saucepan. Stir, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the hot crispy chicken and gently toss to coat. Scatter with spring onions, sesame seeds and a pinch of chilli flakes before serving.
Notes
Can I scale this recipe?
Yes — halve or double the recipe using the same ratios. If doubling, plan for extra frying time as you’ll have more batches.
How do you reheat Korean fried chicken?
Best served immediately for maximum crispness. To refrigerate, cool and cover for up to a day. Reheat in the oven covered for 10–15 minutes at 190°C/380°F until hot. For crispier results, store chicken and sauce separately, then reheat chicken uncovered for 10–15 minutes at 190°C/380°F and heat the sauce in a pan until bubbling.
Nutritional information is per serving and approximate. Values can vary depending on how much coating and oil the chicken absorbs. This recipe assumes about 1½ tbsp of oil absorbed per serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
This Korean fried chicken recipe was first published in August 2020 and updated in Sept 2025 with additional information and housekeeping edits.
🍽️ What to serve it with
The dish is bold and works well with cooling or starchy sides to balance it:
- Steamed rice, coconut rice or sticky rice to soak up the sauce.
- A crisp Asian-style slaw to cut through richness.
- Soft bao buns with pickled cucumber for a street-food style sandwich.
- Steamed greens like pak choi, tenderstem broccoli or green beans, finished with a splash of sesame oil.
- For sharing, pair with spring rolls, prawn crackers and extra dipping sauce.
? Frequently Asked Questions
Serve immediately if possible. To reheat from chilled, warm in the oven covered for 10–15 minutes at 190°C/380°F until piping hot. For best crispness, store chicken and sauce separately and reheat the chicken uncovered for 10–15 minutes at 190°C/380°F; reheat the sauce in a pan.
Yes. Use a baked crispy chicken method and then toss the cooked pieces in the gochujang sauce for a lighter option.
Yes — halve or double the recipe, keeping ingredient ratios the same. Allow extra time for frying if you make larger quantities.
Gochujang is widely available in supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. Use the paste for richer flavour.
🥙 More Street Food Recipes
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