Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chicken

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You need to try these Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chicken wings when you’re craving some crunchy and flavorful wings. The wings are brushed with a soy garlic sauce that tastes sweet and savory.

Fried chicken wings on a plate with soy garlic sauce.

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What is Korean Fried Chicken?
Why You Will Love Korean Fried Chicken Wings
Ingredients
How to Make Korean Fried Chicken
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Korean Main Dish Recipes
Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chicken

I first found out about Korean-style fried chicken (aka KFC) through k-dramas (Crash Landing on you fans out there?) and it looked so delicious, I had to try! I have sampled many kinds of Korean-style fried chicken ranging from Bonchon chicken to delicious fried chicken places in K-Town Los Angeles. This recipe is inspired by them and is a must try if you are a fried chicken lover like me.

What is Korean Fried Chicken?

Korean Fried Chicken is usually made with all parts of the chicken and sometimes into boneless bites. I am using wings in my version of the recipe.

The chicken is usually infused with first by soaking it in a flavorful Korean chicken marinade. After that it’s breaded in a crispy coating and then fried twice giving it an ultra-crunchy texture.

If you want more Korean chicken recipes you’ve got to try my Korean Air Fryer Chicken Wings and this Dak Galbi.

Why You Will Love Korean Fried Chicken Wings

So Crunchy and Good. It’s seriously the best fried chicken with an extra crispy skin and garlicky flavor.
Crowd Pleaser. Everyone is going to love them whether you serve them up for a snack or meal.
Fail-Proof Recipe. With a little bit of planning you can easily make the best fried soy garlic chicken ever! I’m sharing all my tips so you get it right from the start.

Ingredients

Here’s a look at the simple ingredients you need to make garlic soy chicken. Everything is easy to find and many are kitchen staples you may already have on hand. First you marinade the chicken in a milk mixture overnight. Then, you coat in some flour/corn starch mixture.

Ingredients with corn starchm all purpose flour, salt, garlic powder and baking powder.

Wings: Choose frozen or fresh wings to make this recipe. If frozen, be sure to thaw them out in advance.
Marinade: A combination of milk, salt, and black pepper infuse the chicken with flavor and help tenderize it (also removes any gamey flavor).
Breading: We will use a combination of flour, cornstarch, and baking powder to create the crispy crust on the outside of the chicken. The cornstarch and baking powder add lightness and are the secret to it’s ultra crispiness. Don’t skip them.
Seasoning: A combination of salt, garlic powder, and onion powder are added to the flour mixture to give it flavor.
Unsalted butter: The key to a less salty soy garlic wings. If all you have is salted I’d recommend opting for low-sodium soy sauce so the sauce isn’t too salty.
Soy sauce: Gives the salty and savory essence to the sauce in this Korean wings recipe.
Garlic: For the sauce, it’s essential to use fresh garlic. It has a better flavor that works better than powder.
Honey: Just a bit to sweeten the sauce and balance out the saltiness.

How to Make Korean Fried Chicken

Marinating chicken wings in milk with seasonings like black pepper.

Step 1. Marinate the Chicken. Combine the wings with salt, black pepper, and milk. Cover and marinate overnight (or at least 6 hours).

Mixing garlic powder with flor and corn starch in bowl.

Step 2. Make the Breading. Combine the flour, salt, cornstarch, baking powder, and garlic seasoning.

Step 3: Flour the wings. Add wings in the flour mixture and make sure that the wing is evenly coated.

Step 4. Frying the Wings. Fry the wings in 350F oil for 5-6 minutes until golden. Don’t worry it doesn’t have to be perfectly crispy because we are double frying!

Putting fried chicken wings on a wire rack.

Step 5. Remove the Wings. Take wings out (should be light blonde color) and rest on a wire rack or on paper towels.

Step 6. Double Fry. Turn up the oil to 400F. Add the wings back to the pot to cook for another 2 minutes until golden brown. Double frying makes the wings extra crispy!!

Cooking soy sauce with garlic and honey in a pan.

Step 7. Make the Sauce. Melt the butter in a low-medium saucepan. Add three cloves of minced garlic, soy sauce, water, and honey. Bring to a simmer and stir. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, making sure the sauce is not burnt but caramelized.

Brushing sauce on the fried chicken wings.

Step 8. Brush Sauce on the Wings. Lightly coat the wings in the garlic soy sauce and enjoy!!

Expert Tips

Marinate Overnight. Six hours is the minimum but an overnight marinate works best to infuse more flavor into the chicken.
Fry in a Deep Pan. Use a deep pan for frying the Korean-style chicken wings so that your oil is deep enough to submerge the chicken wings.
Cook in Batches. Don’t fry too many chicken wings at a time as this cause the temperature of the oil to drop and result in greasy chicken. It’s best to leave cook a few pieces at a time so there is some space around the chicken.
Heat the Oil. Be sure to give it time to preheat and for best results use a candy thermometer to check the temperature.
Double Fry. Frying the wings a second time ensures that the chicken stays super crunchy when the sauce is added.

Recipe FAQs

What goes with Korean-style fried chicken?

Enjoy them as a snack, appetizer, or a meal. They go great with these kimchi cheese rice balls or bacon wrapped enoki skewers as party foods! As a meal you can add some other dishes such as kimchi fried rice or kimchi bibim guksu.

Can I use large pieces of chicken or chicken nuggets?

Sure, you can! But you will need to extend the cooking time for cooking larger pieces of chicken and less time if you prefer to make chicken nuggets using cut up chicken.

Can I store and reheat leftover Korean-style wings?

Yes, of course though I truly love this Asian fried chicken when it’s freshly cooked. Store leftovers after cooling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months. To reheat, heat the chicken in the oven or air fryer at 350° F until heated through.