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This Korean Fried Rooster is crispy on the surface, juicy on the within, and coated within the good stability of candy, spicy, and savory sauce. Whether or not you’re serving it for dinner or as an appetizer, it’s a assured hit!

What’s Korean fried rooster?
Korean fried rooster or “KFC“, refers to a wide range of completely different fried rooster dishes from South Korea. Usually known as “chikin” it’s utilized in in style dishes comparable to huraideu-chikin and spicy yangnyeom-chikin.
The primary time I attempted Korean Fried Rooster was at a neighborhood restaurant with my husband. We took one chunk and instantly fell in love with the crispy, juicy rooster coated in that candy and spicy sauce. I knew proper then that I needed to replicate it at dwelling—and after a number of makes an attempt, I lastly bought it good.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Crispy But Juicy – The cornstarch coating offers this rooster a light-weight, ultra-crispy crunch, whereas conserving the within tender and juicy.
- That Sauce Although! – An ideal stability of candy, spicy, and savory, because of gochujang, honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
- Quick & Simple – Prepared in Half-hour, with no difficult steps.
- Higher Than Takeout – Freshly fried, completely crispy, and coated in a do-it-yourself sauce that you would be able to tweak to your style.
- Versatile – Serve it as an appetizer, game-day snack, or a principal dish over rice.
Earlier than You Begin – Important Suggestions for Good Korean Fried Rooster
If you’d like ultra-crispy, flavor-packed Korean Fried Rooster, right here’s what you want to know earlier than you begin:

The Rooster
- Boneless, Skinless Works Finest – I take advantage of rooster breasts reduce into bite-sized items, however thighs work too for a juicier chunk.
- Cornstarch is the Secret – Not like flour, cornstarch creates a light-weight, shatteringly crisp crust with out making the coating heavy.
The Sauce – Candy, Spicy, & Addictive
- Gochujang = The Key Ingredient – This Korean chili paste offers the sauce its signature deep, spicy, barely smoky taste. Alter the quantity based mostly on warmth choice!
- Honey & Brown Sugar – The stability of sweetness cuts by means of the warmth and helps the sauce persist with the crispy rooster.
- Garlic & Ginger – These add depth and an genuine Korean taste. Recent is all the time greatest!
- Can’t discover gochujang? Swap it for Sriracha (spicier) or a mixture of chili garlic sauce & ketchup for the same sweet-spicy kick.
Methods to Get the Crispiest Rooster
- Toss in Egg First, Then Cornstarch – The egg helps the cornstarch stick, creating a light-weight but tremendous crunchy coating.
- Use Sufficient Oil – The rooster must be absolutely submerged in oil to fry evenly and get crispy on all sides.
- Fry in Small Batches – Crowding the pan lowers the oil temperature, making the rooster soggy as a substitute of crispy.
- Double-Frying = Additional Crunch – For a fair crispier chunk, fry the rooster as soon as, let it drain, then fry once more for 1-2 minutes.
Serving & Pairing Concepts
- Garnish Issues – Sprinkle with inexperienced onions, sesame seeds, and pink chili slices for additional crunch and spice.
- Make it a Meal – Serve with rice, kimchi, or a facet of pickled radish for a full Korean-style feast.
This recipe is fast, straightforward, and ensures crispy, flavor-packed rooster each time.

In a bowl, toss the rooster items in overwhelmed egg first, then coat them evenly in cornstarch. This step is essential for that tremendous mild, crispy crust!

Pour about 3 inches of vegetable oil right into a deep pan and warmth to 375°F (190°C). Fry the rooster in small batches for 3-4 minutes, flipping as soon as, till golden brown and crispy. Switch to a paper towel-lined plate.
Tip: For slightly additional crunch, let the rooster relaxation for 1 minute, then fry it once more for one other 1-2 minutes.

In a big skillet, soften the butter over medium warmth. Add the garlic and ginger and prepare dinner for 30 seconds till aromatic. Stir within the brown sugar and honey and let it soften into the butter. Then, add soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and gochujang. Stir nicely and simmer for 30 seconds.
Style and regulate! Need it spicier? Add extra gochujang. Sweeter? A drizzle of honey does the trick.

Add the crispy rooster to the sauce and toss shortly till every bit is shiny and coated. Serve instantly, garnished with inexperienced onions, sesame seeds, and pink chili slices.

How To Serve
The standard pairing to Korean fried rooster is pickled radish and an abundance of beer or soju; however I prefer to serve mine over a pleasant, easy sticky rice! Add this rooster to a stir-fry, atop a recent salad or eat it as an appetizer as is. The flavour profile of this Korean fried rooster will blow your thoughts – you’ll wish to eat it with a shovel, regardless of the way you serve it.
If you’d like some straightforward to make concepts on what to serve together with your rooster, attempt these recipes!

Steadily Requested Questions
Why is my fried rooster not crispy?
In case your rooster isn’t crisping up, just a few issues might be going fallacious:
Oil temperature is just too low – Be certain that it’s 375°F (190°C) earlier than frying. Too cool, and the coating will soak up oil as a substitute of crisping.
Overcrowding the pan – Fry in small batches to take care of the appropriate oil temperature.
Can I bake or air fry this as a substitute of deep frying?
Sure, but it surely gained’t have the identical tremendous crispy texture.
Baking: Coat the rooster frivolously in oil and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 25-Half-hour, flipping midway.
Air Frying: Spray frivolously with oil and air fry at 375°F (190°C) for 15-18 minutes, shaking midway by means of.
What can I take advantage of as a substitute of gochujang?
In the event you don’t have gochujang, you possibly can attempt sriracha, chili garlic sauce + ketchup or perhaps a Thai pink curry paste.
Can I make the sauce forward of time?
Sure! The sauce might be made as much as 3 days upfront and saved within the fridge. Simply reheat it gently earlier than tossing it with the fried rooster.
How do I retailer and reheat leftovers?
To retailer, preserve leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. To reheat, reheat in an air fryer for greatest outcomes, at 375°F for five minutes or in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes. Keep away from microwaving—it makes the rooster soggy.
Can I freeze Korean Fried Rooster?
Sure! Freeze the fried rooster with out the sauce in a single layer, then switch to a freezer bag. Reheat within the oven or air fryer, then toss with freshly warmed sauce earlier than serving.

Uncover Extra Korean Recipes
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Korean Fried Rooster
This Korean Fried Rooster is crispy, juicy, and coated in a daring, sweet-spicy sauce made with gochujang, garlic, and honey. Prepared in simply Half-hour, it is the proper appetizer or principal dish that’s even higher than takeout!
Forestall your display from going darkish
Earlier than You Start! In the event you make this, please go away a evaluate and score letting us understand how you preferred this recipe! This helps our enterprise thrive & proceed offering free recipes.
Directions
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Toss the rooster items by means of the egg first, then dredge by means of cornstarch.
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Add about 3 inches of oil to a heavy backside pan and warmth to 375°F.
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Add rooster to the pan and fry in batches about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Switch the rooster to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining rooster.
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Soften the butter in a skillet over medium warmth. Add the garlic and ginger and prepare dinner for 30 seconds or till fragrant. Stir within the brown sugar and honey and prepare dinner for about 1 minute till the brown butter dissolves. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and gochujang sauce to the skillet and stir. Cook dinner for 30 seconds then add the rooster to the skillet and toss nicely with the sauce.
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Serve garnished with inexperienced onions, toasted sesame seeds and pink chilis.
Notes
- Rooster Alternative – I take advantage of rooster breasts, however rooster thighs work nice too for a juicier chunk.
- Cornstarch for Most Crisp – Skip the flour! Cornstarch creates a lighter, crispier crust that stays crunchy even when sauced.
- Double Frying = Final Crunch – For additional crispy rooster, fry as soon as, let it relaxation for a minute, then fry once more for 1-2 minutes.
- Sauce Changes – Extra warmth? Add additional gochujang or a pinch of pink pepper flakes. Sweeter? A drizzle of honey or additional brown sugar does the trick. Tangier? Improve the rice vinegar barely.
- Oil Temperature is Key – 375°F (190°C) is the candy spot. Too scorching = burnt rooster. Too cool = greasy, soggy coating.
- Reheating – Finest in an air fryer (375°F for five min) or oven (400°F for 10 min). Keep away from microwaving—it ruins the crunch!
- Make Forward – The sauce might be made as much as 3 days forward and saved within the fridge. Simply heat it up earlier than tossing with the rooster.
- Freezing? – Freeze the fried rooster with out sauce in a single layer, then retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 3 months. Reheat, then toss with freshly warmed sauce.
Vitamin Data
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 386kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 33g (11%)Protein: 34g (68%)Fats: 13g (20%)Saturated Fats: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 4gTrans Fats: 0.3gLdl cholesterol: 143mg (48%)Sodium: 386mg (17%)Potassium: 644mg (18%)Fiber: 0.3g (1%)Sugar: 21g (23%)Vitamin A: 276IU (6%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 29mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Discover: Vitamin is auto-calculated in your comfort. The place related, we advocate utilizing your individual vitamin calculations.