Yangnyeom Chicken (Spicy Korean Fried Chicken)

Yangneyom chicken is deep-fried chicken smothered in a sticky, spicy red sauce. It literally translates to seasoned chicken, and it’s one of many variations of chicken dishes that are made popular by fast food chains in Korea. Its popularity also seems to grow fast outside Korea. In the U.S., it’s called “the other KFC” by some people. If you like deep-fried chicken, you should really give this recipe a try, especially if you haven’t tried “the other KFC”. The thin crust is extra crispy from double frying, and the sauce is simply amazing!

I used chicken wings here, but any cut of chicken will work. I marinated the chicken with a little bit of salt, ginger and rice wine, and then lightly coated with the potato starch. This gives it the nice thin crust. You can also use deep-frying mix to coat the chicken if you want. To deep fry wings nice and crispy, the Korean technique usually calls for frying them at relatively low temperature and then fry them again at a high temperature. The first frying can be done ahead of time.

The red sauce’s main ingredients typically include gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste), ketchup, garlic, and corn syrup. Gochujang and ketchup pair very well – like a match made in heaven! In this recipe, I used Heinz chili sauce instead of ketchup. The chili sauce has more spice, so it gives extra bite and depth to the sauce. I also used Frank’s hot sauce for its unique acidic flavor and heat. The sauce can be easily modified with the ingredients you have in your pantry or fridge.  You can also use the sauce to coat other fried food or as a dipping sauce. 

Yangnyeom Chicken

2015-02-01 10:26:00

finger-licking Korean fried chicken (KFC) in a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce

Save Recipe

Print

For the chicken

1. 2 pounds chicken (about 16 drumettes and wingettes)
2. 1 teaspoon salt
3. pinch black pepper
4. 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
5. 1/2 cup potato (or corn) starch (or deep-frying mix)
6. oil for frying (about 5 to 6 cups)

For the sauce

1. 2 tablespoons grated onion
2. 1 tablespoon minced garlic
3. 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
4. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
5. 4 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)
6. 2 - 3 tablespoons hot sauce (I used Frank’s Original)
7. 4 tablespoons chili sauce or ketchup (I used Heinz chili sauce)
8. 2 tablespoons gochujang, Korean red chili pepper paste
9. 2 tablespoons corn syrup or honey
10. 1 tablespoon sugar (or more to taste)
11. 1/2 teaspoon honey dijon mustard - optional
12. 1 teaspoon sesame oil

For the Garnish

1. 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Wash chicken wings, and drain thoroughly. Mix with the salt, pepper, and ginger. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.
   
2. Heat a pan over medium low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and then the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir for a minute until fragrant. Add all other sauce ingredients, and stir well. Simmer until it thickens slightly, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat off.
   
3. Remove any excess water from the marinated chicken. Add the potato (or corn) starch to the chicken, and toss well to coat evenly.
   
4. Add the oil to a deep fryer, wok, or large pot. Heat the oil to 320°F. Using tongs or chopsticks, drop the chicken in the oil, one piece at a time. Fry them in two batches. Cook until lightly golden, about 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken wings. Remove them with a wire skimmer or a slotted spoon. Drain on a wire rack or in a large mesh strainer set on a bowl.
   
5. Reheat the oil to 370°F. Add the chicken (you can do this in one batch for the second frying), and deep fry again, for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Drain on a wire rack or in a large mesh strainer set on a bowl.
   
6. Heat the sauce over medium low heat. Add the chicken, and stir well until the chicken wings are evenly coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.
   

Notes

1. Add 1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes), preferably fine grounds, to the sauce ingredients, if you like it very spicy. You can grind coarse gochugaru in a spice grinder if you don't have fine grounds.
2. If you let the oil temperature go up too high, turn the heat off until it cools down to the desired temperature.

By Hyosun Ro

Korean Bapsang http://www.koreanbapsang.com/

The post Yangnyeom Chicken (Spicy Korean Fried Chicken) appeared first on Korean Bapsang.