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These Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken are so deliciously crispy and super flavorful when coated in a super addictive, sweet-and-salty honey-butter sauce! They’re perfect for a party or even a party of one!
One of the things that make these chicken tenders so crispy is a double-frying method! The tenders are dredged and fried once for a longer period of time, then fried a second time to achieve a super crispy exterior. It’s so easy to make restaurant-quality fried chicken at home!
Watch the Honey Butter Fried Chicken Recipe Video Below!
Ingredients for Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken
These are some of the crispiest, most flavorful Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken I have ever made! Here is what you’ll need:
Korean Fried Chicken
Chicken Marinade
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
Seasoned Flour
- 2 cups flour all-purpose
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp white pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Wet Batter
- 1/2 cup flour all-purpose
- 1 egg large
- 1 cup sparkling water – This is a KEY ingredient in this recipe! The carbonation makes the batter lighter and more aerated – basically, the carbon dioxide bubbles in the batter expand when they hit the hot oil and it leaves the chicken tender with tiny pores that allow for more air (AKA MORE CRUNCH).
Neutral Oil for Frying – My go-to is avocado oil but you can also use canola or vegetable oil. Do not use sesame oil or olive oil!
Honey Butter Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter, unsalted – Good quality un-salted butter is a staple in my kitchen – my favorite brand is Kerrygold! I buy mine in bulk from Costco, as butter keeps in the freezer up to 5 months.
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Honey Butter Fried Chicken: Recipe Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
The key to this Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken is using a flavorful marinade of several different spices! Here is what you’ll need:
- Kosher Salt
- White pepper
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Ginger Powder
- Cayenne Pepper
Create the seasoned dredge for the Honey Butter Fried Chicken
In another bowl, combine your ingredients for the Seasoning Flour and mix well. Add additional sparkling water to the seasoning flour 1-2 tbsp at a time and rub the flour with your hands to create additional craggily bits.
In another bowl, mix together your Wet Batter ingredients and whisk to combine. In a third bowl, add 1 cup of plain flour.
Dredge the chicken prior to frying
Dust the chicken in the plain flour, then dip your chicken in the Wet Batter and let any excess batter drip off. Next, coat the chicken in the Seasoning Flour and use your hands to pack the coating into the chicken. Place on a tray and let the chicken rest for 15 minutes while you heat up the oil.
Once the chicken has been seasoned, let the chicken tenders sit for at least 20 minutes to allow the salt to absorb into the meat. This is called “dry brining” which will result in a more juicy chicken tender.
Once the chicken tenders are breaded, let them sit on a tray for at least 15 minutes on a tray. I’ve found that letting the chicken sit once it is dredged in the season flour allows the breading to stick when frying.
Fry the chicken twice for extra crispiness
Fry the chicken tenders in batches at 350F in a large Dutch oven or cast iron skillet. It is extremely important that the oil does not drop below 325F when frying – do not overcrowd the pan! Once the first batch is done, let the oil return to temperature then fry a second time for EXTRA crispiness!
Make the Honey Butter sauce for the chicken
The sauce is extremely simple to make and is so flavorful! I love how it brings a sweet and salty kick to the crunch chicken – it’s a super popular flavor in Korea and for good reason!
In a pan over medium heat, melt butter then add honey, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir and mix until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is bubbling. Cook 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Coat or brush the sauce on your chicken tenders and enjoy!
Recipe Tips for Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken
- CRAGGILY BITS – Adding a little bit of your leftover soda water to your seasoned flour and rubbing together with your hands is key for extra texture! It will create small clumps that will stick to the chicken providing extra crunch. If you run out of soda water after making your wet batter, you can drizzle regular water to your seasoned flour to create the craggly bits!
- DOUBLE FRY – Don’t skip the double fry! If excess batter pieces are floating in the oil, strain them out with a strainer to prevent them from burning during the 2nd fry.
- SAUCE – TIMING IS KEY! – The sauce is going to thicken once you make it (and will continue to thicken until it’s not usable), so make sure to do this step LAST and IMMEDIATELY coat/brush the sauce on the chicken! This is not one of those sauces you make ahead!
- “DRY BRINE” – This is the KEY tip for quick but JUICY chicken! Season the chicken with salt & pepper for 15 minutes before cooking to allow the salt absorb into the meat. This “dry brine” will result in crispy skin and juicy meat. The salt will draw out some moisturize, so make sure to pat the chicken as dry as possible with a paper towel prior to sauteing in the pan. (Otherwise your skin will not get as crispy!)
If you liked this Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken recipe, check out some of the most popular fried chicken recipes on the blog!
If you tried this Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Honey Butter Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
Seasoned Flour
- 2 cups flour, all-purpose
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp white pepper
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Wet Batter
- 1/2 cup flour, all-purpose
- 1 egg, large
- 1 cup sparkling water
Neutral oil for frying
Instructions
- Marinate chicken tenders in a bowl with kosher salt, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, ginger powder, and cayenne pepper. Mix until thoroughly coated and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of flour with kosher salt, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- In a separate bowl, make a wet batter by combining flour with egg and ice cold sparkling water. Whisk until combined. In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of flour. In a line, place your plain flour, wet batter, and seasoned flour next to each other. Add 1 tbsp of soda water to the seasoned flour and rub together with your hands to create small clumps of flour.
- Dust your chicken tenders in the plain flour (shake off excess), then into the wet batter until fully coated, letting excess batter drip off. Finally, coat the chicken in the seasoned flour and pack in the dredge until completely coated. Let the tenders rest on a tray while you heat your oil.
- In a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven, heat oil to 350F and fry the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes until lightly golden. Remove, then fry a second time at 350F for 1-2 minute until golden and extra crispy. Season with salt to taste.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt butter then add honey, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir and mix until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is bubbling. Cook 1-2 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Coat or brush the sauce on your chicken tenders and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipes! So easy to follow! I’m eating one recipe at a time!!! Can’t wait for the next one!
Karyn Sanderson
The perfect home recipe so you don’t need to go to a Korean chicken joint but can make it right at home. The honey butter sauce is both savory and with the honey also sweet. Double frying for the extra crisp is what we all want in a chicken. You could also air fry this in the air fryer as well.
Chef CJ has the best recipes for cooks of all levels and makes a lot of foods you would find in restaurants easy and simple to follow at home.
I have made these several times and love them. My favorite double fried tenders. So good with rice green onion and Sriracha garnish
Delicious recipe!
Such a versatile recipe. It’s one of my daughter’s favorites and she is a very picky eater. But it’s the extra crunch that makes this amazing. Never used sparkling water for the batter and man with double fry. Game changer! Thank you for this one.
Amazing!! My family loves your fried chicken recipes!