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Korean Fried Chicken is one of my favorite things in the world – so it made 100% sense to turn them into Korean Fried Chicken sandwiches! Topped with melted mozzarella cheese, a light cabbage slaw, and placed within toasted brioche buns – these Korean Fried Chicken sandwiches are going to be the best thing you eat this week!
Watch the Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches Recipe Video Below!
Table of Contents
What to Know About This Recipe
These Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches are one of those recipes that feels and looks a lot harder than it is. The key to making this is being organized in your steps. I’ve tried to lay out exactly how I make them at home so it is easy for you to replicate. I highly recommend having everything prepped ahead of time (ingredients portioned out, kitchen tools ready to go). This will make the recipe go a lot smoother for you!
The general order of operations will be:
- Marinate chicken –> Make cabbage slaw and Sriracha mayo -> Fry Chicken (twice) –> Make gochujang sauce –> Assemble Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- boneless skinless chicken thighs – you can use either boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breast, depending on your preference. I personally prefer dark meat.
- If you prefer a non-chicken alternative, you can make Korean Fried Cauliflower instead!
- gochugaru – Gochugaru is Korean red chili pepper flakes (or powder, depending on which version you purchase). It’s vibrant in color and smoky in flavor, used in other dishes like Korean Cucumber Salad, Korean Braised Spicy Tofu, and Spicy Pork Bulgogi.
- all-purpose flour – Flour is the base of your dredge. I love to fry chicken and I’ve learned over the years that I like to do a mix of flour and starches for the perfect balance of crispy, crunchy, and golden brown. Flour helps especially with the browning.
- potato starch – Potato starch has a larger granule size than cornstarch, which makes the batter more rigid and brittle. When fried, this makes the chicken crunchier and more robust, with better structure (versus light and crispy when using cornstarch alone).
- baking powder – The baking powder reacts with the oil and creates tiny air bubbles, which also helps form a crispy coating.
- green and red cabbage – green and red cabbage are similar vegetables with different colors, flavors, and textures, which is why I like using both for the slaw. However if you can only use one, I recommend using green cabbage, as it’s milder.
- Japanese mayo – (Japanese) kewpie mayo – I love using kewpie mayo because it’s rich, creamy, and has a umami flavor that cannot compare to regular mayo. It’s always in my pantry, since I use it for many recipes, like my homemade Spicy Mayo. If you don’t have it, you can substitue with regular mayo.
- rice vinegar – if you don’t have rice vinegar, you can substitute with apple cider vinegar.
- gochujang – this is the basis of the delicious gochujang sauce that the Korean Fried Chicken will be coated in, similar to Gochujang Honey Wings! If you are sensitive to spice, you can try Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken instead.
- Sriracha – this is for the Sriracha mayo; if you don’t have it, you can leave it out and just make a simple lemon aioli with the kewpie and lemon. This will still taste great with the Korean Fried Chicken!
- mozzarella slices – Korean fusion dishes oftentimes use mozzarella cheese (like in Korean Cheese Corn) as the mild flavors go well with the spicy gochujang. If you prefer a different cheese, you can substitute it or leave it out altogether.
- toasted brioche buns – I like using brioche buns but you can also use another type of bread or bun. You can also use sweet Hawaiian rolls to turn these into sliders instead!
Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches: Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
1. Marinate the Chicken
The first step to delicious Korean Fried Chicken is to marinate it. In a large bowl, marinate chicken with kosher salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and gochugaru. Let sit for at least 15 minutes to absorb the seasonings and dry brine the chicken. Dry brining the chicken will ensure it does not dry out during frying.
2. Make the Cabbage Slaw and Sriracha Mayo
In a second bowl, mix together mayo, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until combined. Add the shredded cabbage and sesame seeds and toss until evenly coated. Place in the refrigerator to chill until the sandwiches are ready to assemble.
In a small bowl, mix together the sriracha mayo ingredients. Place in the refrigerator until time to assemble.
3. Dredge the Chicken
In a large bowl, combine flour, potato starch, baking powder, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. This will be the dry batter. Mix until combined – optional: add a few tablespoons of water to rub into the dry dredge to form craggily bits. The craggily bits are my favorite part of fried chicken, so if you feel the same way, this is how you make them!
In a small bowl, add the flour, eggs and cold water – mix together until the batter is slightly looser than pancake batter. If it is too thick, you can add more water, 1 tbsp at a time.
Set up your assembly line of dry mix and wet batter. Take the marinated chicken and first dredge the chicken in the wet batter – let any excess drip off naturally. Then take the chicken and dredge it in the dry mix – make sure to pack in the dredge well with your hands. You do not want any bald spots!
Leave the dredged chicken on a tray to rest while you heat the oil.
4. Fry the Chicken
In a large dutch oven, heat oil to 325°F. I highly recommend using a thermometer to confirm the oil is hot enough before frying.
Fry the chicken for 4-6 minutes until a light golden brown and remove to a wire rack.
Use a spider or strainer to strain out any loose batter bits (you don’t want these in your oil, as they will burn), then increase the oil temperature to 375°F and fry for 1-2 minutes until the chicken is now a deep golden brown. The internal temperature of the chicken should read at least 165°F.
Place fried chicken on a wire rack to cool.
6. Make the Gochujang Sauce
In a small saucepan, heat soy sauce, gochujang, honey, sugar, gochugaru, rice vinegar and water over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, about 4-5 minutes. This is your Korean Fried Chicken gochujang sauce.
Take each piece of fried chicken and dip the chicken in the sauce until fully coated. I like to use a brush or spoon to get into any craggily edges.
Immediately top the coated chicken with the mozzarella slices and let them melt from the residual heat – alternatively, you can use a cooking torch for extra caramelization.
7. Assemble the Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches
It is time to assemble your Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches!
Spread sriracha mayo on the toasted brioche buns (I like it on both sides but you can only do one, if you prefer.)
Take the bottom bun and pickles, cabbage slaw, Korean Fried Chicken with melted mozzarella cheese, and place the top bun on top. Serve immediately and enjoy your Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches!
PRO TIPS
Expert Tips
- Make sure to add a few tablespoons of water in the dry batter, then rub them in with your hands which will create craggily bits that will give the chicken that extra crunch!
- When frying, make sure the oil temperature doesn’t drop below 300°F during the first fry (a thermometer is your best friend here!) and fry in smaller batches if needed.
- In a small bowl, add the flour, eggs and cold water – mix together until the batter is slightly looser than pancake batter. If it is too thick, you can add more water, 1 tbsp at a time.
- After the wet batter, make sure to pack in the dry mixture well with your hands. You do not want any bald spots!
- Use a spider or strainer to strain out any loose batter bits (you don’t want these in your oil, as they will burn) before frying the chicken for a second time.
- The internal temperature of the chicken should read at least 165°F to be safe to be consumed. I highly recommend using a thermometer to check the internal temperature.
Storage, Reheating, and Make Ahead Tips
I recommend storing all components of the Korean Fried Chicken sandwiches (Korean Fried Chicken, cabbage slaw, Sriracha mayo) separately in airtight containers. This will help keep them as fresh as possible.
- The Korean Fried Chicken and cabbage slaw should keep for up to 3 days without any issues. They will soften as it sits in the refrigerator.
- The Sriracha mayo can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
If the Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches have already been assembled, store any leftovers wrapped in aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat Korean Fried Chicken by reheating the chicken in the air fryer at 350F for 6 minutes until warmed through. Microwave the buns for 30 seconds until soft. Reassemble the chicken sandwich and enjoy!
I don’t recommend making these sandwiches ahead of time, as they taste best served fresh. You can marinate the Korean Fried Chicken 24-48 hours before cooking, as long as you store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
If you tried this Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp gochugaru, Korean chili flakes
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
Seasoning Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups potato starch
- 1 ½ tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ½ tbsp cayenne
Wet Batter
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cold water
Cabbage Slaw
- 4 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 4 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 3/4 cup Japanese mayo
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Gochujang Sauce
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp gochugaru
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup water
Sriracha Mayo
- 1/4 cup Japanese mayo
- 1 tbsp Sriracha
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Other
- pickles, 4 per sandwich
- mozzarella slices, 2 slices per sandwich
- 8 toasted brioche buns
Instructions
- Marinate chicken with kosher salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and gochugaru. Let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the seasonings and dry brine the chicken.
- In a bowl, mix together mayo, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper until combined. Add the cabbage and sesame seeds and toss until evenly coated. Place in the fridge to chill until the sandwiches are ready to assemble.In a small bowl, mix together Sriracha mayo ingredients and place in the refrigerator until time to assemble.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, potato starch, baking powder, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. Mix until combined and add a few tablespoons of water to rub into the dry dredge to form craggily bits.
- In a small bowl add the flour, eggs and cold water until the batter is slightly looser than pancake batter.
- Dredge the chicken in the wet batter letting any excess drip off, then add the dry mix and pack in the dredge well. Leave on a tray to rest while you heat the oil.
- In a large dutch oven, heat oil to 325°F and fry the chicken for 4-6 minutes until a light golden brown and remove to a wire rack. Strain out any loose batter, then increase the oil temperature to 375°F and fry for 1-2 minutes until a deep golden brown and internal temperature reads at least 165°F, then remove to a wire rack.
- In a small saucepan, heat soy sauce, gochujang, honey, sugar, gochugaru, rice vinegar and water over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Dip the chicken in the sauce until fully coated. Immediately top the chicken with the mozzarella slices and let them melt or use a torch for extra caramelization.
- Spread sriracha mayo on the toasted brioche buns. Assemble the sandwich with the bottom layer of toasted brioche, pickles, slaw, chicken, and the top bun.
Notes
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- The Korean Fried Chicken and cabbage slaw should keep for up to 3 days without any issues. They will soften as it sits in the refrigerator.
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- The Sriracha mayo can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
