Korean Fried Chicken Tenders

4.97 from 26 votes

Korean Fried Chicken Tenders

These crispy Korean Fried Chicken Tenders are double fried to golden brown perfection and glazed with a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce!

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

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 pepper

Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp gochujang
1/2 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flake)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup water

Seasoning 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
1 cup cold soda water

Plain Flour

1 cup flour all-purpose

Oil

2 quart neutral oil for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together kosher salt, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, ginger powder, and cayenne pepper. Season the chicken tenders for at least 20 minutes to allow the salt to absorb into the 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 a separate bowl, mix together your Wet Batter ingredients and whisk to combine. In a third bowl, add 1 cup of plain flour.
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.
Fry the chicken in batches at 350F for 4-5 minutes. Remove the chicken and let the oil come back up to 350F, then fry a 2nd time for 1-2 minutes. Remove to a tray and let rest.
In a medium saucepan, mix together the Sauce ingredients and simmer over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Coat the chicken in the sauce and enjoy!

Notes

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!)

Craggily bits on Korean Fried Chicken add extra texture and create grooves for the sauce to cling to. (They're oftentimes the best part about the breading!) I like to make them by adding 1-2 tbsp of soda water to the seasoning flour and rubbing the flour with your hands. (This should be done before dredging the chicken in the seasoning flour.)

Create your assembly line by having four items in a row: 3 bowls that include flour, wet batter, and seasoning flour, as well as 1 baking sheet or tray. Here is the order of operation:

Dust the marinated chicken in plain flour.
Dip dusted chicken in the wet batter.
Dredge the wet chicken with the seasoning flour.
Place dredged chicken on a tray and let rest for 15-20 minutes before frying.

Use a Thermometer

Do not let your oil drop below 325-350F when frying! Frying at a low temperature will result in too much moisture and lead to your Korean Fried Chicken being soggy. Fry in small batches to prevent this.

Undercooked chicken can lead to food poisoning, so always err on the side of caution and check the internal temperature - chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F.

Strain Excess Batter From Oil

If excess batter pieces are floating in the oil, strain them out with a strainer to prevent them from burning during the 2nd fry.

Storage and Reheating

You can store any leftover Korean Fried Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Keep in mind that they will not stay crispy once refrigerated.

You can reheat Korean Fried Chicken in the air fryer at 350F for 6-8 minutes until crispy, or on a wire rack in the oven at 375°F for 10 minutes until crispy and warmed through.

You can also reheat them quickly in the microwave, if you don’t care about the texture.

Nutrition