Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken (VIDEO)

A plate of Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken stacked on top of each other.

5 from 15 votes

Korean Honey Butter Fried Chicken (VIDEO)

This Korean style Honey Butter Fried Chicken are so deliciously crispy and super flavorful when coated in a sweet & salt honey butter sauce! They're perfect for a party or even a party of one!

Prep Time1

Cook Time20

Total Time1 20

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

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 ice cold

Frying Oil

2 quarts neutral oil for frying

Honey Butter Sauce

4 tbsp butter unsalted
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce

US Customary - Metric

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 the 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 an assembly line, place the 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!

Video

Notes

Use a Thermometer - I highly recommend using an infrared thermometer to easily check the temperature of your oil during heating and frying. Do not let your oil drop below 325-350F when frying! If the oil drops below 325°F, remove the chicken and wait until the oil returns to 325°F before continuing frying. Fry in small batches to prevent this.

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 Tips - Store any leftover Korean Fried Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Keep in mind that the chicken will soften as it sits in the refrigerator.

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.

I don't recommend frying the chicken or making the sauce ahead of time. Chicken that is fried ahead of time will not stay crispy, and the Honey Butter Sauce will continue to thicken after it is made, eventually getting to a consistency that will be too thick to coat the chicken with.

Nutrition