Fry

Korean Fried Chicken Wings (KFC)

by:
September 22, 2010
34 Reviews
Korean Fried Chicken Wings (KFC)
Photo by Bobbi Lin
Author Notes

This recipe is inspired by the popular Korean chicken wing craze from chains such as Kyo-Chan and Bon Chan. It's very lightly breaded in a light flour, double-fried for a crispy skin, and glazed with a spicy ginger soy sauce. The double frying renders out the fat and makes the skin deliciously crispy. Try this at during football season and your guests will beg for more! —ravenouscouple

Test Kitchen Notes

"Honeyed and fragrant with a fiery kick, ravenouscouple's chicken wings encapsulate the word 'addictive.' The ingenious combination of coating the wings in Wondra and then double-frying them renders the fat and then crisps the skin to the point that it essentially becomes a shell encasing the succulent meat. We're pleasantly reminded of the best version of General Tso's chicken we've ever had—only better. Fry up a mess of these for your friends, and they'll love you forever." –A&M

"Since the late 1990s and early 2000s, Korean Fried Chicken, which is said to have been invented by one of two Korean restaurant chains (Pelicana Chicken and Mexican Chicken), has expanded from its Seoul origins to achieve international recognition. And it's no wonder why: Doused in a salty-sweet chile sauce, KFC's secret weapon is in the fact that it's double-fried, so that it's just as good, but twice as addictive.

When we first featured ravenouscouple's recipe for Korean Fried Chicken nearly six years ago, we knew we were onto something huge—and in the last several years, as more and more KFC restaurants (no, not that KFC) have opened in New York, our early suspicions were confirmed: This is the good stuff.

Just make sure to have a tall beer and a bowl of pickled radish (daikon) nearby to cut the heat and the grease." –Leslie Stephens

—The Editors

Watch This Recipe
Korean Fried Chicken Wings (KFC)
  • Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
  • For the chicken and batter:
  • 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings (tips clipped off and discarded, and wings cut at the joints, washed and pat dry)
  • 1 cup Wondra flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Neutral oil, as needed for frying
  • For the spicy ginger-soy glaze:
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup thin-sliced ginger, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
  • 2 tablespoons honey or corn syrup
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chile flakes or Korean fermented chile
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons toasted sesame, to serve (optional)
In This Recipe
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Directions
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine Wondra flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the prepared and rinsed chicken wings in the flour mixture to get a fine light coat.
  2. Heat some cooking oil in a deep fryer or a deep frying pan to about 350° F. Fry chicken wings, in batches if necessary, about 5 min each until cooked through. Remove, and shake any excess flour off and allow to cool.
  3. In a small saucepan, add the water, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar and bring to boil. Then add the honeyand chile and reduce by half until it has a thick maple syrup-like consistency and set aside.
  4. Re-fry the wings until crispy golden-brown, about another 5 to 8 minutes. Drain on frying rack or paper towels. Dredge or brush on the spicy soy ginger glaze. Top with sesame seeds to serve, if desired.
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