Korean Fried Chicken Wings (KFC)
Just a few ingredients go a long way: soy sauce, honey, fresh ginger, sesame seeds, Wondra, chili (we used paste) and brown sugar. (We left out the rice vinegar -- whoops!)
These wings are double-fried, so you'll need plenty of oil and a deep pot.
Wondra, salt and pepper for dredging.
We carefully rinsed and patted dry the wings before getting to work.
Amanda "topped and tailed" them, getting rid of the wing tips and separating the rest at the joint into two pieces.
Wondra is wondraful!A light coating makes for a supremely crisp skin.
Try to keep the oil temperature around 350 degrees as you fry -- this may mean adjusting the flame up or down.
And avoid the temptation to overcrowd! 6 to 8 pieces in a pot this size is about right.
After Fry #1.
Meanwhile, Amanda slices a whole lot of ginger paper thin for the glaze.
Ginger and brown sugar: always a good start.
A little soy sauce, some water and a little rice vinegar go in next, and then you bring it all to a boil.
Honey and chili (we preferred 2 tablespoons to 1), and then simmer away until you have a rich, syrupy glaze.
Fry #2.
You can dunk if you like, but we chose to brush the wings with the glaze. (We dare you to resist tasting one before you've finished glazing!)
Little eyes (and noses) perk up.
A smattering of toasted sesame seeds is optional, but highly recommended.
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
Food52 Review: 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 —The Editors
Serves: 4 to 6
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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Your Best Chicken Wings Contest Winner!
- This recipe is a Wildcard Contest Winner!
More Great Recipes:
Chicken|Appetizer|Hors D'Oeuvre|Entree
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I don't know if it was the Wondra or the double frying, but these were the best fried wings I've ever made! And the glaze was perfect too! This recipe is a keeper for sure.
I love a tasty wing and the ginger soy sauce is amazing! I have a Thai style wing sauce here to try too: https://ethnicspoon.com...
I've made these so many times now and still my favorite!
For our birthday party I prepared 2 kg's (about 4.5 pounds) of these chicken wings and they were gone within 20 minutes 0.0
Works with drumsticks as well just fry them a bit longer.
i'm a chicken wing fanatic :/ lol and these are great. the double fry made them extremely crispy too. i dredged them in the sauce because it was too good. also, i didn't have wondra but used cake flour which worked out well. thank you!
So delicious! The wondra is key.
I had to go to 3 stores in Brooklyn and I found Wondra in KeyFoods!! Yeaaas! It's about to on!!!!
These are off the hook! I tossed in cilantro and scallions at the end, THIS IS A KEEPER!!
Oh my. Made as written and they were terrific. Wings brought to a new level. BF thought that they were the best wings he had ever eaten and said that they rivaled the Momofuku fried chicken. They will be made many times. I did add a little chopped scallions with the sesame seeds at the end for color. Delicious.
so, so, good !!!!! I will make this again . Thank you
I finally made this recipe after putting it in my file a year ago. Goodness gracious, delicious! I accidentally purchased chicken drumsticks (yes, the legs) at Costco instead of wings, but it turned out fine, I just fried them a minute or so longer the first time around. One cup of ginger slices worked out fine- I didn't eat any of them with the chicken, they just sat in the pot while I brushed it on the chicken.
The sauce is perfect, a friend that doesn't eat garlic will be so pleased-- a spiced chicken wing she can eat!
I made this recipe for the Superbowl. They were amazing. I strained some of the ginger. The wings went quickly. Next time I will have to double the recipe.
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
This recipe looks amazing! Could you substitute rice flour for Wondra to get the desireable crispy coating
Going to start cooking these for dinner right now!
I have been making these since you posted the recipe. I use panko instead of wondra. My lord a better wing there has never been. Thank you !
I made these last super bowl and I still fantasize about them. I am hoping the Steelers go all the way, but win or lose, these wings will be the superstar of next Superbowl Sunday! If you are thinking about trying them.....stop thinking! Start cooking!
The wings were delicious--frying twice is a bit of work, but well worth the effort. Next time, I will add a bit more heat to the sauce. That being said, the sauce was nicely balanced when made according to your directions. Tangy, spicy, and a bit sweet. Great recipe!
Would this work with drumsticks?
Silence, for me, is a big indicator that the food is good...when I put these on the table last night, you could hear a pin drop. The fry-cool-fry method produces a crackling skin that nearly dissolves in your mouth. We all have our "ways to do things", and now this will be my way to make wings, thanks to you! I will say that for convenience sake and very busy supermarkets yesterday, I used my own sauce (franks buffalo sauce mixed w brown sugar--my old stand by and favorite) , though I intend to make yours (like next week!!!). I did find this preparation to be a little time consuming for me at home--frying in small batches and watching the thermometer carefully to maintain temp--but it was Worth. Every. Second. All the best and congrats!
Of my whole superbowl spread, these were gone in no time.... what a hit! This is on my keeper list.
Really ONE CUP of sliced ginger??????
I had the same thought. I ended up using what I felt was a lot of ginger -- probably a half cup, cut into fairly thin slices. Before tossing the wings in the sauce, however, I removed and discarded the ginger. Done this way, I thought the ginger flavor properly accented the dish, without overwhelming it.
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