Dakgangjeong (Sweet Crispy Korean Fried Chicken)
User Reviews
4.6
Dakgangjeong (Sweet Crispy Korean Fried Chicken)
Description
This recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken cut into pieces soaked in milk or seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, ginger, and rice wine to tenderize and flavor. The chicken is coated with potato or corn starch and shallow fried twice at 330°F to create a light golden crispness. The prepared sauce combines soy sauce, cooking wine, apple cider vinegar, gochujang chili paste for heat, honey or syrup for sweetness, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper, simmered briefly to thicken.
After frying, the chicken is coated evenly with the thickened sauce, creating a glossy, sticky glaze. Garnishing with coarsely chopped peanuts adds a contrasting texture. The dish delivers crisp, juicy chicken pieces with sweet, spicy, and aromatic garlic and ginger notes. This dish is commonly enjoyed as a snack or main dish in Korean cuisine.
To adjust spiciness, additional gochugaru or dried red peppers can be added to the sauce during simmering. The double frying technique ensures a crunchy exterior and tender interior.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thigh and/or breast
- 1/2 cup milk optional
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon rice wine if not using milk
- ⅓ cup potato starch you can use more, or corn starch
- cooking oil for deep frying
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cooking rice wine Mirim (미림), Matsul (맛술), or Mirin
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or other clear vinegar, or rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon gochujang Omit for a mild version and add 1 more tablespoon soy sauce (Also see note, 고추장, Korean red chili pepper paste
- 3 tablespoons honey or oligo syrup (oligodang, 올리고당), rice syrup (jocheong, 조청), or corn syrup - use 4 tablespoons if using syrup
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- pinch black pepper
Garnish
- 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut coarsely chopped, or seeds
Instructions
- Remove any visible fat. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Soak the chicken pieces in milk for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. This step is optional.
- Drain well. Mix with the salt, pepper, rice wine (if you didn’t use milk) garlic, and ginger. Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
- In a pan, add all the sauce ingredients, and stir well. Bring it to a boil. When it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until it thickens slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the heat off.
- Coat each chicken piece well with the potato (or corn) starch.
- Pour about 1 inch of oil in to a heavy bottom pan. Use a narrow and deep pan if available, When the oil is sufficiently hot (330°F), drop the chicken pieces in one at a time. Fry them in two batches. Overcrowding will drop the oil temperature too quickly. Cook until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove and set them on a wire rack or a paper towel-lined plate.
- Reheat the oil to 330°F. Deep fry again until golden brown, about a minute or two. You can do the second frying in one batch.
- Heat the sauce over medium low heat. Add the chicken and stir well until the chicken pieces are evenly coated.
Notes
- Add gochugaru or dried red peppers to the sauce to increase spiciness if desired.
- Double frying the chicken at 330°F helps achieve a crisp exterior and juicy inside.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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