Korean Style Popcorn Chicken
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
40 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
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Servings
3
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Calories
758 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Korean
Korean Style Popcorn Chicken
Description
The recipe for Korean Style Popcorn Chicken combines marinated chicken pieces coated in potato starch and deep-fried to a golden crisp. This technique creates a crunchy exterior while maintaining juicy meat inside. Frying the rice cakes briefly until crisp outside yet chewy inside adds an interesting texture contrast within the dish. The sauce blends tomato ketchup, spicy gochujang paste, sweetness from honey and brown sugar, and savory elements like soy sauce and sesame oil with minced garlic, producing a well-rounded flavor that clings to the fried pieces.
After frying, the rice cakes and chicken are tossed in the sauce, creating a sticky and flavorful coating. The chicken's crispy crust contrasts nicely with the sticky, spicy sauce. The optional garnishes of crushed nuts and green onion add fresh and nutty elements, enhancing both flavor and presentation. This dish can be served as a snack, appetizer, or part of a casual meal.
Marinating the chicken for 30 minutes allows the flavors to penetrate, ensuring seasoning throughout the meat. Careful frying of rice cakes helps avoid overcooking, which can cause them to burst. Using neutral oil and controlling frying temperature helps achieve even cooking and crispness. Sweating off excess oil with paper towels maintains the intended texture before saucing and serving.
Ingredients
MAIN
- 500 g chicken thigh fillet (18 ounces), rinsed under cold water, cut into bite sized pieces, or breast fillets
- 150 g rice cake 5.3 ounces), cut in half (If you're not using fresh rice cakes, separate and soak them in warm water for 10 minutes before cutting. Pat them dry with paper towels to remove any moisture, fresh, Korean style
- 1 Tbsp rice wine
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper ground
- 1 cup potato starch or corn starch
- Some neutral cooking oil I used rice bran oil, generic cooking oil
SAUCE (MIX THESE IN A BOWL)
- 5 Tbsp tomato sauce (ketchup)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic minced
OPTIONAL – TO GARNISH
- nuts e.g. walnut, peanut, pistachio, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, etc, or seeds; crushed
- green onion if you want the nice colour contrast, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place chicken pieces into a large mixing bowl. Add the rice wine, ginger powder, salt, and ground black pepper and mix them well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate the chicken for 30 mins in the fridge.
- Coat each chicken piece with the starch powder thoroughly. (It’s best doing this in 4 to 5 batches so that they are well covered with the starch powder.)
- - Pour some cooking oil into a deep saucepan/wok and heat until it reaches 175 C/ 347 F (or boiling). - Deep fry the rice cakes in batches until the outer layer turns crispy. (Deep-frying for too long can lead to rice cake explosions, so cook for less than 10 seconds. Alternatively, you can lightly pan fry them until soft.) Take them out and set aside onto paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat this with the remaining rice cakes. - Deep fry the battered chicken pieces in batches until golden and cooked through (2 to 3 mins). Take them out and set aside onto paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Repeat this with the remaining chicken. (Don’t put too much chicken in one go as it can lower the oil temperature down.) To make the chicken extra crunchy, double fry them one more time. Set aside.
- Pour the sauce into a heated skillet. Bring it to boil on medium heat until the sauce thickens a little bit (1 to 2 mins). Stir constantly. Add the fried chicken and rice cakes then coat with the sauce quickly and thoroughly. Garnish with your choice of toppings (e.g. crushed nuts, seeds and green onion). Serve.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken pieces for at least 30 minutes to enhance flavor penetration.
- Deep fry rice cakes quickly (under 10 seconds) to achieve crispness without bursting.
- Use neutral cooking oil at 175°C (347°F) for optimal frying results.
- Drain fried items on paper towels to remove excess oil before adding sauce.
- Adjust sauce spice level by varying gochujang amount according to preference.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 758 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 758kcal | 38% |
| Carbohydrates | 86g | 29% |
| Protein | 33g | 66% |
| Fat | 31g | 48% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 163mg | 54% |
| Sodium | 1063mg | 44% |
| Potassium | 1018mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 24g | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 255IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 5.1mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 55mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2.6mg | 14% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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