Spicy Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches
If you love fried chicken sandwiches as much as I do, you are going to love this Korean twist! The fried chicken is perfectly crisp and juicy and the glaze makes the sandwiches so saucy.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Makes: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
Korean Fried Chicken
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 cup potato starch
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- canola oil for frying
- 4 brioche burger buns toasted with butter
Korean Chicken Sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup hot water
Kimchi Slaw
- 4 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 jalapeño, sliced
- 1 cup kimchi, chopped
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise, kewpie is preferred
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Quick Pickles
- 2-3 Persian cucumbers sliced
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons gochugaru
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Brine the chicken in the buttermilk. Using a flat meat tenderizer, gently pound the fatter part of the chicken out so that the breast is uniform thickness. Cut the chicken in half. Repeat with the other breast. Whisk together the buttermilk, egg, fish sauce, sriracha and ginger together and pour the mixture into a gallon ziplock bag with the chicken. Marinate for 2-8 hours.
- Make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients in a nonstick skillet and simmer until thickened slightly to the consistency of a glaze. Set aside.
- Make the kimchi slaw. Combine all the ingredients, cover, and chill until ready to use. Can be made 1 day in advance.
- Make the quick pickles. Combine all the ingredients, cover, and chill until ready to use, Can be made 1 day in advance.
- Coat the chicken in the dry ingredients. In a separate gallon ziplock bag, add the flour, potato starch, gochugaru, ginger, garlic and salt. Shake to mix the ingredients together well. After the chicken is done marinating, transfer the chicken pieces to the flour, allowing any excess buttermilk to drain off. Seal the bag and shake really well to coat all the chicken pieces in flour.
- Fry and glaze the chicken. Heat at least 2-3" of canola oil in a heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven to 360 degrees F. Gently lower 2 pieces of chicken into the oil and fry for about 7 minutes, flipping once, until deeply golden brown and a probe thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Transfer chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the other two pieces. While the chicken is still warm, drizzle or brush the sauce liberally all over the chicken.
- To assemble: Lay slaw on the bottom bun of a toasted brioche burger bun. Top with chicken and pickles and top bun. Serve immediately.
Notes
Gochugaru is a korean chili powder and gochujang is a korean chili paste, both are essential to the recipe and can be found at most Asian grocery stores or on amazon (I've linked the products above).
