Sweet and Spicy Korean Fried Chicken (Yangnyeom Chicken)

This Sweet and Spicy KFC is my take on the classic Korean Fried Chicken. What makes it different from other types of fried chicken is that it remains crispy while coated in a succulent sauce! 

Korean Fried Chicken typically comes in two flavors. One is Soy Garlic flavored chicken for the sweet and savory twist, and the other is Yangnyeom for the sweet and spicy kick. Both of these are so good, it’s finger-lickin’ fire! 

For this recipe, I will share Yangnyeom-flavor chicken or what I call General Cho Chicken! I formulated and served this in the restaurant, and our patrons definitely came back for it. I can’t believe I am sharing this, but it’s just too good not to! Let’s go! 

Korean Fried Chicken

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In Korea, there are fried chicken joints everywhere. The thing about these is that they’re local to that area or street and they simply serve their take on fried chicken. Traditionally local joints use a whole chicken and divide it into pieces, fry it up, and serve it with sauce. To make this recipe easier to recreate at home, we’ll be using boneless chicken thighs.

I like using the thighs or the dark meat because despite not having bones, it remains juicy. Nevertheless, this recipe is also amenable to chicken breast, chicken wings, or even tofu! Just make sure to match the weight of the meat to the amount of the sauce and chop them up into bite-sized pieces. 

TIP: In slicing the chicken to bite size, do it while it’s still a bit frozen. Meaning, it’s at a perfect texture when you can still feel a bit of ice (not soft or flimsy) but your knife slices through. 

Making Extra-crispy Fried Chicken

For the fried chicken, I always say that when you make it, the chicken itself should be good on its own. Anything that you put on top is just a bonus. To make it great on its own… 

• Brine the Chicken. A basic brine you can use is a combination of salt, pepper, garlic, and egg. I used a simple one here since the sauce will be very tasty.  Marinate the chicken here for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Use Potato Starch. I always use potato starch (sometimes called “potato flour”) because that’s what makes it so crispy. Make sure to check for the right consistency before frying; the batter for the chicken should not be too thick so that you can lift the bowl and not too loose that it drips. It should be just right. Mix using your hand to properly feel the batter of the chicken. 
• Double Fry the Chicken. When frying, ensure that the oil is at 350F. Fry for 5-6 minutes, let it rest for a couple of minutes, then smash lightly to create air holes. Fry for another 2 minutes at 375F. This will help evaporate the moisture to crisp up the batter even more. Remove from the fryer and let sit on a wire rack to keep the chicken crispy while you make the sauce.

Other Frying Tips: 

1. In frying, use any neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil since they have high heating points and won’t burn as you continuously use it for frying. 
2. If you’re afraid of the oil, use tongs or a frying basket and gently lay the chicken pieces away from you, into the hot oil. Never throw stuff in that jawn!
3. Reuse the oil by letting it cool after use, cleaning out food debris, and storing it in a clean jar or bottle. You can do this 3-4 times as long as the oil has not changed in color or smell.

Yangnyeom Sauce 

The yangnyeom sauce or General Cho sauce is a mix of Korean and common pantry essential items. A thing or two may be hard to find in your area, but it’s definitely worth following the recipe to the dot. 

• Gochujang or Korean Red Pepper Paste. Gochujang is fermented pepper powder. It’s sweet, savory, and spicy. This ingredient is actually a unique Korean pantry item and there is nothing I can recommend in place of it. If you want to try Korean food at home, having this would come in handy! 
• Soy Sauce. The sauce does not call for any salt apart from the brine, so the soy sauce in combination with gochujang will bring umami and savor to this dish. 
• Ketchup. I use ketchup in my sauce because it balances out the savor and spice from the gochujang and soy sauce. 
• Corn Syrup. Corn syrup is another unique pantry condiment in Korean cooking. It will not only balance out the spice but also help the sauce come together and make it stick to the chicken. If you don’t have corn syrup, you can use sugar in place of it. Some have tried honey, but it might change the taste of the sauce altogether. 
• Sugar. The sweet component will balance out the spice from the pepper paste. Additionally, it complements both the pepper paste and soy sauce.
• Garlic. With all the strong taste of the sauce ingredients, garlic will cut through all those. Aside from mixing it in the sauce, you can also add more chopped garlic for garnish.

Once you’ve combined all these, simmer them on low for a couple of minutes then quickly toss in the chicken until everything is coated well. 

Serving Korean Fried Chicken 

This is a recipe that you need to serve and consume right away. While it can be a perfect meal served with rice, this can also be a perfect snack with some beer. In Korea, it is called “chimaek” which literally means Chicken (Chi) and Beer (Maek). 

We often get KFC for family members for a quick meal together or with friends for a late-night snack. Now, if you’re ever craving it, you won’t need to pull up at any store. You can easily make this and eat as much as you want. Guaranteed better than most Korean chickens you had!

Other fried chicken recipes you might like: 

• Classic Crispy Fried Chicken
• Sriracha Crispy Chicken Wings
• Honey Garlic Chicken Wings
• Ramen Fried Chicken
• Spicy Garlic Fried Chicken

Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo! 

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Sweet and Spicy Korean Fried Chicken (Yangnyeom Chicken)

Korean Fried Chicken is crispy fried chicken covered in a sweet and spicy sauce! It's finger lickin' fire!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: Sweet and Spicy Korean Fried Chicken, Yangnyeom Chicken

Servings: 3

Author: Chef Chris Cho

Equipment

• Deep Pot For frying
• Wire Rack

Ingredients

• Vegetable or Canola Oil For frying
• 500 grams Chicken Thigh Fillet Remove skin and fat
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• Pepper To taste
• 1 tbsp Garlic
• 1 pc Egg
• 1 cup Potato Starch
• Water Gradually add

Yangnyeom Sauce

• 3 tbsp Gochujang
• 1 1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp Garlic
• 6 tbsp Ketchup
• 3 tbsp Sugar
• 6 tbsp Corn Syrup

Instructions

• Chop the chicken to bite size pieces. 
• Place the chicken in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, garlic, and egg. Let sit for at least an hour in the fridge to brine. 
• After brining, add potato starch and water to the brined chicken then mix thoroughly. Add water gradually and check for consistency of the batter: Make sure it is not too thick that you can lift the bowl and not too thin that it’s too runny. 
• Heat up the oil until 350F, and fry the chicken in batches for 5-6 minutes each. 
• Remove the chicken from the oil and let rest for a couple of minutes. 
• Smash the chicken to create air holes. Heat up the oil to 375F and place the chicken back for the second fry. Fry the chicken for 2 minutes. 
• Remove the chicken from the oil and let cool in a wire rack. 
• Make the sauce by combining gochujang, ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and corn syrup. 
• Simmer the sauce on low for a couple of minutes then quickly toss the fried chicken in the sauce. 
• Plate, top with sesame seeds, and serve immediately. Enjoy! 

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Posted By: Chef Chris Cho · In: Chicken, Classic Korean Dishes, Korean Street Food, Main Dishes, Spicy