Air fryer Korean fried chicken is my new obsession. Just like the original deep fried chicken recipe, this Korean fried chicken recipe delivers morsels of chicken that are crunchy, crispy, spicy, and sweet.
air fryer fried chicken is easy to make
This is one of my favorite air fryer recipes. It starts with a basic Air Fryer Fried Chicken and adds a gingery marinade and a spicy-sweet gochujang sauce. Check out my post on How to Make Air Fryer Fried Chicken to learn my tips and tricks for success, and everything else you need to know.
There’s nothing else like Korean Fried Chicken (KFC)
If you’ve never had it, find a Korean restaurant stat. Or make this easy Korean fried chicken recipe! If you like spicy-savory-sweet foods, you won’t be disappointed.
What makes Korean Fried Chicken special?
I’ve been crushing on Korean food for years. I love the super spicy preparations, tangy-spicy kimchi, and all those little banchan side dishes you get at Korean restaurants.
But more than anything, I love gochujang, the fiery Korean fermented chili paste that adds a kick to many Korean dishes.
Gochujang really shows off in Korean Fried Chicken. In the traditional dish, pieces of chicken are marinated and dredged in starch (flour, cornstarch, or potato starch usually) and then double fried.
Once fried, the crunchy pieces of chicken are tossed in a sweet-spicy sauce made of gochujang paste, honey or sugar, garlic, and a few other ingredients.
The result is finger-licking goodness. It is a sticky, crunchy, spicy, sweet pile of chicken that you won’t be able to stop eating.
Can you really make delicious Korean Fried Chicken in an air fryer?
Absolutely. I love classic deep-fried, cripsy Korean Fried Chicken, but I don’t like to eat deep-fried foods too often, and I really don’t like to mess up my kitchen deep frying foods at home. This is my favorite air fryer recipe that I’ve made.
Cooking Korean fried chicken in the air fryer was the perfect solution. And best of all, you can have it on the table in 30 minutes easy.
To get the classic golden brown, crispy, crunchy crust, I dipped my chicken first in egg and then in cornstarch. Frying it in the air fryer was quick and easy. Best of all, my stovetop didn’t end up coated with splatters of oil.
What kind of chicken do you use?
Korean restaurants in my neighborhood usually use bone-in chicken pieces. You can use chicken wings or chicken drumsticks. I like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and cut them into bite-sized pieces. That way you get more of the crunchy, sauce-drenched coating.
Once the chicken is air fried to a perfect golden brown, it is tossed with the sweet-spicy sauce and then garnished with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions. I’ve also seen it garnished with roasted peanuts and sliced chiles, which is also delicious.
My whole family loves my air fryer version of Korean Fried Chicken. It is spicy, but even my 11-year-old son was immediately hooked (but we do eat a lot of spicy food. If your family is sensitive to spice, tone it down by using less gochujang in the sauce.)
What goes well with Korean Fried Chicken?
I usually serve this dish as an entrée with steamed rice and broccoli or another green vegetable.
It also makes a great snack or appetizer for a party. Pair it with Korean-style pickled vegetables and a cold, crisp lager- or pilsner-style beer. It makes the perfect game day or party spread.
What Ingredients do you need for Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken?
You’ll be surprised how few ingredients are needed for this flavorful air fryer chicken:
- Chicken
- Rice vinegar
- Soy sauce
- Ginger
- Eggs
- Corn starch
- ketchup
- Gochujang (see below for where to buy)
- Honey (you can substitute brown sugar)
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Garlic
- Sesame seeds (optional)
- Scallions or green onions (optional)
What is gochujang and where do you get it?
The only specialty ingredient in this spicy Korean fried chicken is gochujang and it totally makes the dish. Gochujang is a korean red chili paste. It is a fermented condiment made from hot chiles, rice, soybeans, and salt. It’s thick, dark red, and spicy, but also full of intense umami and a hint of sweetness.
I buy my gochujang in tubs at a local Korean market (East Bay locals, head to Koreana Plaza on Telegraph and 27th in Oakland. It’s amazing!) It is also available in larger Asian markets or online.
Like miso paste or soy sauce, gochujang lasts a long time in the refrigerator, so go ahead and buy a good-sized tub of it.
You can also use gochujang to make my Gochujang Chicken and other scrumptious Korean dishes.
What is different about Korean Fried Chicken?
American fried chicken is typically made by dunking chicken in a batter, often made with buttermilk, flour, and seasonings. The pieces are then fried in hot oil until crisp and golden brown.
Korean fried chicken is made by seasoning chicken pieces and coating them in a starch like potato starch or cornstarch. The pieces are then fried in oil until lightly golden brown.
But Korean fried chicken pieces are double fried. The first fry seals the crust. The second fry turns the chicken pieces deeply golden brown. The second fry is what makes Korean fried chicken is so crispy.
Finally, Korean fried chicken is tossed with a savory sauce that is spic and sweet and made with the Korean fermented chile paste gochujang. Mmmm… crispy, spicy chicken!
How do you make Air Fryer KFC?
Korean air fryer fried chicken is easy to make. See my post on how to make Air Fryer Fried Chicken for helpful tips.
- Line the air fryer basket with perforated parchment paper or a silicone liner.
- In a medium bowl, combine the marinade ingredients and the chicken. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. If you want to marinate the chicken for longer, cover and refrigerate it for as long as overnight.
- Put beaten eggs in a shallow bowl and the cornstarch in aseparate shallow bowl.
- Dunk the chicken pieces first in the egg and then in the cornstarch to coat. Arrange the coated chicken pieces in a single layer in the air fryer.
- Once all of the chicken is coated and arranged in the air fryer (you will likely have to do this in 2 batches), spritz or brush the chicken with a bit of cooking oil.
- Air fry the chicken, flipping halfway through.
- While the chicken is cooking, stir the sauce ingredients together to make the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, gochujang paste, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic until well combined.
- When the chicken is finished air frying, transfer it to a medium bowl and toss with the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions, if desired. Serve with extra dipping sauce and an ice cold Korean beer.
Can you make this by deep frying the chicken on the stovetop
For sure. Korean fried chicken is typically double fried to make it extra crispy.
To do it using this recipe, simply leave out the egg and dredge the marinated chicken pieces in the starch directly.
Heat a pot of vegetable or peanut oil, about 2 or 3 inches deep, in a Dutch oven or wok on the stovetop over high heat. You want the oil to be very hot, but not smoking.
Drop the starch-dredged chicken pieces in the hot oil and cook, turning a few times, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer the pieces to a paper towel-lined plate.
Once all the pieces of chicken have been fried, it’s time to fry them again! Drop the pieces into the hot oil and cook until they are deep golden brown and very crisp.
Tips for making Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
- I usually like to line my air fryer basket with the rounds of parchment paper that has holes cut in it. This isn’t 100 percent necessary, but it makes the process a whole lot easier and less messy.
- You can marinate the chicken overnight if you like. It will only get more flavorful.
- You can also make the sauce ahead. Make it as long as a few days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before tossing it with the cooked chicken.
- Don’t toss the chicken with the sauce until just before serving. This way the coating on the chicken will stay nice and crunchy.
MORE CRUNCHY FRIED CHICKEN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
If you love these crunchy fried chicken bites, try my Air Fryer Salt and Pepper Chicken, Air Fryer Sesame Chicken, Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken, and Chicken Pakora.
Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
crunchy, crispy, spicy, and sweet. You won't be able to stop eating it.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 cup cornstarch
For the sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons gochujang
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 scallions thinly sliced
- Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper (see note).
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, salt, and pepper and tos to coat the chicken. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes. If you want to marinate the chicken for longer, cover and refrigerate it for as long as overnight.
- Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl.
- Put the cornstarch in a separate shallow bowl.
- Dunk the chicken pieces first in the egg and then in the cornstarch to coat. Arrange the coated chicken pieces on the parchment paper in the air fryer.
- Once all of the chicken is coated and arranged in the air fryer (you will likely have to do this in 2 batches), spritz or brush the chicken with a bit of cooking oil.
- Air fry the chicken at 400ºF for 8 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over, spritz or brush with a bit more oil, and then cook for another 7 minutes at 400ºF.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, gochujang paste, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic until well combined.
- When the chicken is finished air frying, transfer it to a medium bowl and toss with the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken Story
Where do I buy the hotspice that is asking for in this recipe”
Hi Pauline,
I buy it at a local Korean market, but you can also buy it online. Here is a link to it on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013HB0CC4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B013HB0CC4&linkCode=as2&tag=twola-20&linkId=e462f70284573373b937de917d69a2ac
I bought an air fryer just to try this recipe! I’m an air fryer newbie – why do I want to line the basket with parchment paper? Will the chicken stick?
Hi Jenn, I’m so excited that you got an air fryer and are going to try this recipe! I line the basket because the breading does stick some (at least in my air fryer it does) and I just find it easier to flip and easier to clean afterward. You can certainly do it without the parchment paper, I just think it is easier when I use it.
Can i use chicken breast instead?
Yes, you can use chicken breast!
Hi Pauline, is the sauce heated through at all, or just mixed in with the chicken cold?
The sauce should not be cold but at room temperature and the chicken will be very hot right out of the fryer. You do not need to heat the sauce. Just toss the room temperature sauce with the hot chicken.
Just tried it tonight and loooved it! Dark meat is definitely the way to go. I didn’t have rice vinegar so I substituted with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and half tablespoon of white sugar instead and still turned out amazing. Thank you!
Thanks for posting, Winnie! I’m so glad you liked it! My family goes nuts for it every time I make it.
I hope you can quickly answer but I completely forgot to buy cornstarch, can I just use regular flour?
I think you could, but I might recommend doing a roux combining equal parts fat (oil or butter) and flour in a saucepand cooking (stirring/whisking constantly) over medium heat until it starts to brown and smells nutty. Then mix that into the sauce. Otherwise I fear your sauce may end up lumpy and tasting like raw flour.
I accidentally mixed in the corn flower and eggs with everything else directly, will that negatively effect the final product? Thanks
Hi Ben, I am honestly not sure. I guess you could try it with a few pieces of chicken and see how they turn out?
Wow! Made this tonight for myself and my husband and we both absolutely loved it! Perfect mix of spice and sweetness. Paired it with some kimchi and udon noodle salad. Delicious!!!
I’m so glad you loved it, Amy!
Hi,
If I would like to try the recipe with chicken thighs with the bone, is the time and temp in the air fryer still the same or would you recommend it to be longer?
Yes, I think you could do it with bone-in (skinless) thighs. I haven’t tried it, but I would add a few minutes to the cooking on each side and then just check it to see if it needs a few more minutes.
Hi is the parchment paper a must?
Hi David. The parchment paper is optional. I find it makes the whole thing a lot easier becuase without it the pieces of chicken can stick to the basket and make it hard to turn them over. You can certainly make it without parchment paper, will just take a little more work to turn the chicken pieces over. And also more work to clean the basket afterwards.
Hi~ what airfryer and what mode do you use? you reckon it will make a difference according to the type of airfryer? Thanks
I use a GoWise air fryer. I am not sure what you mean by mode. Mine doesn’t have different modes as far as I know. I think if you follow the instructions for temp and time, you should be fine.
I made this and it was so good, I’ll definitely be looking for some more airfryer recipes on your blog!
Hi Ana! Thank you for letting me know. I’m so glad you liked it!!
I made this using an air fryer and it was a big hit in my family. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing!
My sister and I made this today for dinner for our family. We loved it! It tasted almost like orange chicken. We tore it up. It was great. Thanks for the recipe!
I was planning to try this tonight. Would panko crumbs work instead of flour to coat?
Oops – I meant instead of cornstarch!
I think panko would work, but I haven’t tried it myself. If you do, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I don’t think you ever mention what “the marinade” actually is. Or what ingredients from the list go in the marinade.
The marinade ingredients are listed under “for the chicken” in the recipe and step 2 provides instructions for making the marinade and marinating the chicken.
Hi, we have made this recipe five times now and it is our favorite way to make Korean fried chicken. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. Our family loves it!
Okay, this was AMAZING. I cut back on the honey a little and used chicken breasts instead of thighs but OMG so insanely good. TY for sharing!