I’m sharing the secret to making the crispiest Korean Fried Chicken! Perfect for a game day appetizer or an easy dinner ready in just 30 minutes, this recipe uses juicy chicken thighs or breasts coated in a bold sweet and spicy Korean BBQ sauce made with Gochujang. Packed with flavor and quick to make, it’s a guaranteed hit for any occasion.
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My Secret to Extra Crispy Korean Fried Chicken
I’m sharing my secret to the crispiest Korean Fried Chicken: double frying! But instead of a wok, we’re using the Air Fryer for a healthier, mess-free version. After the first fry, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes (key to keeping it juicy), spritz with oil, and fry again. Toss in a sweet-spicy Gochujang sauce, and you’ve got a perfectly crispy appetizer or entrée ready in under 30 minutes.
Here in Colorado, we love WingWok, a local spot famous for their “KFC”—Korean Fried Chicken. My youngest son practically lives there, and his favorite is their Gochujang sauce. When he gave my homemade version a big thumbs up, I knew I’d nailed it! Serve it over rice for dinner or as a shareable dish—it’s simple, flavorful, and guaranteed to please!
Love Asian-inspired recipes? Try my faves; Blackstone Chicken Fried Rice, Healthy Mongolian Beef recipe, these yummy Hot Honey Chicken Wings and this tangy and easy Asian Pork Marinade.
Korean Fried Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken thighs | Use skinless and boneless chicken thighs. You may use chicken breast, chicken drumsticks, wings, or drumettes if preferred.
- Seasonings | Season the chicken with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder and ginger.
- Vegetable oil | Vegetable oil helps to hold the seasonings and cornstarch stick to the raw chicken bites and aids in preparing the air fryer basket so the ingredients don’t stick to the bottom. Use another high-heat mild-tasting oil in place of the vegetable oil if needed. I like avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
- Cornstarch | Coat the chicken pieces with corn starch to produce crispy chicken, you may also use potato starch if you have it on hand.
- Ketchup: A key base for homemade BBQ sauce—use your favorite brand.
- Gochujang: Sweet, spicy, and savory; adds authentic Korean flavor. Substitute sriracha if needed.
- Honey & Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to balance the bold flavors.
- Rice Vinegar & Soy Sauce: Brings tangy, salty, and savory notes.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Adds nutty, savory depth.
- Ginger & Garlic: Freshly grated for the best flavor.
- Optional Garnish: Toasted sesame seeds, scallions, and lime wedges for color, texture, and brightness.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
Recommended Equipment
- Cosori Air Fryer | A popular dedicated air fryer with a larger square basket.
- Ninja Foodi Air Fryer & Indoor Grill — a nice wide and easy to operate air fryer. What I made these French toast sticks in, it grills and does other things too!
- My favorite Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro (it does it all!), love, love this air fryer, countertop oven.
- Invest in air fryer liners for easier clean-up, these fit the Ninja Foodi XL above, be sure to find the size that fits your air fryer. Parchment paper made for air fryers or use silicone liners instead.
How to Make Korean Fried Chicken Air Fryer
Step 1 – Coat the Chicken
First, prepare the chicken thighs for the air fryer. Start by patting the chicken thighs dry with paper towels so the seasonings will stick to the surfaces better.
Next, toss the chicken with the oil in a large bowl and sprinkle it with the seasonings, including salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground ginger. Then, toss the seasoned chicken with the cornstarch to evenly coat all surfaces.
Step 2 – Prep the Air fryer
Spray the air fryer basket with spray oil (not non-stick cooking spray, it gums up your air fryer) or use a paper towel to wipe a thin coat of oil onto it.
Or line the basket with the parchment paper made for air fryers for less mess. This particular parchment paper is made with holes to allow the airflow the air fryer needs to cook the food properly. If you prefer, use air fryer silicone liners instead. Your goal is to prevent the chicken and seasonings from sticking to the bottom of the air fryer basket.
Then, preheat the air fryer to 400° F (205° C) for 5-10 minutes.
Step 3 – Cook the Chicken Bites
Place the coated chicken bites in a single layer in the basket and cook for about 8 minutes. Then, turn the pieces and cook for another 7-8 minutes until they are crispy and golden brown. You will likely need to cook the chicken in batches, depending on the size of your air fryer.
Extra crispy Korean Fried chicken, remove the chicken after cooking and transfer to a plate or wire rack. After cooling for 5 minutes, spray the fried chicken pieces with a light coating of spray oil, like Avocado oil. Then, place the chicken back in the basket in a single layer and fry for another 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining bites, if necessary.
Step 4 – Make the Sauce
Grab a small saucepan while the chicken is cooking and toss in the sauce ingredients. Next, whisk them to thoroughly combine, and bring the ingredients to a brief boil over medium heat. Then, remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside until you are ready to serve.
Step 5 – Toss the Chicken in the Sauce and Serve!
Toss the air-fried chicken bites in the spicy sauce and garnish with toasted sesame seeds, a wedge of lime, and some freshly chopped scallion. Then, you’re ready to serve this dish over rice or as a tasty appetizer!
Success Tips for this Korean Fried Chicken Recipe
- Marinate the chicken bites in the seasonings for at least 30 minutes for even more flavor.
- It’s critical to cook the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket without overcrowding. That way, the airflow reaches all the pieces, and everything cooks evenly. If necessary, cook in batches until all the fried bites are complete.
Suggested Toppings
Make it look restaurant worthy! Garnish it with toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and a few lime wedges! Authentically Korean!
Variations & Substitutions
Spice it Up | Add extra Gochujang or Sriracha to make extra spicy Korean fried chicken.
Make it Gluten-Free | Although Gochujang sauce is naturally gluten-free, some soy sauces are gluten-free, check the labels. Good options are Tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos or even Coconut Aminos.
Skip the Chicken Thighs | Luckily this recipe can be easily made with chicken breasts, too!
Oven-Baked Korean Barbecue
If you don’t yet have an air fryer but still want to make this tasty Korean dish, you can bake it in the oven instead. In general, you will preheat the oven to 425° F (220 ° C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Then, season and coat the pieces as directed, lay them in single layer on baking sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Make the chicken sauce on the stovetop as directed, and toss them together once both parts are complete.
Can you air fry Korean chicken breast?
You bet! If you prefer, cut up boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite-size pieces instead of the chicken thighs. Proceed with the recipe and air fry a few minutes less.
Storage Tips
Place leftover Korean fried chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Then reheat them when you’re ready by tossing them back in the air fryer, oven, or microwave. At same temps as directed above, for about ½ the time, until heated through.
Freeze leftover chicken (before tossing in sauce for best results) on a parchment lined sheet pan in freezer 1-2 hours, once frozen, place in airtight container or zip-top baggie, freeze up to 3 months. Sauce may also be frozen.
Reheat Korean chicken frozen in an air fryer at 400° F (205° C) for 5-7 minutes until crispy and hot.
Can you make air fryer Korean BBQ Chicken with wings or drumettes?
Sure! To make Korean BBQ chicken wings or drumettes, use the same process. Be sure to pat the wings and drumettes dry and air fry at 400° F (205° C) for about 15 minutes.
Then, flip the chicken and fry for another 5 minutes. Finally, let them cool for 5 minutes, and fry again for another 5 minutes. Toss in the delicious sauce and enjoy!
What should you serve with homemade Korean barbecue chicken?
This Korean-inspired dish is traditionally served over steamed short-grain white rice, pickled radish, and an ice cold beer! It’s a flavor sensation!
The vegetables that go well with Korean barbecue chicken include hibachi vegetables, fresh salads, Korean cucumber salad and kimchee.
Do you have to preheat the air fryer?
Technically, no. I like preheating, especially for recipes like this, because it immediately creates a crispy outside, sealing in the chicken’s juices.
Preheating the air fryer is not necessarily required because it heats up much faster than other appliances, like ovens. You may want to cook the ingredients for a little longer, though. Keep a close eye on the chicken and consider adding around three to five minutes to the cooking time.
If you’re hungry for easier air fryer recipes, check out how to air fry turkey legs, this Air Fryer Barbeque Chicken, my Air Fryer Halibut, tender Air Fryer Steak Tips and my new Pigs in Blanket recipe!
More Delicious Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Healthy Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad
- Healthy Beef and Broccoli
- Pickled Red Onions (Quick Refrigerator Pickled Onions)
The secret to the extra crispy texture for Korean fried chicken is in the second fry. It takes a few extra minutes, but is so worth it!
More Recipes from The Fresh Cooky
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into bite size pieces (or chicken wings, drumettes or boneless chicken breasts if preferred)
- ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil I like Avocado or Grapeseed oil
- 3 tablespoons corn starch or potato starch, I like non-GMO
Korean Gochujang Barbecue Sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons gochujang more or less depending on desired spice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar may use other vinegars, but might change the flavor slightly
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or alternative
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon fresh ginger peeled, minced or grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
Optional Toppings
- toasted sesame seeds
- scallions (green onions), diced
- lime cut into wedges for squeezing onto crispy fried chicken
Instructions
- Pat chicken thigh (1 ½-2 lbs) pieces dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the oil and sprinkle it with seasonings (salt (½ -1 tsp), pepper (½ tsp), garlic powder (½ tsp), ground ginger (½ tsp). Toss with corn starch (3 TBL), until coated evenly.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil or use a paper towel to wipe a thin coat of oil onto it, or for less mess, line with parchment paper made for air fryers (with holes in it) or air fryer silicone liners. Preheat the air fryer to 400° F (205° C).
- Cook coated chicken in single layers for 8 minutes, turn and cook an additional 7-8 minutes until crispy, doing in batches if necessary. See notes for how to oven bake.
- For extra crispy chicken, remove chicken after cooking (according to above instructions), to a plate or cooling rack, cool for 5 minutes. After cooling for 5 minutes, spray chicken pieces with a light coating of spray oil (like Avocado oil), place in a single layer back in the air fryer and fry for another 5 minutes.
- While chicken is cooking, assemble sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, 3 TBL Ketchup, 2 TBL gochujang, 2 TBL Honey, 1 TBL Brown sugar, 1 TBL rice vinegar, 1 TBL soy sauce, ½ TBL seseme oil, ½ TBL ginger, 2 cloves garlic and whisk to combine, bring to a brief boil over medium heat, remove from heat until ready to serve.
- Once chicken is cooked, toss well in sauce and garnish with toasted sesame seeds, wedge of lime and/or a little chopped scallion.
Notes
Nutrition
Rebecaa
Hi, would i marinate the chicken overnight? Thanks.
This isn’t a marinade; the sauce is tossed onto the fried chicken after it’s fried; I don’t think you need to marinate it. In fact, I think if you came up with a marinade to use it might “fight” with the sauce once you tossed it in the sauce.
Spring
I want to try this, but I’m concerned that an additional 5 minutes in the air fryer will dry the chicken out? I feel I should cut down on the initial cook time!
The extra 5 minutes does not dry the chicken out, but adds a great “deep fried” like crispness. However; that being said, all air fryers heat a little differently, so be sure to maybe start with a few minutes. Test one and return to the air fryer. Also make sure that you don’t cut the pieces too small to begin with. Hope that helps!
Elena
Very tasty, I will surely cook it again!
Yay! So glad to hear!
Mindy
I love Korean fried chicken and I’m so excited that I now can make an equally tasty version at home! They are so crispy and the sauce is amazing. Do not skip out on the gochujang!!
Thanks so much Mindy!
Tasia
I had some chicken thighs just staring at me in the refrigerator, so I had to whip these up. Needless to say they were a huge hit! So flavorful!
Yay!! So glad to hear that Tasia! Thank you!
Maayke
This fried chicken looks fantastic! I will definitely try this recipe soon
Let me know what you think!
Jill
What a terrific new recipe for me to try in my air fryer! It looks fabulous and I appreciate your clear instructions and beautiful photos. Thanks!
Thanks Jill!
Shashi
These look so darn juicy and tasty! Love that these can be made in the air fryer! Fab recipe – thank you!
Thanks!
Ned
Dang! Those were freakin’ tasty and my whole family loved them as well! 100% will make these again. Thank you!
So glad to hear that! Thanks Ned!
Traci
Your Korean fried chicken is easy enough and the flavors are spot on! I could eat this every week and I just might for the next month LOL. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Haha!! Thanks so much Traci!
Jaime
Just made the oven version tonight for dinner and wow, this was awesome!!! Great recipe!!! Added to my rotation for sure!
Thank you so much Jaime, so glad you loved it!
Sharon
I’m always looking for new recipes to cook in my air fryer and this easy Korean fried chicken did not disappoint! So tasty.
So glad you loved it Sharon!
Shelby
This is such a delicious chicken recipe with the most incredible flavorful sauce. Yum!
Thanks so much Shelby!
Lynn Spencer
Oh these are the perfect game day treat. Thanks!
Thanks so much Lynn!
Dana
10/10 will take this over KFC any day! So tasty! We all loved the flavors in this one.
So so true! Thanks Dana, glad you enjoyed it!