Korean Popcorn Chicken Dakgangjeong (Printable Version)
Golden chicken nuggets, crisp-fried and tossed in spicy sweet gochujang sauce. Great for snacks or gatherings.
# Ingredients:
→ Chicken and Marinade
01 -
680 g skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2.5 cm nuggets
02 -
1 teaspoon garlic powder
03 -
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
04 -
1 teaspoon mirin
05 -
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Coating
06 -
65 g rice flour
07 -
0.5 teaspoon baking powder
08 -
2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
09 -
2 tablespoons water
10 -
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Frying
11 -
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
→ Spicy Gochujang Sauce
12 -
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean fermented red chili paste)
13 -
0.5 tablespoon honey
14 -
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
15 -
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
16 -
60 ml low sodium chicken broth
17 -
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
18 -
Sesame seeds, to serve
19 -
Thinly sliced green onion, to serve
# Steps:
01 -
In a large bowl, combine garlic powder, soy sauce, mirin, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken pieces and mix thoroughly to coat. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
02 -
In a separate bowl, whisk together rice flour, baking powder, gochugaru, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper. Drizzle in the water while mixing with a fork until the mixture forms small beads and resembles coarse sand.
03 -
Set up a large plate or baking sheet for the coated chicken. Working one piece at a time, allow excess marinade to drip off, then coat each chicken nugget in the flour mixture. Lightly press to ensure even coverage. Arrange the coated pieces on the prepared plate.
04 -
Pour 2.5–5 cm of vegetable oil into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat to 177°C. Fry chicken nuggets in batches for 3–4 minutes or until deeply golden and an internal temperature of 68°C is reached. Do not overcrowd the pot. Adjust heat as needed to maintain oil temperature between 155°C–177°C. Transfer cooked chicken to a wire rack placed over paper towels.
05 -
In a small skillet, add gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken broth, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat while stirring. Continue to cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is glossy and slightly thickened.
06 -
Arrange the fried chicken in a serving bowl. Either toss the chicken in the warm sauce or serve the sauce on the side. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions just before serving.
# Notes:
01 -
For best results, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes. If marinating longer than 2 hours, keep it covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frying.
02 -
Rice flour can be substituted with all-purpose flour, cornstarch, or potato starch in equal measure.
03 -
To air fry, preheat to 200°C, spray the basket with oil, arrange breaded chicken without overcrowding, and air fry for 5 minutes. Shake, spray lightly again, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 68°C.
04 -
To bake, use a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet, generously spray with oil, and bake at 218°C for 10 minutes, turning halfway if not using a rack.