Korean Fried Chicken with Gochujang Glaze (Double-Fried & Extra Crispy)

Double-fried wings lacquered in sticky gochujang, honey and toasted sesame — this is Korean fried chicken the way it should be, with a crust that stays shatteringly crisp long after the glaze goes on. No takeaway comes close.

It’s one of the 20 recipes inside our Korean Cookbook, and we’re sharing it in full so you can taste the standard before you buy the book. The hands-on time is short — the magic is all in the double fry and the glossy yangnyeom glaze.

Why this recipe works

The double fry is everything: a gentle 160°C first fry cooks the wings through and dehydrates the crust, then a searing 190°C second fry sets it deep amber and audibly crisp. Potato starch — not cornstarch or flour — is what keeps that coat crunchy even under the wet gochujang glaze, and finishing the glaze off the heat stops the honey from scorching.

Ingredients

Chicken & coating

• 600 g chicken wings, split
• 80 g potato starch
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tsp fine salt

Yangnyeom glaze

• 3 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Optional garnish

• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Serves 2 · Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min · 680 kcal per serving

Instructions

1. Dry-brine the wings. Pat wings bone-dry, toss with salt and rice wine, rest 10 minutes. Dredge heavily in potato starch, pressing so each piece holds a dry, powdery coat.
2. First fry. Heat neutral oil to 160°C. Fry wings 8 minutes until pale blond and cooked through. Rest 5 minutes on a rack so steam escapes and the crust dehydrates.
3. Second fry. Raise oil to 190°C. Return wings and fry 4 minutes until deep amber and audibly crisp. Drain on a rack, never paper, to protect the shattering crust.
4. Glaze off heat. Warm gochujang, honey, vinegar and sesame oil in a wok until syrupy. Kill the flame, toss wings through the glaze twice and finish with sesame seeds.

Chef’s tip

Potato starch — not cornstarch or flour — gives the signature KFC crust that stays crunchy under wet glaze for 20 minutes minimum.

Get the full Korean Cookbook

Loved this one? It’s a single recipe from a 20-strong collection of Korean classics built the same way — clear ingredients, exact temperatures, no guesswork. Grab the full Korean Cookbook below.