Korean Chicken is a popular snack and appetizer made of crunchy pieces of poultry that are coated with a sticky, spicy, sweet chili sauce.
This shortcut recipe is so quick and easy to make at home because it uses a bag of frozen crispy chicken strips to save time in the kitchen – no double deep frying needed!
The Best Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) Recipe
Our spicy Korean Chicken recipe is an easier, less messy, semi-homemade meal that skips the step of double deep frying chicken in buttermilk batter and replaces it with pre-breaded, baked chicken tenders.
Bursting with savory, spicy, sweet heat that bathes the chicken, the flavorful Korean chicken sauce simply simmers on the stove as the chicken cooks in the oven, then it smothers each strip with a sticky coating.
The sticky Korean fried chicken sauce is the perfect blend of spicy and savory with a hint of sweetness from honey and brown sugar, but my favorite flavor profile comes from the gochujang (Korean chili sauce) because it’s filled with a bold, complex taste in just one ingredient.
Better than Korean BBQ take out, and easier to make than most fried Korean chicken recipes, this Korean spicy chicken dish is deliciously addictive!
Why We Love Korean Chicken
- Quick and easy with a simple shortcut.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients with easy-to-find swaps.
- Crispy and crunchy crust coated in a homemade sweet and spicy sauce.
- You can cook Korean Chicken on the grill, in the oven, or on the stovetop.
- Kick from the gochujang makes the sauce super flavorful.
- A delicious dish that’s perfect for an appetizer or game day snack or served as the main meal with steamed rice or slaw on the side.
Korean Chicken Ingredients
- Frozen crispy chicken strips: I used Perdue brand but feel free to use your favorite.
- Honey
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Grated ginger
- Minced garlic
- Vegetable oil
- Korean chili paste (GOCHUJANG)
- Chili powder (also known as Gochugaru)
- Sesame oil
- Sesame seeds and sliced green onions (optional garnish)
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Chicken: While I used pre-breaded chicken strips for this recipe for ease and convenience, you can bread and fry your own chicken pieces using boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces, chicken thighs, chicken tenders, or chicken wings. Frozen chicken nuggets will also work with this recipe.
- Serving Suggestions: Garnish your chicken with a sprinkling of sesame seeds or sliced scallions. Or stuff them in a soft bun and serve your sandwich with some slaw or french fries.
Recommended Tools
- Baking sheet
- Saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Tongs
How to Make Korean Chicken
- Bake: Bake the chicken strips according to the package directions.
- Make The Sauce: Combine the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger, minced garlic, vegetable oil, Korean chili paste (GOCHUJANG), chili powder, and sesame oil and bring the sauce to a boil. Simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, stirring often to keep it from burning.
- Coat The Chicken: Pour the sauce over the baked chicken and toss to coat.
- Serve: Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and pour the remaining sauce on top. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if desired. Serve and enjoy!
How To Make Non-breaded Korean Chicken
If you want a non-breaded version of Korean chicken, you can grill 1½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets or thighs, then coat them with the cooked sauce.
You will want to salt and pepper your chicken lightly, then grill it until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and you have some nice grill marks. The time it takes will depend on the thickness of your pieces of chicken (roughly 7-9 minutes per side for a boneless-skinless chicken breast cutlet).
Alternatively, you can bake the chicken at 400°F for 20 minutes. Coat the chicken with the sticky Korean sauce and return it to the oven for an additional 5-7 minutes to finish cooking.
Tips For Making Korean Chicken
- This Korean chicken is best served immediately.
- If you cannot find Korean chili powder (also known as Gochugaru), you can use a standard chili powder.
- If you cannot find the Korean chili paste (GOCHUJANG), you can substitute a Thai version of chili garlic sauce (this is a little sweeter and less spicy than the Korean version).
- The GOCHUJANG is very spicy. I only use 1 tablespoon so that I can please the more sensitive-to-spice people in my family. You can start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you like things much spicier. I find that the recipe (as written) is a nice balance of sweetness and heat.
How to Store Korean Chicken
- To Store: This Korean chicken will only keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator before the sauce makes the breading too soft and unpleasant.
- To Reheat: To reheat Korean chicken, place the chicken strips on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and heat at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
More Easy Asian Inspired Recipes
What to Serve with Korean Chicken
Korean Chicken
Ingredients
- 26 ounce bag of frozen crispy chicken strips Perdue brand
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon Korean chili paste GOCHUJANG
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- Optional garnish- sesame seeds and sliced green onions
Instructions
- Bake the crispy chicken strips according to the package directions (Perdue brand was 425°F for 16-18 minutes) on a large baking sheet.
- While your chicken strips are baking, you will make your sauce. To a medium saucepan, on medium-high heat, add the honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, grated ginger, minced garlic, vegetable oil, Korean chili paste (GOCHUJANG), chili powder, and sesame oil.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-6 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Be sure to stir your sauce often to keep it from burning.
- Once your chicken strips have baked according to package directions, add them to a large bowl and pour the sauce over the chicken.
- Using tongs, gently toss the chicken strips to coat them completely with the sauce. Be careful not to remove the chicken breading when tossing them in the sauce.
- Transfer the sauce-coated chicken strips to a serving plate and pour the remaining sauce from the bowl over the top of the chicken. You can garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions if desired.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: This Korean chicken will only keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator before the sauce makes the breading too soft and unpleasant.
- To Reheat: To reheat Korean chicken, place the chicken strips on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and heat at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
- This Korean chicken is best served immediately.
- If you cannot find Korean chili powder (also known as Gochugaru), you can use a standard chili powder.
- If you cannot find the Korean chili paste (GOCHUJANG), you can substitute a Thai version of chili garlic sauce (this is a little sweeter and less spicy than the Korean version).
- The GOCHUJANG is very spicy. I only use 1 tablespoon so that I can please the more sensitive-to-spice people in my family. You can start with 1 tablespoon and add more if you like things much spicier. I find that the recipe (as written) is a nice balance of sweetness and heat.
