Yangnyeom Chicken (Korean Fried Chicken)

Crispy, juicy fried chicken in a sticky, sweet, spicy and tangy yangnyeom sauce.

A Note From My Kitchen

Yangnyeom chicken is one of those dishes I could eat every week, and I wanted my version to be as close to the real thing as I could get at home. So I did a little research before I started, and took some inspiration from this recipe by Korean Bapsang.

The result is crispy Korean fried chicken with a thin, crunchy coating, tossed in a sticky yangnyeom sauce with a balance of spicy, sweet and tangy. I’ve kept the spice fairly gentle, so it’s easy to turn up or down to suit you.

What Is Yangnyeom Chicken?

Yangnyeom chicken is a popular Korean fried chicken dish: crispy fried chicken pieces coated in a spicy, sweet and tangy sauce. The sauce is usually made with ingredients like gochujang, honey and garlic. Every yangnyeom sauce recipe is a little different, but those are some of the most common ingredients behind that classic flavor.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Everyday ingredients. You probably have most of them at home already. The one thing you might need to buy is gochujang.
• Easy to customize. Adjust the spices, gochujang and honey to suit your spice level. Add more spices and gochujang for extra heat, or more honey for a sweeter sauce.
• Bold flavor. The yangnyeom sauce is the best part, with deep, complex flavor and a balance of sweet, spicy and tangy.

What Does Yangnyeom Chicken Taste Like?

The chicken is crispy on the outside and juicy inside. The sticky sauce is spicy and tangy from the gochujang, sweet from the honey, and savory from the garlic, ketchup and soy sauce.

Ingredient Notes

The exact measurements are in the recipe card below.

For the Chicken and Coating

• Chicken – I use boneless chicken breast cut into small, bite-sized pieces, because that’s my personal preference. Boneless chicken thighs or chicken wings also work well.
• White vinegar and milk – both help tenderize the chicken while it marinates.
• Spices – garlic powder, red chili powder, black pepper, paprika, cumin seeds and salt season the chicken and the flour coating. Onion powder goes into the coating too.
• All-purpose flour – gives the chicken its crispy crust.
• Cornstarch – I use a mix of flour and cornstarch for extra crispiness. Potato starch also gives a thin, crispy crust, but cornstarch is easier to find.
• Baking powder – a small amount helps make the coating crispier.
• Neutral oil – for frying, use a neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point, such as sunflower, safflower, canola or vegetable oil.

For the Yangnyeom Sauce

• Garlic – fresh minced garlic, cooked in a little neutral oil first for extra flavor.
• Gochujang – I use a small amount. If you need it to be halal, look for a halal-certified gochujang.
• Ketchup – a good sweet base for the sauce, and used in lots of yangnyeom sauce recipes.
• Dark soy sauce – a small amount adds flavor and color.
• Black pepper, garlic powder and red chili powder – for extra depth and a little heat.
• Water – thins the sauce slightly. Use more or less depending on how thick you like it.
• Honey – adjust the amount depending on how sweet you like it.
• Sesame seeds and green onion – to garnish.

Equipment You’ll Need

You’ll need two large bowls (one for marinating the chicken and one for the flour mixture), a deep pan for frying, a wire skimmer, a wire rack and a pan for the sauce.

The wire rack lets any excess oil drip off the fried chicken before it goes into the sauce, which helps it stay crispy.

How to Make Yangnyeom Chicken

The full measurements and condensed method are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

1. Marinate the Chicken

Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to a bowl with the white vinegar, garlic powder, red chili powder, black pepper, salt, paprika and cumin seeds. Add the milk and mix until the chicken is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. Make the Seasoned Flour

While the chicken marinates, mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, red chili powder and onion powder in a second bowl.

3. Coat the Chicken

Add the chicken to the flour mixture, along with any liquid left in the bowl, and mix until every piece is nicely coated.

4. Fry in Batches

Gently add the chicken to the hot oil without overcrowding the pan. As soon as it goes in, lower the heat to medium and fry for about 4–5 minutes. Lift it out with a wire skimmer and let it rest on a wire rack while you fry the next batch.

5. Start the Sauce

Once all the chicken is fried, heat a little oil in a pan. Add the fresh minced garlic and cook it over medium heat until it turns light golden.

6. Add the Gochujang and Seasonings

Add the gochujang and cook it over low heat until lightly fragrant. Turn off the heat, then mix in the ketchup, dark soy sauce, black pepper, garlic powder and red chili powder.

7. Thicken the Sauce and Add the Honey

Add the water and cook over low-medium heat until it’s completely mixed in and the sauce has thickened. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the honey.

8. Toss the Chicken in the Sauce

Add the crispy fried chicken to the sauce and mix until every piece is coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion, and serve.

Tips for the Best Yangnyeom Chicken

• Marinate for as long as you can. Thirty minutes is enough, but a few hours or overnight gives the milk, vinegar and spices more time to tenderize and flavor the chicken, and you’ll notice the difference in the texture.
• Let the chicken come to room temperature before frying. Take it out of the fridge before coating so it cooks evenly, rather than browning on the outside while the middle is still cold. If your kitchen is cold, you can marinate it at room temperature instead.
• Keep the oil at the right temperature. Heat it to about 350°F (175°C) if you have a thermometer, and let it come back up between batches. Without one, dip the handle of a wooden spoon or a chopstick into the oil: a steady stream of small bubbles rising around it means it’s ready, and fast, rushing bubbles mean it’s too hot. You can also drop in a small piece of batter. It should sizzle and float back up straight away. Oil that’s too hot browns the outside before the chicken is cooked through, and oil that’s too cool makes the coating greasy.
• Fry in small batches. Adding too much chicken at once drops the oil temperature, so the coating soaks up oil instead of crisping. Larger pieces also take longer, so keep them a similar size and they’ll cook at the same rate.
• Drain on a wire rack. Lift the chicken out with a wire skimmer and rest it on a wire rack, so the excess oil drips away and the underside doesn’t turn soggy before it goes into the sauce.
• Double-fry for extra crunch. I didn’t for this recipe, but if you want it crispier, fry the chicken once at 320–340°F (160–170°C) to cook it through, then again at 350–375°F (175–190°C) to crisp the crust.
• Toss the chicken while it’s hot. The sauce clings best to hot chicken. Having the sauce ready first is the usual approach, but making it straight after frying works fine as long as you toss the chicken in as soon as the sauce is done.

Make Ahead and Storage

To get ahead, fry the chicken once and store it in the fridge, and keep the sauce in a separate airtight container in the fridge.

When you’re ready to serve, reheat the sauce on the stove, fry the chicken a second time to crisp it up, then toss it in the sauce. If the sauce has thickened, loosen it with a little water.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Yangnyeom Chicken Spicy?

It usually has some heat from the gochujang and spices, but you can control it. Use less gochujang or chili powder, or balance the heat with more honey to keep the flavor while reducing the spice.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of Chicken Breast?

Yes. Boneless chicken thighs are juicier and more tender, with more flavor. Bone-in chicken works too, but it takes longer to cook than boneless pieces, so adjust the frying time.

Can I Make the Yangnyeom Sauce in Advance?

Yes. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, then reheat it in a pan when you’re ready to serve. Thin it out with a little water if needed.

Is Yangnyeom Chicken Halal?

Most of the ingredients are generally considered halal, but gochujang often contains alcohol, so look for a halal-certified gochujang. You can find it online, and I found one at my local Asian grocery store, so it’s worth checking yours too.

What Should I Serve With Yangnyeom Chicken?

For something light, try pickled radish or pickled cucumbers. I also love it with rice as a full meal.

More Korean-Inspired Recipes

For a crispy, cheesy snack with Korean chili heat, try my buldak ramen spring rolls, filled with creamy Samyang ramen and melted cheese.

If you’d like something sweet rather than spicy, my honey butter chicken is tossed in a glossy honey garlic butter glaze.

If you love crispy fried chicken, try my crispy popcorn chicken in bite-size pieces.

If you love crispy fried chicken, wrap it up with my crispy chicken wraps recipe.

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Yangnyeom Chicken (Korean Fried Chicken)

Crispy, juicy Korean fried chicken coated in a sticky yangnyeom sauce that's spicy, sweet and tangy. Made with everyday ingredients, with spice you can easily adjust.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

5.0 from 2 ratings

• 30 minprep
• 20 mincook
• 50 mintotal
• 2-3servings

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ingredients

26 ingredients

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Ingredients are shown at original amounts.

Chicken

• 450g boneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into cubes (around 1 lb)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 60ml whole milk/full fat milk (1/4 cup)
• Oil for frying

Flour mixture

• 70g plain flour/all purpose flour (1/4 cup + 3 tbsps)
• 35g cornstarch (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
• 1/8 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Yangnyeom sauce

• 1.5 tbsps oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 70g ketchup (around 1/3 cup)
• 1 heaped tbsp gochujang
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 45ml water (3 tbsps)
• 10ml honey (2 tsp)

method

19 steps

Chicken

1. In a bowl, add the chicken, as well as the red chilli powder, garlic powder, black pepper and salt.
2. Add milk, then mix all of this together.
3. Cover the bowl, place it in the fridge, and let the chicken soak in the milk mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Flour mixture

1. In a large bowl, add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, red chilli powder and black pepper.
2. Mix all of this together.
3. Once the chicken is ready, remove it from the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
4. Remove the chicken from the milk mixture, shake off any excess wet batter and place it into the flour mix.
5. Mix the chicken into the flour mixture until it is completely coated.
6. Shake off excess flour, then gently add the chicken into hot oil, one by one, making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
7. Fry the chicken at high heat for about 2 minutes, and then at medium-high heat for around 3 minutes (frying time will vary depending on the size of your chicken pieces). fry in batches if necessary.
8. Use a wire skimmer to gently remove the chicken from the hot oil, and let it rest on a wire rack.

Yangnyeom sauce

1. In a pan, heat up 1.5 tbsps of oil.
2. Add the minced garlic, and cook at medium heat for around 40 seconds, stirring as you cook. it should look slightly golden.
3. Add soy sauce, ketchup and gochujang. then, add black pepper, garlic powder, red chilli powder and red chilli flakes. mix everything and cook this for about 1 minute over medium heat.
4. Add water and mix it into the sauce. cook for about 40 seconds over medium heat, or until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken up.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, then add honey and stir that through the sauce.
6. Add the chicken to the pan and toss in the sauce until completely coated, or use a brush to brush the sauce onto individual pieces of chicken.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion.
8. Let's eat!

notes

• Bigger pieces of chicken will take longer to cook through, and so will bone-in chicken, so be sure to adjust cook times to reflect that.
• If you want to double-fry the chicken, fry at a lower temperature for the first fry, then let the chicken rest. then, fry a second time at a higher temperature for a crispy exterior.
• Feel free to adjust amounts of gochujang, honey, ketchup and other spices to suit your taste.
• You can adjust the amount of water depending on how thick/thin you want your sauce.

tools

5 tools

• 2 large bowls - one for marinating the chicken and one for the flour mixture
• deep pan - for frying the chicken
• wire skimmer - use a wire skimmer to drain any excess oil after frying the chicken.
• wire rack - let the fried chicken rest on a wire rack after removing from the oil. this will also remove any excess oil before you add the sweet and spicy yangnyeom sauce.
• pot or pan - for making the yangnyeom sauce