Yangnyeom Tongdak

About This Recipe

Yangnyeom Tongdak is the sweet-spicy half of Korean fried chicken — twice-fried chicken pieces tossed in a glossy, fiery-sweet glaze of gochujang, garlic, honey, and soy. The double-frying creates an impossibly crackly skin that stays crisp even after saucing. Often served alongside cubed pickled radish (chicken-mu) and beer.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgchicken wings or drumettes
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspwhite pepper
• 1 tbsprice wine (mirin)
• 1 cuppotato starch
• 1/2 cupall-purpose flour
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 3/4 cupice cold water
• neutral oil for deep frying
• 3 tbspgochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 2 tbspketchup
• 3 tbsphoney
• 2 tbsprice vinegar
• 2 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbspbrown sugar
• 5 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 tspfresh ginger, grated
• 1 tspsesame oil
• 1 tbsptoasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate chicken

   Toss chicken with salt, white pepper, and rice wine. Let sit 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Make batter

   Whisk potato starch, flour, baking powder, and ice water until just combined. Lumps are OK.

3. 3

   Make sauce

   Combine gochujang, ketchup, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger. Heat in saucepan until bubbling and glossy, 3 minutes.

4. 4

   First fry

   Heat oil to 160°C. Dip chicken in batter, fry 8 minutes until light golden. Drain.

5. 5

   Second fry

   Increase oil to 180°C. Fry chicken 4-5 more minutes until deep golden and shatteringly crisp. Drain.

6. 6

   Glaze

   Toss hot chicken in warm sauce until well coated.

7. 7

   Serve

   Drizzle with sesame oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately with pickled radish.

Variations

• •

  Soy-Garlic version: replace gochujang sauce with soy, garlic, honey glaze.

• •

  Half-and-half: half plain crispy, half saucy.

Storage

Best fresh. Reheat in air fryer at 180°C for 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions