Korean Chicken Sandwich

This will become your favorite Chicken Sandwich! It has all the feels! Crispy tender buttermilk chicken, that’s lathered up with a spicy, sweet sauce. Topped with a fresh slaw and homemade pickles!  Yum!

Korean Chicken Sandwich

I think Korean inspired flavors are my favorite food palate, right now! I love the spicy you get from the gochujang paste, and the sweet from the honey. Plus, we have perfected the crunch on the fried chicken! 

I haven’t even started on the slaw and the pickles! The crunch from the cabbage and carrots, take it to another level of yumminess! Just remember to have plenty of napkins on hand. It gets a little messy. That’s good, right?

WHAT IS KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN

Korean fried chicken, usually called chikin (치킨, from the English word ‘chicken’) in Korea, refers to a variety of fried chicken dishes created in South Korea. These include the basic huraideu-chicken (후라이드 치킨, from the English words ‘fried chicken’) and the spicy yangnyeom chicken (양념 치킨, ‘seasoned chicken’).^[1] In South Korea, fried chicken is consumed as a meal, an appetizer, anju (food that is served and eaten with drinks), or as an after-meal snack.^[2]

Korean fried chicken was described by Julia Moskin of The New York Times as having a “thin, crackly and almost transparent crust”.^[2] The chicken is usually seasoned with spices, sugar, and salt, prior to and after being fried. Korean fried chicken restaurants commonly use small or medium-sized chickens; these younger chickens result in more tender meat. After frying, the chicken is usually hand-painted with sauce using a brush in order to evenly coat the chicken with a thin layer.

Korean Chicken Sandwich

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is different about Korean fried chicken?

So what makes Korean fried chicken so different from it’s American counterpart? While its American cousin is usually brined and dredged in a flour and buttermilk mixture, Korean fried chicken tends to be more light and crispier.

What is the secret of Korean fried chicken?

 The correct ratio of cornstarch, rice flour, and all purpose flour in the batter makes for perfectly thin, crispy, tender, and golden-brown skin.

What is Korean chicken sauce made of?

The spicy gochujang sauce is made using a mixture of gochujang paste, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and ginger that’s been bubbled together until sticky and syrupy. Then we fry the chicken until golden and crispy.

Korean Chicken Sandwich

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Ingredients

• Korean Fried Chicken
• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons gochujang
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons salt
• canola oil for frying
• 4 Kaiser burger buns toasted with butter
• Korean Chicken Sauce
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1/3 cup hot water
• Slaw
• ½ large green cabbage sliced
• ½ large purple cabbage sliced
• ½ carrot optional
• 3 stalks green onions
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoon Korean red pepper powder
• ½ tablespoon sesame oil
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Quick Pickles
• 2 Persian cucumbers sliced
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons gochujang
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

1. For the fried chicken: Using a flat meat tenderizer, gently pound the fatter part of the chicken out so that the thighs is uniform thickness. Cut the chicken in half. Repeat with the other breast. Whisk together the buttermilk, gochujang and ginger together and pour the mixture into a gallon Ziploc bag with the chicken. Marinate for 2-8 hours.

2. In a shallow pan, add the flour, rice flour, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and salt. Mix the ingredients together well. After the chicken is done marinating, transfer the chicken pieces to the flour, allowing any excess buttermilk to drain off. Coat all the chicken pieces in flour really well. Let sit, for 5 minutes, so the chicken pieces can absorb the flour mixture.

3. Heat at least 2-3" of canola oil in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 360 degrees F. Gently lower 2 pieces of chicken into the oil and fry for about 7 minutes, flipping once, until deeply golden brown and a probe thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Transfer chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the other chicken pieces. While the chicken is still warm, drizzle or brush the sauce liberally all over the chicken.

4. For the sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a nonstick skillet and simmer until thickened slightly to the consistency of a glaze. Set aside.

5. Prepare the slaw: Combine all the ingredients, cover, and chill until ready to use. Can be made 1 day in advance.

6. For the pickles: Combine all the ingredients, cover, and chill until ready to use, Can be made 1 day in advance.

7. To assemble: Lay slaw on the bottom bun of a toasted brioche burger bun. Top with chicken and pickles and top bun. Serve immediately.

Did you try our Korean Chicken Sandwich? What did you think? We would love to hear from you! Please leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram!

KOREAN INSPIRED RECIPES

Are you looking something that will spice up your dinner line up? This is it! It’s so full of flavor that it will be sticking around from now on.

Crispy coated buttermilk fried chicken smothered in a spicy Korean-inspired gochujang sauce.
The sauce is so rich, full of flavor and an interesting mix of spices that it comes together in a perfect way.

The flavors of Korean BBQ and is on your dinner table in less than 30 min from start to finish! Seriously. It doesn’t get any easier than this!

Who says Korean flavors and hot dogs don’t go together! A flavor packed delight packed into one bun!

Move over your momma’s meatloaf recipe, there’s a new girl in town! This meatloaf is sweet and spicy and so satisfying!