Korean (buttermilk) fried chicken sandwiches

TIME3 hours MAKES4 servings PORTION
0.5x 1x 2x 3x

This recipe is a fusion between the a Nashville hot chicken sandwich (taking the classic buttermilk brine) and Korean fried chicken — more specifically yangnyeom-chikin, with its potato starch coating and spicy gochujang glaze. Unlike the flour used in Nashville hot chicken, the potato starch results in an incredibly crispy exterior that remains crispy under the glaze.1

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs
  • 4 brioche buns
  • Potato starch
  • Oil (canola or peanut)

Marinade

  • 250ml buttermilk
  • 1 inch ginger (grated)
  • 4 garlic cloves (grated)
  • 2 spring onions (diced)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sake or korean rice wine
  • 2 tbsp gochujang

Coleslaw

  • 1/2 cabbage (thinly sliced)
  • 90g Kewpie mayo
  • 2 spring onions (finely diced)
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or 1 lemon, juiced)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Gochujang glaze

  • 85g gochujang
  • 45g ketchup
  • 35g mirin
  • 25g dark soy sauce
  • 45g honey
  • 15g light brown sugar
  • 20g rice vinegar
  • 4 cloves garlic (finely grated)

STEPS

  1. Mix the marinade ingredients together, and add the chicken thighs. Marinade for at least 6 hours or overnight.

  2. In a small bowl whisk together the gochujang, ketchup, mirin, soy sauce, honey, and sugar. Pour into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer, while stirring occasionally. Continue to simmer until the sugar has melted and the sauce reduces slightly, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the grated garlic and rice vinegar and set aside until the chicken is fried.

  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and salt. Add the chicken thighs, toss to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour but ideally overnight.

  4. Fill a heavy bottomed pot just over halfway with oil. Heat to 165ºC. Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack and place that next to the hot oil.

  5. Drizzle about 1 tbsp of the buttermilk marinade into the starch mixture and briefly mix with a fork.

  6. Add the marinated chicken to the potato starch and press until the chicken is completely coated on all sides. Fry 2 pieces of chicken at a time, for 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally until lightly browned. Remove the chicken and place on a wire rack to drain.2

  7. Increase the oil temperature to 190ºC, and fry for a further 2-3 minutes until chicken is golden brown, crispy and cooked to an internal temperature of 73ºC. Remove to the prepared baking sheet.

  8. Add the fried chicken to a large bowl and toss to coat with the gochujang sauce.

  9. Add the coleslaw to the bottom buns. Top with the fried chicken and the top bun. Serve immediately.

NOTES

  1. Rather than a buttermilk brine, typically korean fried chicken is marinated in a simple marinade of grated ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, and a splash of rice wine. ↩︎
  2. While KFC is typically double fried, you can in a pinch get away with a single fry at 175ºC for 6-8 minutes until cooked through. ↩︎

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