Korean Popcorn Chicken

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Boneless chicken, cut into 2.5 cm pieces (The transcript specifies that chicken thighs are used.)
• 4 tbsp Soy sauce (Used to season the chicken and prepare the sauce.)
• 1 Egg (Large egg.)
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 0.25 tsp Black pepper
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 0.5 cup Potato starch (Cornstarch can be used, but potato starch gives a crispier texture.)
• 0.25 cup Gochujang
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• 5 Fresh garlic (Grated for the sauce.)
• 1 tbsp Butter (Added at the end to make the sauce glossy.)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the chicken pieces in a bowl. Add the soy sauce, egg, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder, then mix thoroughly to coat the chicken.

2. 2

   Add the potato starch and mix until each piece of chicken is well coated.

3. 3

   Cook the chicken in an air fryer preheated to 400 °F (about 200 °C) for 20 minutes. Shake the basket halfway through cooking.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing the gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, and grated garlic.

5. 5

   Simmer the sauce for a few minutes, until it is hot and slightly thickened.

6. 6

   Add the butter and continue cooking until the sauce becomes glossy.

7. 7

   Add the cooked chicken to the sauce and mix thoroughly to coat all the pieces before serving.

Notes

The source does not specify how much soy sauce should be reserved for the sauce or the exact simmering time. It only indicates that the sauce should simmer for a few minutes. The chicken is cooked in an air fryer rather than deep-fried.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• chicken
• Korean cuisine
• air fryer
• crispy
• spicy
• sweet and savory