Crispy Sweet and Sour Korean Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 0.25 cup milk
• salt for the marinade (To taste)
• black pepper for the marinade (To taste)
• 1 tsp paprika (For the marinade)
• 1 kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Cut into pieces; preferred because they remain juicier)
• 1.5 cup all-purpose flour (For coating the chicken)
• 0.5 cup cornstarch (To mix with the flour)
• salt for the coating (To taste)
• black pepper for the coating (To taste)
• 1 L vegetable oil for frying (Approximate amount; not all the oil will be absorbed)
• 0.5 cup water (For the sauce)
• 0.5 cup sugar (For the sweet-and-sour sauce)
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp chili paste (Adjust to taste according to the desired level of heat)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Steps

1. 1

   Cut the boneless, skinless chicken thighs into evenly sized pieces. Pat them dry with paper towels so the coating adheres better.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk until combined. Add salt, black pepper, and paprika, and mix well.

3. 3

   Add the chicken pieces to the egg mixture. Stir until they are completely coated, and let them rest while you prepare the coating.

4. 4

   In another bowl, combine the all-purpose flour with the cornstarch, salt, and black pepper. Mix until the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.

5. 5

   Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, allowing the excess to drip off, and coat it in the flour and cornstarch mixture. Press lightly so it is well coated, then shake off the excess.

6. 6

   Heat the vegetable oil in a pot or deep skillet to approximately 175 °C. Work in batches so the temperature does not drop too much and the chicken does not become overcrowded.

7. 7

   Fry the chicken until the coating is golden, firm, and crispy, and the center reaches 74 °C; this will take approximately 5 to 7 minutes per batch, depending on the size of the pieces. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.

8. 8

   In a large skillet, add the water and sugar. Add the minced garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, and sesame oil.

9. 9

   Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and let it reduce, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened with an intense aroma and glossy appearance, approximately 5 to 8 minutes.

10. 10

    Add the fried chicken to the skillet with the reduced sauce. Toss gently until each piece is evenly coated while preserving the crispy coating.

11. 11

    Serve immediately while the chicken is still hot and crispy.

Notes

The quantities, reduction time, and frying temperature are estimates, as the transcript does not provide exact measurements. Frying the chicken in batches helps maintain its crispiness. The sauce can be made more or less spicy by adjusting the chili paste.

Nutrition per serving

• main course
• chicken
• fried
• crispy
• sweet and sour
• spicy
• Korean cuisine
• for sharing