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Korea, Asia

Dakgangjeong (Korean Sweet and Crispy Chicken Bites)

Market-style Korean chicken bites: boneless thigh double-fried until shatteringly crisp, tossed in a sweet-spicy soy and gochujang glaze with crushed peanuts.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time50 min
Marinating+ 20 min
DifficultyMedium
About servingsNever leave hot oil unattended and keep wet ingredients away from it. If the oil catches fire, do not use water: cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Cut open the largest piece to check the meat is white with clear juices (75 °C in the centre).

Method

  1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and cut it into 3 cm pieces. Toss with the salt, pepper, a little of the garlic, the ginger and mirin and leave to marinate for .

    Add in this stepBoneless chicken thighs 400 gSalt ½ tspBlack pepper 1 pinchGarlic, minced ¾ tspFresh ginger, minced ½ tspMirin (Korean cooking wine) 2 tsp

  2. Mix the potato starch and flour, then add the cold water a little at a time until you have a thick batter that drips slowly off a spoon. Add the chicken and coat every piece.

    Add in this stepPotato starch 5 tbspPlain flour 2 tbspCold water (for the batter) 5 tbsp

  3. Pour oil 3–4 cm deep into a deep pot 18–24 cm wide (never more than one third full) and heat over medium-high heat to 170 °C. Without a thermometer, drop in a little batter: it should sink halfway and pop straight back up. Add the chicken piece by piece and fry for , until pale golden, then lift onto a rack. Never cover more than half the oil surface. Number of batches: 2.

    Add in this stepNeutral oil, for deep-frying 800 ml

    medium-high heat

  4. Raise the heat to high heat and bring the oil to 180 °C, then fry the chicken again for until deep golden and crisp. The second fry drives out moisture so the coating stays crunchy under the sauce. Number of batches: 2.

    high heat

  5. Put the sauce oil, the rest of the garlic and the dried chillies in a wide 26 cm pan and stir over low heat for until fragrant. Add the soy sauce, gochujang, ketchup, brown sugar, syrup and water and simmer over medium heat for , until large bubbles form and the sauce thickens slightly.

    Add in this stepNeutral oil (for the sauce) 1 tspGarlic, minced 1¾ tspDried red chillies, snipped (optional) 2Soy sauce 1½ tbspGochujang 1 tbspKetchup 2 tbspBrown sugar 1 tbspRice syrup or corn syrup 3 tbspWater (for the sauce) 3 tbsp

    low heat→medium heat

  6. Turn off the heat, add the fried chicken and toss quickly, within 30 seconds. Scatter with peanuts and sesame and serve at once; tossing too long makes the coating soak up the sauce and go soft.

    Add in this stepRoasted peanuts, roughly chopped 30 gToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp

Cook's tip

Thigh meat stays juicy and forgiving, which makes it ideal for beginners. The sauce sets as it cools, so warm it again just before tossing. For children, leave out the gochujang and chillies and add more ketchup. Dakgangjeong is also good cold, which makes it great for lunch boxes.

Cooking it at camp

Deep-frying in a lot of oil at a campsite is risky, so double-fry the chicken at home, let it cool and pack it separately from the sauce. On site, heat the sauce in a pan until bubbling, add the chicken and toss for 1–2 minutes until warmed through.