Korean Soy Garlic Wings (Double Fried)
Wings dusted in cornstarch, dipped in a thin, crackly batter and fried twice, then brushed with a glossy glaze of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar and honey: Korean fried chicken that isn't red.
Korea has two great fried chicken sauces. The sweet red one, yangnyeom, has its own page in our fried chicken hub. The brown one, soy and garlic, is tied to Kyochon. The Korea JoongAng Daily reports that Kwon Won-gang, now chairman of Kyochon F&B, opened "Kyochon Tongdak" in Songjeong-dong, in the city of Gumi, in March 1991, and that the first shop is still running (February 22, 2024:). Wikipedia also dates Kyochon to 1991 under Kwon. A 2010 Saveur article, which we know only from search summaries, says Kwon added his own garlic-soy dressing to double-fried wings and drumsticks in that small Gumi shop. The chain is known for brushing its sauce onto each piece by hand rather than tossing it, a technique a Korean news report says visitors learn at its workshops (search summary only).
📖 Origin story: What Is Mumbo Sauce? D.C.'s Carryout Sauce, Born in Chicago →
Why it works the kitchen science
Two fries, two coats
The cornstarch dredge dries the skin and the thin batter puffs into a crackly shell on the first fry; the hotter second fry finishes the meat and makes the shell glassy.
Brush, don't toss
Painting on the glaze piece by piece puts a thin, even coat on the crust, so it stays crunchy instead of sitting in a puddle of sauce.
Step by step
- Step 1
Toss the wings with the salt and pepper. Whisk the 1/2 cup cornstarch with 1/4 tsp baking powder, dredge the wings, shake off the excess and set them on a rack over a baking sheet, uncovered, for 30 minutes so the coating sets.
- Step 2
Make the glaze: heat the 2 tbsp oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic and ginger, stirring, about 2 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, gochujang and sesame oil, simmer 6 to 8 minutes until slightly thickened, and set aside.
- Step 3
Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat to 350°F. Meanwhile whisk the flour, 1/3 cup cornstarch, remaining baking powder and salt, then the vodka and cold water, into a smooth, very thin batter like half-and-half; add water a tablespoon at a time if needed.
- Step 4
First fry: dip half the wings in the batter, let the excess drip off, and hold each one halfway into the oil for 1 to 2 seconds before letting go. Fry about 6 minutes, holding the oil between 300°F and 325°F, until the coating is crisp but not browned. Drain on a rack; they are not cooked through yet. Bring the oil back to 350°F and repeat with the rest.
- Step 5
Second fry: heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the wings again in two batches 4 to 6 minutes, holding the oil near 350°F, until deep golden and very crisp and the thickest drumette reads 165°F.
- Step 6
Move the wings to a clean rack, brush every piece all over with the glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
Korean Soy Garlic Wings (Double Fried)
Serves 4 (as a main; 6 to 8 as a snack) · about 24 wing pieces and about 2/3 cup glaze · 1 hr 15 min total
Wings and dredge
- 3 lb chicken wings, split, tips removed
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
Soy garlic glaze
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp gochujang or another Asian chili sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Batter and frying
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1/3 cup cold water, plus more as needed
- Vegetable oil, 2 to 3 inches deep (about 10 cups), for frying
To finish
- Toasted sesame seeds
Method
- Toss the wings with the salt and pepper. Whisk the 1/2 cup cornstarch with 1/4 tsp baking powder, dredge the wings, shake off the excess and set them on a rack over a baking sheet, uncovered, for 30 minutes so the coating sets.
- Make the glaze: heat the 2 tbsp oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic and ginger, stirring, about 2 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, vinegar, gochujang and sesame oil, simmer 6 to 8 minutes until slightly thickened, and set aside.
- Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat to 350°F. Meanwhile whisk the flour, 1/3 cup cornstarch, remaining baking powder and salt, then the vodka and cold water, into a smooth, very thin batter like half-and-half; add water a tablespoon at a time if needed.
- First fry: dip half the wings in the batter, let the excess drip off, and hold each one halfway into the oil for 1 to 2 seconds before letting go. Fry about 6 minutes, holding the oil between 300°F and 325°F, until the coating is crisp but not browned. Drain on a rack; they are not cooked through yet. Bring the oil back to 350°F and repeat with the rest.
- Second fry: heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the wings again in two batches 4 to 6 minutes, holding the oil near 350°F, until deep golden and very crisp and the thickest drumette reads 165°F.
- Move the wings to a clean rack, brush every piece all over with the glaze, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
Adapted from Food Network Kitchen, "Korean Fried Chicken with Soy-Garlic Glaze", as written with split wings (Food Network says 4 to 6; we call it 4). Food Network brushes the glaze on, as Kyochon is known to do. The 165°F check is from USDA FSIS. Kyochon's sauce is secret; this is a home version, not theirs. Food Network. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Make the glaze first; it needs to cool slightly and thicken while you fry.
- Gochujang or gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) both work for the light heat (Food Network).
- Pickled radish cubes and cold beer are the classic Korean sides (see the yangnyeom recipe in our fried chicken hub).
- The vodka cooks off; you can use all cold water, but the batter may be a little less crisp.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Kyochon invented soy garlic chicken. Disputed: Saveur credits Kwon Won-gang's garlic-soy dressing (search summary only), but we found no record showing nobody did it first.
- Kyochon opened in Gumi in March 1991. Documented (Korea JoongAng Daily, 2024; Wikipedia gives 1991).
- Every piece is brushed by hand. Folklore: the brand is known for it and a news report on its workshops says so (search summary only); we did not see it ourselves.
- The founder sold his taxi license to open the shop. Folklore: one travel site says so; not confirmed elsewhere.
- Korean fried chicken is always double fried. Folklore: a common technique, not a rule.
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