Korean Yangnyeom Chicken (Double-Fried Sweet and Spicy Wings)
Chicken wings in a light potato starch and egg batter, fried twice for a shatter-crisp crust, then tossed in a glossy sauce of gochujang, ketchup, syrup and garlic and showered with sesame seeds.
Wikipedia says US military presence after the Korean War introduced deep-fried chicken to Korea, that modern fried chicken spread once cooking oil became widely available in the 1970s, and that the first modern franchise, Lims Chicken, opened in Seoul in 1977. The sweet and spicy glaze is credited to Yoon Jong-gye of Daegu, who ran a chicken shop called Gyeseong Tongdak and, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily, created the sauce in 1980 with corn syrup and chili powder; he launched the Mexicana Chicken brand in 1985, which grew to about 1,700 outlets, and he is also credited with chicken-mu, the pickled radish served alongside; he died on December 30, 2025. Wikipedia dates his sauce to 1982, so the year is DISPUTED. KFC itself only opened in South Korea in 1984 (Wikipedia).
Why it works the kitchen science
Fry twice
Maangchi explains that the first fry cooks the chicken through and the second fry crisps the outside, and that double-fried chicken stays crunchy for hours even under sauce.
A starch batter
Potato starch with only a little flour fries up thin, light and glassy rather than bready, and the baking soda helps it brown and bubble.
Step by step
- Step 1
Toss the wings with the starch, flour, salt, pepper, baking soda and egg in a large bowl until every piece is evenly coated.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot to 350°F. Fry the wings in batches without crowding, turning now and then, 10 to 12 minutes per batch, until lightly crisp. Drain on a rack and let the oil come back to 350°F between batches.
- Step 3
While the first round fries, heat the 2 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high and cook the garlic 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, syrup, gochujang and vinegar, lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, about 7 minutes, until bubbling and glossy. Turn off the heat.
- Step 4
Fry the wings a second time at 350°F, in batches, 10 to 12 minutes, until deep golden and very crisp. The thickest drumette should read 165°F.
- Step 5
Drain well, then toss the hot wings in the sauce until coated.
- Step 6
Pile on a platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve right away.
Korean Yangnyeom Chicken (Double-Fried Sweet and Spicy Wings)
Serves 4 (as a main; 10 to 12 as a snack) · about 24 wing pieces · 1 hr 15 min total
Chicken
- 2 lb chicken wings, tips removed, drumettes and flats separated, patted dry
- 1/2 cup potato starch or cornstarch
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- Corn or vegetable oil, about 4 inches deep, for frying
Sauce
- 2 tsp corn or vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup rice syrup or light corn syrup (or sugar)
- 1/4 cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
- 2 tsp white or cider vinegar
To finish
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Method
- Toss the wings with the starch, flour, salt, pepper, baking soda and egg in a large bowl until every piece is evenly coated.
- Heat the oil in a deep, heavy pot to 350°F. Fry the wings in batches without crowding, turning now and then, 10 to 12 minutes per batch, until lightly crisp. Drain on a rack and let the oil come back to 350°F between batches.
- While the first round fries, heat the 2 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high and cook the garlic 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, syrup, gochujang and vinegar, lower the heat and simmer, stirring often, about 7 minutes, until bubbling and glossy. Turn off the heat.
- Fry the wings a second time at 350°F, in batches, 10 to 12 minutes, until deep golden and very crisp. The thickest drumette should read 165°F.
- Drain well, then toss the hot wings in the sauce until coated.
- Pile on a platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve right away.
Adapted from Maangchi's yangnyeom-tongdak in "Maangchi's Real Korean Cooking" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015), as published by WNYC on July 13, 2015, as written (4 main-course servings). Maangchi's current web version, which she says tweaks the flour and uses two eggs, is at Maangchi (it refused our direct request). The 165°F check is from USDA FSIS. wnyc.org. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (4)
Tips
- Serve with cubes of pickled radish (chicken-mu) and cold beer, the pairing Koreans call chimaek (Wikipedia).
- For a plain "huraideu" (fried) chicken, skip the sauce and serve the double-fried wings with salt.
- Gochujang brands vary in heat and sweetness; taste the sauce and add a spoonful of syrup or vinegar to balance.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Yoon Jong-gye invented yangnyeom chicken. Disputed: the Korea JoongAng Daily and Wikipedia credit him; other Korean chains, including Pelicana, have claimed similar sauces (search summaries only, not verified).
- The year. Disputed: 1980 (Korea JoongAng Daily; also The Korea Herald, via search summary) vs 1982 (Wikipedia).
- Korean fried chicken is always double fried. Folklore: Maangchi calls the second fry necessary for her version; it is a technique, not a law.
- It is eaten with pickled radish and beer. Documented (Korea JoongAng Daily on chicken-mu; Wikipedia on chimaek).
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