Korean Air Fried Chicken

Korean fried chicken is one of my all time favorite chicken dishes. The gochujang-forward sauce is the perfect balance between sweet, salty, acidic, spicy and umami. I wanted to create a version that was quicker and less messy for weeknighting. The chicken was air fried because nobody wants the mess of frying in batches or discarding all that oil. It’s also more hands free this way so you can focus on the sauce and cucumbers as the chicken cooks. I opted for a cook-free sauce and so I used raw ginger and garlic in smaller amounts since they are a lot more potent that way. The result was a slightly less crispy chicken that absolutely does not skimp on flavor.

Recipe

Serves 2

Quick Cukes

• 2 small cucumbers, sliced
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp gochujaru
• Black pepper to taste

1. Thinly slice cucumbers. Add to a mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients

Korean Air Fried Chicken

• 1/4 c gochujang
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1-inch knob ginger, grated
• 1 chicken breast
• 1 tbsp each onion + garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp each white + black pepper, salt
• 1 c cornstarch

1. Slice chicken breast into 5 equal pieces. Season with spices above and coat with corn starch. Spray lightly with oil, air fry at 400 for 14 minutes, flipping halfway.
2. While the chicken is cooking, combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, mix until homogenous.
3. When the chicken is done, toss in a bowl with desired amounts of sauce.