Having traveled to Korea multiple times and living in California for most of my life, I have been lucky enough to partake in KFC… “Oh, the Colonel” you say. No, not that KFC, although I have had that more times than I should admit. Even tried that double-down monstrosity. No, I mean Korean Fried Chicken. Whether having it in Korea or having it at Bon Chon (I’ve visited locations in Boston, California, and now even Orlando!).

KFC – So What?

“So what?” you grumble at me. Well, I”ll tell you “what”! Korean Fried Chicken is the most transcendent chicken experience you can have. The chicken is moist and the skin is thin, crispy, and intensely flavorful. I’d say the crispness is akin to having enveloped a chicken leg in a potato chip. And so long as you don’t let it steam itself, it will stay crispy for quite some time.

I’ve Got a Secret!

So what’s the secret? The main thing is the double frying. I’m guessing it’s something that may have originated with being able to precook batches of chicken before being ordered. The first fry cooks it at a normal temperature returning edible, tan chicken. The second, hotter further crisps the skin without further cooking the chicken inside.

And as usual I’ve scoured the internets for the perfect recipe (serious eats among others), trying multiple styles and not finding just the right one, ultimately making a combination of recipes into one final recipe

Gettin’ Sauced

Generally when you order Korean Fried Chicken, you have a choice of Soy-Garlic flavored, or spicy. Or both. Get both. And order all of them. You’ll be surprised how many chicken legs you can eat in one sitting!

Oh and you see the humanoid chicken up there? He recommends you have a drink with your KFC. Either Soju like our friend there (I prefer Bek Seju), or a light beer. Chimaek is a popular combo in Korea Chi (Chicken) and Maek (Maekju/Beer).