Sweet Crispy Fried Chicken (Dakgangjeong)
Bite-sized chicken is double-fried until crackly, then tossed in a sticky, garlicky gochujang glaze that clings to every piece without softening the crust. A Korean market favourite, perfect with cold beer.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Marinate the chicken
In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with salt, black pepper, rice wine, grated ginger and grated garlic. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature so the flavour goes into the meat and the alcohol tames any gamey smell.
- 600 g chicken thigh
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
✅ Done when: the chicken smells fragrant and feels slightly tacky, not wet
Coat and first-fry
Toss the marinated chicken in potato starch, shaking off the excess, and let it rest for 2–3 minutes so the starch sticks properly instead of falling off in the oil. Heat the oil to 160°C (320°F) and fry the chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until just pale golden and cooked through. This first, gentler fry cooks the meat all the way without burning the coating.
- 120 g potato starch
- 500 ml vegetable oil (first fry)
✅ Done when: the pieces look pale gold and float, and the thickest piece shows no pink when cut
Second-fry for crispness
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Make the glaze
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Toss the chicken in glaze
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Garnish and serve
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Marinate the chicken
In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with salt, black pepper, rice wine, grated ginger and grated garlic. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature so the flavour goes into the meat and the alcohol tames any gamey smell.
- 600 g chicken thigh
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
✅ Done when: the chicken smells fragrant and feels slightly tacky, not wet
Coat and first-fry
Toss the marinated chicken in potato starch, shaking off the excess, and let it rest for 2–3 minutes so the starch sticks properly instead of falling off in the oil. Heat the oil to 160°C (320°F) and fry the chicken in batches for 5–6 minutes, turning occasionally, until just pale golden and cooked through. This first, gentler fry cooks the meat all the way without burning the coating.
- 120 g potato starch
- 500 ml vegetable oil (first fry)
✅ Done when: the pieces look pale gold and float, and the thickest piece shows no pink when cut
Second-fry for crispness
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Make the glaze
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Toss the chicken in glaze
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Garnish and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Dakgangjeong borrows its name from gangjeong, a traditional Korean confection of puffed rice or grain held together with a glossy syrup. Over time, cooks applied the same idea to deep-fried chicken, coating crisp bite-sized pieces in a sticky, garlicky gochujang glaze. The dish is closely tied to Korea's lively market food culture, especially the stalls of Sinpo Market in Busan, where vendors became known for frying chicken in big batches and tossing it fresh in the glaze for customers.
As Korean fried chicken grew into a national obsession and then a global export, dakgangjeong moved from market stalls into restaurants, home kitchens and lunchboxes everywhere, prized because its double-fried crust stays crisp even after the sauce goes on, and even after it cools.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It's the fried chicken Koreans reach for when they want something sweet, spicy and crackling crisp, a dish that holds its crunch under a glossy sauce instead of turning soggy.
💡 Fun Fact
The word gangjeong originally described a sweet rice confection, not fried chicken at all; the name carried over because both dishes share that same sticky, glossy, syrup-coated finish.
Busan, South Korea
35.18°N, 129.08°E
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