Korean Chicken Wings

While Americans tend to think of fried chicken as a classic American soul food dish, the reality is that people all across the world have been putting their spin on fried bird for quite some time.  From Japanese Karaage to Indian Chicken 65, almost everyone seems to have their preferred spin on this crunchy, salty, and juicy dish.

One of my favorite renditions is Korean fried chicken, which often comes in both a supremely crunchy dry form and a saucy spicy variety.  The sauce has all of the elements that make something truly addictive: it's spicy, sweet, salty, and sticky, and combined with the texture of the wings, pretty much delivers on anything you could ask for out of a food.  The best Korean wings are at a pub called OB Bear in LA's Koreatown, but the recipe below will get you close.

The real revelation with my version of this dish is that you don't actually need to fry the chicken wings for awesomely crispy Korean chicken.  The fat content under the skin of the wings allows them to naturally crisp up in the oven, but I think it's the baking powder that really puts them over the top.  Seriously, I just came back from Buffalo Wild Wings, where they actually fry their chicken, and these oven ones were way crispier.

 Since it's often pretty spicy, Korean fried chicken is most typically served with pickled radish (I used this recipe) and a creamy salad or cole slaw (which you will not see here because mayo is the literal devil).  I think the sauce below is pretty solid, but feel free to use this wing prep recipe as a base to coat with whatever flavors you like.

Korean Baked Chicken Wings
1 lb chicken wings, drummettes and flats separated
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp gochujang
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 green onion, sliced thin
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 400° F. In a mixing bowl, coat chicken wings with oil and baking powder and toss to combine.  Spread wings out on a baking sheet lined with foil, and place in oven.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until skin is crispy and golden-brown.

When chicken is almost done cooking, combine gochujang, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce begins to thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Remove from heat and set aside.

When chicken is crispy, remove from oven and place in bowl.  Drizzle with sauce and toss to coat thoroughly.  Add to plate and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.  Serve immediately.