Yangnyeom chicken
양념치킨
Twice-fried Korean chicken in a sticky sweet-chilli glaze — the reason 'chimaek' became a word.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: 양념치킨.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Medium heat
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Yangnyeom chicken is fried twice so the crust stays shatter-crisp under a glossy gochujang glaze. The meat should stay juicy. The sauce should be sticky, not soup. This is restaurant food you can do in a home pot if you respect oil temperature and you do not crowd the pan.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Chicken, wings or small thigh pieces900 g
- Potato or corn starch, potato starch preferred120 g
- Salt4.9 ml
- Black pepper2½ ml
- Sesame seeds4.9 ml
- Neutral oil, for frying1 l
Sauce
- Garlic, minced4 clove
- Ginger, grated4.9 ml
- Gochujang44 ml
- Gochugaru4.9 ml
- Soy sauce30 ml
- Honey30 ml
- Sugar15 ml
- Korean rice wine (optional)15 ml
- Toasted sesame oil4.9 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Pat chicken very dry. Toss with salt, pepper and half the starch. Rest 10 minutes, then dust with the remaining starch so every piece is matte-white.
12 minStep 2
Heat oil to 160°C. Fry in batches 6–8 minutes until cooked through but still pale. Drain on a rack.
16 minWatch: Do not crowd. Wet steam is the enemy of crust.
Step 3
Raise oil to 180°C. Fry again 2–3 minutes until deep gold and loud-crisp. Drain.
8 minStep 4
In a small pan, warm garlic, ginger, gochujang, gochugaru, soy, honey, sugar and rice wine until bubbling and glossy, 2 minutes. Stir in sesame oil.
3 minStep 5
Toss chicken in the sauce just to coat — do not drown it. Sesame seeds. Eat immediately.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Potato starch → Cornflour
Slightly less shatter, still crisp.
Honey → Rice syrup
Closer to many shop glazes.
Tips
- A wire rack beats paper towels. Paper steams the crust.
- If you only fry once, the glaze will soften the coating in minutes.
History & culture
Korean fried chicken is a post-war, post-American-flour story that became its own craft. Yangnyeom is the sauced half of the menu; hunyaseu (plain salted) is the other. Beer on the side is cultural, not mandatory in a recipe.
The double-fry and thin starch crust distinguish it from many American fried chickens. Chains exported the idea; home cooks can still make a tray that tastes like a place.
Modern adaptation — Potato starch beats wheat flour for the brittle crust. Wings or chopped whole chicken both work.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: adiosmary via Openverse (cc0 1.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65070208
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Yangnyeom chicken take?
1 hr all in — 25 min prep, 35 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 3 trays. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
Medium heat.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Soy, Wheat, Sesame. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Tongs, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.
How much gochujang?
3 tbsp of Gochujang.
How much gochugaru?
1 tsp of Gochugaru.
How much soy sauce?
2 tbsp of Soy sauce.
How much honey?
2 tbsp of Honey.
How much sugar?
1 tbsp of Sugar.
How much toasted sesame oil?
1 tsp of Toasted sesame oil.
What can I use instead?
Potato starch → Cornflour. Slightly less shatter, still crisp. Honey → Rice syrup. Closer to many shop glazes.
What should I watch for?
Do not crowd. Wet steam is the enemy of crust.
Any tips from this recipe?
A wire rack beats paper towels. Paper steams the crust. If you only fry once, the glaze will soften the coating in minutes.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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