Easy Korean Style Fried Chicken Burgers

I sometimes find the thought of deep fat frying a daunting one, but as with most things practise makes perfect and there’s no reason to be afraid. In fact, you don’t even need that much practice to be perfect, you just need the right thermometer, a good steady pan and some self-belief.

There’s something so wonderful about the sensation of biting down on a crunchy piece of fried chicken. Nothing beats it. The feeling of breaking through the crunchy exterior to reach the succulent chicken in the middle is almost addictive which is why I can’t resist ordering it when it’s on a menu. Here I’ve tried to imitate the Korean style fried chicken that I absolutely love. I find it pretty hard to go to Bone Daddies in Soho without ordering their iconic wings. I dream of going to South Korea one day on a foodie adventure to try all their amazing dishes and hopefully learn a bit more about how to recreate them at home. Until then i’ll have to daydream about it and keep making these amazing chicken burgers.  

This chicken is marinated in buttermilk and sriracha. My husband is scared of spice and he doesn’t find these too hot so don’t let the marinate put you off. There’s also a whole bunch of Korean red pepper flakes in the coating which you shouldn’t be afraid of either - they have a milder flavour than the standard crushed chilli flakes you buy in the supermarket. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if you didn’t have these flakes for the flour coating,  but if you want to get some, I bought a big jar of them from Sous Chef and they’re still going strong in my cupboard. 

I usually don’t have buttermilk in the house so make my own by mixing a cup of whole milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice – give the two ingredients a good stir together and you’ll notice them start to separate. This mild acidity helps to tenderize the chicken without making it tough which is why it’s so juicy and tender when you bite into it. If you have time, marinate it overnight, great! Otherwise, a couple of hours is good too.  

INGREDIENTS

Serves: 2 and can be very happily scaled up or down

Time: 20 minutes + marinating

Skill: Medium

Equipment: Thermometer

 To begin: 

2 Chicken thighs

1 tbsp Sriracha

300ml Buttermilk 

OR

280ml Whole milk

1 tbsp Lemon juice

For the coating:

50g Cornflour 

50g Flour 

1 tbs Gochugaru (I buy this one)

Generous pinch of salt

½ tsp black pepper

2 Litres of oil for frying

For the sauce:

2 tbsp Gochujang paste (I get this one)

1 tbsp Brown sugar

1 tbs Vinegar (I used apple cider)

1 tbs Soy sauce 

1 tbs Sesame oil 

1 tbs Honey

Optional extra: chilli flakes if you want it extra spicy 

For the slaw:

1 Spring onion, finely sliced

1 small carrot, peeled into ribbons

50g approx Red cabbage

1 tbsp Mayonnaise 

Juice of half a lime 

To serve:

2 Burger buns, I love brioche buns for these!

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

METHOD

1. Make the marinade by combining your buttermilk or milk and lemon mixture with the sriracha and mix it well. Add in the chicken and ensure it’s covered by the buttermilk then cover and refrigerate overnight, or for as long as you have. 

2. To make the slaw simply place all of the ingredients in a bowl and give toss it all together so the veggies are coated in the mayo and lime juice. 
   Combine all of the ingredients for the coating together in a wide bowl or on a plate and then drizzle over 2 tbs of the buttermilk mixture. This will create little lumps that will get stuck to the chicken and help create extra-crispy bits! Take the chicken out of the marinade and give it a gentle shake to remove any excess then coat thoroughly in the flour. 

3. Heat the oil in a large pan until it reaches 175C. Very gently drop the chicken into the oil one by one directing it away from you so that it doesn’t splash towards you. Fry for 8 minutes until it’s golden brown then transfer onto a tray lined with kitchen roll to remove any excess oil. 

4. While the chicken is frying put all of the ingredients for the sauce into a small pan on medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and you are left with a glossy red mixture. 

5. If you want your burgers really saucy (something I very much recommend) then toss the fried chicken burgers into the sauce so they’re fully coated. 

6. To assemble the burgers, toast your buns and then place the bottom of each on a plate. Top with the crispy chicken burger followed by the slaw and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Top with the remaining bun and Enjoy! 

7. Enjoy! Don’t forget napkins, you will need them.

NOTES

• If you don’t want to brave the deep-fry, you can shallow fry these in a pan. You won’t get quite the same crunch, but they’ll still be great.

• You could use chicken breasts for this, although I think a thigh is both juicer and more economical. I’d suggest cutting a chicken breast in half to create two thinner burgers if you want to go down that route.