# You’re Just 30 Minutes from the Simplest Air Fryer (or Oven-Baked) Korean Fried Chicken
Believe it or not, the air fryer is the ultimate tool for creating delicious homemade Korean fried chicken. If you haven’t experienced it yet, it’s a super crispy double-fried chicken tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce, all prepared in an air fryer. It’s like the greatest hot wings ever.
## What is Korean Fried Chicken?
Korean fried chicken features wings and drummettes that are fried twice (and in some establishments, thrice) to achieve an extra crispy texture, then covered in a sticky, sweet, and spicy sauce. Today, we’ll be making the most popular sauce, which is primarily sweet and spicy. It’s buffalo wings elevated with the essence of gochujang.
## Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
We’ve always adored the concept of preparing Korean fried chicken at home, but even with our cooking enthusiasm, deep frying isn’t enjoyable, so we’ve avoided it. The use of the air fryer is a brilliant idea, and this double air fry method yields a crispy chicken that competes with the finest deep-fried varieties while being significantly healthier.
## How to Prepare Korean Fried Chicken
The key to Korean fried chicken is the double frying process. Double frying in the air fryer is just as effective as with traditional deep frying but much simpler. The trick is to coat your chicken after the initial fry using a spray or mist of oil. Here’s how to create Korean fried chicken in an air fryer:
1. **Coat the chicken.** Begin by covering the chicken with oil to assist with heat distribution, then season with salt and pepper, followed by corn or potato starch for a lighter, crispier exterior.
2. **Air fry the chicken.** Set the air fryer to 400ºF for 15 minutes. There’s no requirement to preheat the air fryer.
3. **Prepare the sauce.** While the chicken is air frying, mix all the sauce ingredients and heat it until it reaches a slight boil (or microwave it for a minute).
4. **Flip the chicken.** After 15 minutes, turn the chicken over and continue air frying for an additional 5 minutes. Take it out and let it cool for 5 minutes.
5. **Double fry and sauce.** After cooling, mist the chicken with oil again, then air fry once more at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Take it out and toss in the sauce, then enjoy right away.
## How to Prepare a Large Quantity of Wings
If you need to prepare several pounds of wings, air fryers usually have small baskets that fit one pound perfectly. You can opt for small batches or consider these methods:
– Utilize air fryer racks to create multiple layers of wings, ensuring uniform browning by swapping positions halfway through.
– Employ a baking sheet with a rack in convection mode to mimic a large air fryer.
– Use a baking sheet with a rack in a conventional oven, which will take longer (30-50 minutes) but is less labor-intensive than switching out baskets.
## Korean Fried Chicken Sauce
The incredible sauce for Korean fried chicken is a blend of honey, brown sugar, gochujang, and ketchup. Ketchup is crucial for authenticity. This is just one variation of the sauce; there are numerous possibilities for Korean fried chicken.
## What is Gochujang?
Gochujang is a mildly spicy fermented Korean paste that enhances many culinary creations. It can be found in tubs or handy squeeze bottles in the Asian aisle of grocery stores.
## What if I Don’t Have Spray Oil?
Spray oil is handy for air frying. If you don’t have it, you can use any oil with a high smoke point, except for olive oil due to its low smoke point. You can even create your own spray oil.
## Deep/Pan Fry Korean Fried Chicken
If you lack an air fryer, you can fry the chicken until it attains a golden brown color, allow it to cool, then return it to the oil for a few more minutes before tossing it.