Meat & BBQ
Dakgangjeong (Sweet & Spicy Glazed Fried Chicken Bites)
Prep
25 min
Cook
20 min
Servings
4
Steps
- 1
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then toss thoroughly in potato starch.
- 2
Heat oil to 325°F (165°C) and fry the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes, until just cooked through.
- 3
Remove and let rest a few minutes, then increase the oil to 375°F (190°C) and fry again for 1-2 minutes, until deeply golden and crisp.
- 4
While frying, whisk together gochujang, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan.
- 5
Simmer the glaze over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- 6
Toss the hot fried chicken directly in the glaze until every piece is evenly coated.
- 7
Top with sesame seeds and crushed peanuts, and serve immediately.
Did you know — Korean culture
Dakgangjeong borrows its name and its finishing technique from gangjeong, a much older Korean confection — puffed rice or grain bound together with a honey or syrup glaze, traditionally made for holidays and special occasions for centuries. Applying that same honey-based glazing technique to fried chicken bites is a modern invention, popularized as a street-market snack, but the name is a direct nod to the older sweet: dak (chicken) plus gangjeong, borrowing the glaze method rather than the ingredients.
The double fry is what gives dakgangjeong its shattering crust, not just extra crispness for its own sake. The first, lower-temperature fry cooks the chicken through without over-browning it; the second, hotter fry is purely about texture, driving out the last bit of surface moisture so the crust stays audibly crisp even after it's coated in a wet glaze.
Simmering the glaze until it visibly coats a spoon isn't a cosmetic step — an under-reduced glaze is too thin to actually cling to the fried chicken, and it pools at the bottom of the bowl instead of forming that glossy, tacky coating dakgangjeong is known for.
Dakgangjeong borrows its name and its finishing technique from gangjeong, a much older Korean confection — puffed rice or grain bound together with a honey or syrup glaze, traditionally made for holidays and special occasions for centuries. Applying that same honey-based glazing technique to fried chicken bites is a modern invention, popularized as a street-market snack, but the name is a direct nod to the older sweet: dak (chicken) plus gangjeong, borrowing the glaze method rather than the ingredients.
Troubleshooting
Coating not staying crisp under the glaze? The second fry is what protects against this — make sure the oil is genuinely hot (375°F) for that pass, not just warm.
Glaze pooling instead of clinging to the chicken? It wasn't reduced long enough. Keep it on the heat until it visibly thickens and coats a spoon before tossing in the chicken.
Chicken greasy instead of crisp? The oil temperature likely dropped too low during frying — fry in smaller batches so the temperature doesn't crash, and let it come back up between batches.