Steps
- 1
Marinate the chicken pieces in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes.
- 2
Whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Dredge the marinated chicken thoroughly in the flour mixture.
- 4
Heat oil to 340°F (170°C) and fry the chicken until golden and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
- 5
While the chicken fries, drain the soaked green onion and pat dry.
- 6
Whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil, then toss with the green onion.
- 7
Pile the dressed green onion generously over the hot fried chicken right before serving.
Did you know — Korean culture
Padak piles on raw or lightly dressed green onion specifically to cut through fried chicken's richness, the same logic behind serving pickled radish alongside — Korean fried chicken culture has always paired something sharp and acidic with the fat, and padak just moves that contrast onto the chicken itself instead of a side dish.
Soaking the julienned green onion in ice water before dressing it isn't a fussy extra step — it curls the strands and mellows the sharp bite just enough that a genuinely large pile of raw onion becomes pleasant to eat rather than overwhelming.
The green onion topping goes on at the very last moment, over hot chicken, specifically so the chicken stays crisp underneath. Piling it on too early, or letting the dressed onion sit, steams the coating and undoes the crunch that makes fried chicken worth eating in the first place.
Padak piles on that raw or lightly dressed green onion specifically to cut through fried chicken's richness, the same logic behind serving pickled radish alongside — Korean fried chicken culture has always paired something sharp and acidic with the fat, and padak just moves that contrast onto the chicken itself instead of a side dish.
Troubleshooting
Chicken losing its crunch quickly? The green onion topping likely went on too early or wasn't drained well — pile it on right before serving, and make sure it's patted dry after soaking.
Green onion tasting too sharp or overpowering? It probably wasn't soaked long enough in ice water — a proper soak mellows the bite and curls the strands for a better texture too.
Chicken coating turning soggy instead of crisp? Check your oil temperature — too low and the coating absorbs oil instead of crisping; a thermometer is worth using rather than guessing.
Recommended products
- Deep-fry thermometer
- Julienne peeler
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