Korean Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Crispy buttermilk fried chicken thighs, flavoured Korean fried chicken style & glazed with sticky Korean bbq sauce. Perfect for a fried chicken sandwich!
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I’m a big fan of buttermilk fried chicken and Korean BBQ sauce, so I’ve combined the two & made a batch of Korean style buttermilk fried chicken! The chicken is tender & juicy, the coating is super crispy & well seasoned and it’s finished with a sticky Korean BBQ sauce glaze & a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. This fried chicken is absolutely jam packed full of flavour (we’re talking fresh garlic & ginger, chilli & smoked paprika!) & is super easy to make.
I used my Korean style fried chicken to make a really good chicken sandwich (more on that in the post below) but it’s equally as good when served with fries, salad or rice. It’s also a great midweek dinner option. You can brine the chicken up to a day in advance then when you want to cook it, it’s just a case of coating the chicken in flour & deep frying.
Take a look at our ever growing collection of main course recipes for more dinner inspiration! And for side dishes to serve with your fried chicken, check out our collection of sides.
What You’ll Need
- Chicken Thighs – You’ll need skinless chicken thighs for this fried chicken recipe. I used boneless chicken thighs but feel free to leave the bone in if you’d prefer (keep in mind they’ll take a bit longer to cook).
- Buttermilk Brine – Used to flavour & tenderise the chicken! We’re flavouring our buttermilk with fresh garlic & ginger, plus some dried spices.
- Flour Dredge – We’re using a mix of plain flour & cornflour, to dredge the chicken in before frying.
- Korean BBQ Sauce – You’ll need a batch of our Korean gochujang BBQ sauce for this recipe. They’ll be enough to glaze the chicken plus some extra to serve on the side.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds – Sprinkled on top of the glazed fried chicken. I used a 50/50 mix of black & white sesame seeds but using just one type is absolutely fine.
How To Make Korean Buttermilk Fried Chicken
This isn’t a traditional Korean fried chicken, it’s more of mix of an American style buttermilk fried chicken & a Korean style fried chicken. Traditional Korean fried chicken is coated in a batter whereas ours is brined in buttermilk then dredged in flour. The buttermilk brine is flavoured with fresh ginger & garlic & the dredge is flavoured with chilli powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder & dried ginger.
Buttermilk Marinade
First up, we have the buttermilk brine which we’re going to be marinating our chicken thighs in. I’ve flavoured the buttermilk with fresh garlic & ginger, smoked paprika, chilli powder & table salt. And to make the brine, you simply add everything into a mixing bowl & stir to combine.
Once mixed, we add chicken thighs into the buttermilk then let them brine in the fridge for at least 4 hours or for up to a day. Make sure to mix everything together well, so that each piece of chicken is well coated!
A quick note: For chicken thighs, I’ve found that it’s best to let them marinade in the buttermilk for around 12 hours (or overnight). This gives the chicken the maximum amount of flavour & makes them tender & juicy. However, if you brine your chicken for too long (longer than a day) the texture will start to break down & the meat will turn mushy.
Flour Dredge
I make my fried chicken dredges with a mix of plain flour & cornflour, as this gives the coating a crispier, lighter texture. There’s some chilli powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground ginger & salt in the dredge as well, for extra flavour! It’s also super simple to make, just add everything into a bowl, whisk together then set to one side until needed.
To make sure that the meat is properly coated in flour before cooking, I like to give the chicken a double coating of dredge. The first coating we do once the chicken has marinated then we let it sit on a wire rack for 30 minutes (whilst the oil heats up) then dredge again just before frying. We let the chicken sit for 30 minutes after the first dredge, which takes the chill off the meat (meaning that it will cook quicker) & draws some of the moisture out of the buttermilk, which means that the coating will be crispier.
To get those signature scraggly bits of coating on our fried chicken, we drizzle some of the buttermilk marinade into the flour then mix in before coating any of the chicken. This step is optional but it really does make a difference!
Deep Frying
To cook the fried chicken, you’ll either need a deep fat fryer or a large pan of vegetable oil heated up on the stove. Whichever method you choose, I’d recommend using a digital food probe to check how hot the oil is, so that we can cook the chicken at the correct temperature. Also, make sure to let the oil heat back up between batches of chicken!
Domestic deep fat fryers do have a built in thermometer but they tend to be a bit inaccurate. I always like to double check the temperature of the oil!
How To Deep Fry Chicken
- Preheat a deep fat fryer to 175°c/350°f.
- Take a piece of chicken, dredge in flour (for the second time), shake off any excess then carefully place into the hot oil.
- Dredge a couple more pieces of chicken & add into the oil but make sure not to overcrowd the fryer.
- Let the chicken cook for at least 2 minutes without moving as this makes sure that the coating sticks to the meat properly.
- Continue cooking the chicken, flipping after around 3 minutes until the coating is golden brown & crispy and the internal temperature of the meat is at least 75°c/167f. The total cooking time will be around 5 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to flip the chicken!
- Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a baking tray, leave to drain for a minute then serve. Once cooked, the chicken can be glazed & served straight away or kept warm in an oven set to 120°c/250°f whilst you cook the rest.
Glazing
You’ll need a batch of our Korean gochujang bbq sauce, to glaze the fried chicken or you can use some shop bought sauce instead. To glaze the chicken, simply brush the top with a good amount of the Korean bbq sauce then sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds.
Serving Suggestions
I used my Korean style fried chicken to make a next level sandwich, with some of my Asian cucumber slaw, American cheese & extra Korean bbq sauce, all served in a homemade potato burger bun! However, this fried chicken will also be good served with salad, some steamed or fried rice or with fries.
Tips & Tricks
- Use chicken thighs for your fried chicken, as they have the most flavour & won’t dry out as they cook. I used boneless chicken thighs but feel free to leave the bone in if you’d prefer.
- For the crispiest coating, dredge the chicken in a mix of plain flour & cornflour. Make sure to season the dredge well, as well as the buttermilk brine, for the best flavour.
- Coat your chicken in 2 layers of dredge to ensure that they’re coated properly. Let the chicken sit on a wire rack for 30 minutes after the first dredge to allow some of the moisture from the buttermilk to be soaked up.
- For an extra scraggly coating, mix a couple spoonfuls of the buttermilk brine into the flour dredge just before using.
- Use a digital food probe to check the internal temperature of the fried chicken, to ensure that it’s fully cooked (and not overcooked!). I’d also recommend using a food probe to double check the temperature of the oil, as domestic deep fat fryers tend to be a bit inaccurate.
- Let your fried chicken cook untouched for the first 2 minutes, to prevent any of the coating from falling off!
- Drain your fried chicken on a wire rack for a minute or so once cooked. The extra air circulation ensures that the coating stays crisp!
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best results, chicken should be brined in buttermilk for at least 4 hours or for up to a day. For chicken thighs, I’ve found that it’s best to marinade them in buttermilk for around 12 hours.
You don’t have to use a deep fat fryer for cooking fried chicken but it definitely makes it easier! If you haven’t got a deep fat fryer, you can use a large pan of oil, heated up on the stove. Make sure to do this really carefully though!
The best way to reheat buttermilk fried chicken is to bake it in a 190°c/375°f oven for 15-20 minutes, until the coating is crispy & the chicken is piping hot. The internal temperature of the chicken needs to be at least 75°c/167°f.
Yes, you can leave the bone in for fried chicken thighs, although you’ll need to keep in mind that they’ll take longer to cook. It’s down to personal preference whether you leave the bone in or not.
To prevent the coating from falling off fried chicken, make sure not to touch it for at least 2 minutes once it has been added into the hot oil. Letting chicken fry for a couple of minutes untouched, ensures that the coating will have set & won’t fall off! We’re also going to be coating the chicken in 2 layers of dredge, so that it’s properly coated.
Yes, you can use a shop bought Korean bbq sauce to glaze your fried chicken or you can make your own.
Equipment Used
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More Dinner Recipes To Try!
- Roast Chicken, Bacon & Mushroom Pies
- Beef Burritos
- Black Garlic Pork Belly Porchetta
- Hot Maple Fried Chicken
- Foolproof Roast Chicken (Slow Roasted)
- Teriyaki Fried Chicken Tenders
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Korean Style Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Equipment
- Deep Fat Fryer
- Mixing Bowls
- Saucepan
- Wire Rack
- Baking Tray
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Thighs (Skinless & Boneless)
Buttermilk Brine
- 500 g Buttermilk
- 3 Garlic Cloves (Peeled & Grated)
- A 1" Piece Of Fresh Ginger (Peeled & Grated)
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Table Salt
- ¼ tsp Chilli Powder
Dredge
- 300 g Plain Flour
- 80 g Cornflour
- 1½ tsp Table Salt
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¼ tsp Chilli Powder
To Finish
- Korean BBQ Sauce (See Notes)
- 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds (Toasted – See Notes)
Instructions
Buttermilk Brine
- Add all of the ingredients for the buttermilk brine into a large mixing bowl then mix to combine.
- Next, add the chicken thighs into the brine then mix well, ensuring that each piece is fully coated.
- Transfer the chicken & brine to an airtight container then leave to marinade in the fridge for 12-24 hours.The chicken needs at least 4 hours in the marinade but I've found that at least 12 hours is best!
Dredge
- Add all of the dredge ingredients into a mixing bowl, whisk to combine then set aside until needed.
First Dredge
- Once your chicken is marinated, take it out of the fridge then drizzle 3 tablespoons of the marinade into the dredge. Mix the buttermilk into the dredge with your hands – this creates those scraggly bits on the outside of the chicken!
- Next, take a piece of chicken out of the buttermilk then drop into the dredge. Toss the chicken in the flour to fully coat it, making sure to press the dredge into every nook & cranny on the chicken.Make sure to flip the chicken over several times in the dredge for proper coverage!
- Once dredged, take the chicken out of the flour, shake off any excess then place onto a wire rack set over a baking tray. Repeat this process with the remaining chicken. Don't get rid of the remaining dredge, we'll need this later on!
- When all of your chicken is dredged, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then in the meantime, preheat a deep fat fryer to 175°c/350°f.I'd recommend using a digital food probe to double check the temperature of the oil.
Second Dredge & Frying
- Take a piece of chicken, toss it in the dredge for a second time then shake off any excess flour and carefully place into the hot oil. Repeat this process with a couple more pieces of chicken but don't overcrowd the fryer!
- Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes, flipping it over halfway through, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of at least 75°c/167°f. Make sure not to move the chicken for at least the first 2 minutes, as this lets the dredge stick to the chicken properly (it could fall off otherwise!).Use a pair of tongs to flip the chicken over!
- Once cooked, place the fried chicken onto a wire rack set on a baking tray then leave to drain for a minute before serving. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken, making sure that the oil is back up to temperature in between batches.Once cooked, the chicken can be glazed & served straight away or kept warm in an oven set to 120°c/250°f whilst you cook the rest.
Glazing
- To finish, brush each piece of fried chicken with a generous amount of the Korean BBQ sauce then sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds.
