Quick & Easy Sweet Sticky Korean Chicken

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Crispy fried chicken coated in a sweet and savory sauce with sesame and onions. This quick and easy sweet sticky Korean chicken is ready in 30 minutes with simple ingredients. A great main dish that is better-than-takeout saving you money!

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Expert Tips
Instructions
Pairing Suggestions
FAQ
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Sweet sticky Korean chicken features chicken thighs shallow fried in oil and tossed in a sauce made of soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, honey, garlic.

This Korean-inspired chicken dish is very similar to the taste of bulgogi beef but instead we're using fried chicken as the protein. But the sauce is essentially the same as bulgogi sauce.

This Asian chicken serves best with steamed rice or brown rice with vegetables along with any Korean side dishes, which are shared below.

It's also not spicy at all, making it inclusive for all but if you want to make it spicy, add 1 tablespoon of gochujang or 2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the sauce.

I love this easy chicken recipe because it's made with minimal ingredients and in one-pan in little time. Making it a great dish for busy weeknight meals.

I also share how to air fry the chicken in the recipe card under Notes below.

Expert Tips

Prepare your ingredients in advance as the cooking process is fast!
Do not pat dry the chicken! You need some moisture on the chicken so the starch can adhere to it.
Evenly dice the chicken so they evenly fry.
Use a heavy bottomed pan if possible as this maintains the oil temperature.
Make sure oil is hot enough before frying, around 325-350 degrees F. To check if oil is hot, use a digital instant read thermometer or insert a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for bubbles. If you see bubbles, the oil is hot.
Fry in small batches and do not overcrowd the pan because this reduces the oil temperature leading to less crispy chicken or possibly undercooked chicken.
Spread chicken apart after tossing into pan. This allows for each piece to develop a crust.
Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil which leads to soggy chicken.

Instructions

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Sweet Sticky Korean Chicken:

In a small bowl, combine sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch wide pieces.
In a large mixing bowl, add diced chicken followed by cornstarch. Toss until each piece is coated in cornstarch. Set aside. If the starch is falling off, feel free to add more cornstarch.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry chicken in small batches until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove and transfer chicken to a wire rack or a paper-towel lined plates to remove excess oil. Leave 2 teaspoon or 5 ml of the oil in the pan, discarding the rest.
Fry chopped onions and cook until softened, about 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce and simmer until thickened.
Toss in fried chicken with the sauce. Garnish with green onions. Remove off heat and enjoy!

To Air Fry

Lightly spray the air fryer basket with enough vegetable oil or cooking spray.
Place coated chicken into the basket in a single layer, giving each piece enough room. Do not overlap. You may need to air fry in batches depending on the size of your air fryer basket.
Lightly spray the chicken with oil.
Air fry chicken at 400 F for 10-14 minutes until desired crispiness, no need to flip over.

Pairing Suggestions

Sweet sticky Korean chicken serves well with:

FAQ

Can I make this in advance?

Sweet sticky Korean chicken can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.

Can I air fry the chicken?

The coated chicken can be air fried and I share instructions below in the Notes section.

How can I make this spicy?

To make this spicy, mix in 1 tablespoon gochujang or 2 teaspoon gochugaru or red chili flakes to the sauce mixture.

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