How Korean Fried Chicken Differs From The American Variety

One of the most heated food debates in recent memory comes is all about fried chicken. While Americans often pride themselves on their ability to fry foods better than any other country in the world, many have begun to question whether American fried chicken is on the same level as the Korean version, which has grown in popularity in the West in recent years. 

While the two varieties share enough similarities to be compared, Korean fried chicken and American fried chicken differ in several ways, from how the chicken is prepared and how it's fried to the kinds of sauces and seasonings it is coated in before being served. Because of these reasons, Korean fried chicken differs vastly from what is typically found in the United States, leaving many torn over which one is their favorite. But, of course, if you haven't had the far-East fry, you can't really weigh in, can you? 

Firstly, the batter used to coat the respective versions is distinct. The Korean way of frying chicken is done with a thinner batter than what the American style uses. Korean fried chicken batter typically consists mainly of starch (be it potato or corn) to form a thin yet crunchy skin around the meat itself. This contrasts with the American-style fried chicken, which utilizes flour rather than starch to create a thicker batter to coat the poultry ahead of frying.

Beyond that, perhaps the most well-known difference between the two styles is the frying itself. While American fried chicken is typically fried once in canola or peanut oil at high temperatures, the Korean variant sees the chicken get fried twice in vegetable oil, once with lower heat and then again with higher heat, which allows it to get a healthy crunch on its thin layer of skin.

The final difference comes after all the frying is done. While American fried chicken is heavily seasoned with salt and pepper but left sauce-less or, in the case of chicken wings, gets doused with buffalo or BBQ sauce, Korean fried chicken can be coated in a variety of seasonings or sauces. One popular options is yangnyeom sauce, a sweet and tangy glaze that complements the chicken brilliantly.