Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken Wings

Air fryer Korean fried chicken wings are insanely delicious. Crispy coated air fried chicken smothered in a rich and flavorful Korean Gochujang sauce. It is spicy, sweet, and full of umami flavor with an underlying funk.

These fried chicken wings are perfect for any occasion, from game day to a dinner party. Everyone would enjoy this flavorful appetizer. Unlike the traditional way of making Korean fried chicken wings, these air fried Korean fried chicken wings are much healthier. Compare to the traditional methods, air frying method is much lower in calories and fat.

What is Gochujang?

If you never heard of Korean Gochujang sauce before, it is a Korean condiment. It is a thick and spicy-sweet red pepper paste made from red chili pepper, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. It is sweet with a nice balance of heat that gives you an umami flavor and makes it a perfect sauce for Korean fried chicken.

You can find this condiment at most grocery stores under the Asian aisle or at any Asian market. They are usually sold in red color packaging so you can't miss it. And of course, if you can't find it at the grocery store, it is available on Amazon!

What is Korean Fried Chicken?

Fried chicken is one of the popular bar foods in South Korea, like wings here in the United States. But unlike American southern-style fried chicken, Korean-style has the chicken skin attached, lightly dusted with flour, and is double fried. It's then tossed in a garlic soy glaze or hot pepper sauce.

What You Will Need To Make Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken Wings

Air Fryer

I love using an air fryer to make fried chicken wings recipes because it gives a crispy outside and moist on the inside texture while saving you a ton of calories and fat. Air frying is also a healthier option compared to other cooking methods like deep-frying and pan-frying. Deep frying and pan-frying drench the food in cooking oil or frying oil like peanut oil or vegetable oil, making the food high in calories and fat. You can, however, make this recipe in an oven or a fryer.

Chicken

You have the option of using your favorite cut of chicken to make this recipe. Chicken breasts, drumsticks, or party wings are all good options. Which option to go with, it's a personal preference. The healthiest option is chicken breasts. I am using party wings for this recipe because the skin will give the chicken the extra crisp. The healthiest option is chicken breasts, and if you are going with this option, I recommend going with skin attached. I have made this recipe with chicken breasts before, and it is just as delicious.

Marinate

Marinating the chicken wings will give the recipe more flavor. Don't skip the sesame oil because it will give the chicken a toasty flavor. And because sesame oil temperature is 410 degrees, it is a great addition to air frying because it will prevent the chicken from burning while keeping it moist.

Coating

To give the fried chicken a golden crispy outer layer, I use a blend of starch, flour, spices, and salt.

The flour will trap the marinade and spices inside, while the potato starch will create a crispy texture on the outside. For a gluten-free option or the ultimate crispy shell, use only potato starch or cornstarch.

Fried Chicken Sauce

Traditional Korean fried chicken is either tossed in a garlic soy glaze or hot pepper sauce. Both sauces are delicious, which one to choose is a personal preference. 

To make a gochujang sauce that coats the fried chicken, I thin down the paste just a bit. Gochujang comes in thick paste form and will need to turn into a thinner consistency like syrup. I mixed gochujang paste in a mixing bowl with a splash of warm water, spices, and coconut amino together. Stir and mix well to a nice sticky and syrupy consistency. This option will give you a spicy Korean fried chicken that any spicy food lover would appreciate.

Ingredients

Marinade

2 lb Party Wings
2 Tablespoon of Cooking Wine
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

Coating

3/4 Cup Potato Starch Or Cornstarch
1/4 Cup All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Himalayan Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger or minced ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Spicy Pepper Chili Sauce 

2 tablespoons Gochujang paste (chili paste)
1 Tablespoon Ketchup
1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar
1 teaspoon warm water
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce or coconut amino
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Chili Peppers Optional

Topping

Toasted Sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a medium bowl with a lid, add all the marinade ingredients together, and then add the chicken. Mix and let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
2. In another medium-size mixing bowl, add all the coating ingredients together and mix well.
3. To make the air fry the chicken, dip the marinade chicken in the coating, and then into your air fryer basket. Make sure you give it a good shake before placing it in the air fryer basket to shake off any excess flour. Repeat until you are done with all your chicken wings, or your air fryer basket is full.
4. For party wings, air fry at 400F for 8 minutes per side or until chicken wings are golden brown on each side.
5. To make the sauce, mix the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan over low heat. Stir until it has a syrup-like consistency. 
6. Once your wings are done, toss them in the sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Nutritional

Serving size: 8

Amount per serving: Calories: 303 calories. Total Fat: 14.3g, Saturated Fat: 3.7g. Cholesterol: 48mg. Sodium: 587mg. Total Carbohydrate: 30.2g. Dietary fiber: 0.8g. Total Sugar: 3.3g. Protein: 12.8g.

**The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.**

Notes

• If going with the baking method, bake at 475F for 30-35 minutes for chicken wings.
• Make sure the chicken pieces are not stacked on top of each other.
• If rice wine is not available, swap for rice vinegar or cooking wine.
• Must enjoy immediately. Once it's toss with sauce or else, you will lose the crispiness.
• Making these wings will leave a small mess behind, learn how to clean your air fryer!

How To Store:

• Refrigerate: Leftover can be kept in an airtight container for 3 or 4 days.
• To reheat: place it in the air fryer or the oven. Must serve right away.

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