Korean Fried Chicken Wings ♥ The Original Crack Wing

This recipe has been on my radar for years. Not sure why it took this long to make it, but it finally made the cut. I do not deep fry many items, so little that I can count three in a year and Southern Fried Chicken is one of them. (Can you guess the third?....fried calamari, no.1)
I never fry wings, I like them BBQ's or baked and not just for health reasons. Diabetes does not forbid frying, I just am not a big fan and if I want fried foods, I can order them out. Please the oil gets all over the stove.....yuck-y!

While these were over the top good, there were two things I would change if I make these again.
1. Too much sesame oil, and
2. Too much raw garlic.

The Nudge was tasting it all night long......lol

I was afraid of the heat level but once the wings hit the sauce it seemed to tame it down a bit. No need for creamy dipping sauces, they just did not need them.

The Nudge is a rock star in the lunchroom, they always stop by to see what he brought in and he takes his status seriously. I made 40 wing pieces, I ate 5, he ate a dozen and if I did not squirrel away 6 for lunch today, he would have taken the whole 25 to share with his lunch buds. There was enough for two lunches but I bet they will all be gone. How many people do you know that get homemade Korean Fried Chicken for lunch?

These were so good, I think I see a 4th in my frying rotation. If you prefer not to fry your wings, try this as an excellent baked version.

Korean Chicken Wings
Adapted from saveur.com
* Canola oil, for frying
* 5 cloves garlic
* 1 (1½") piece peeled ginger
* 3 tbsp. soy sauce
* 3 tbsp. gojujang (Korean chile paste)
* 1½ tbsp. rice vinegar
* 1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil
* 1 tbsp. honey
* 2/3 cup flour
* 1 tbsp. cornstarch
* 16 chicken wings (about 1¾ lbs.)

1. Pour oil into a 6-qt. pot to a depth of 2". Heat over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 350˚. Chop garlic and ginger in a food processor. Add soy, gojujang, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey; purée. Put sauce into a bowl.


2. Whisk flour, cornstarch, and ⅔ cup water in another bowl. Add chicken; toss. Working in 3 batches, fry chicken until golden, 6–8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Return oil to 350˚. Fry chicken until crisp, 6–8 minutes more. Drain again. Toss chicken in sauce.