Learn how to make super crispy Air Fryer Korean BBQ Fried Chicken Bites with this easy recipe! You’ll use chicken thighs (or wings, drumettes, or boneless breasts) and a tasty homemade Korean BBQ sauce made with Gochujang.
Korean BBQ Fried Chicken Bites
Korean BBQ Chicken, or “KFC” (Korean Fried Chicken), is perfect for any occasion.
It’s a fun way for kids to try something new, especially when served with rice.
It also makes a great snack for parties!
Want more delicious Asian-inspired recipes? Check these out: Korean braised potatoes, Asian cabbage stir fry, and Asian cucumber salad.
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Ingredients for Korean BBQ Chicken
- Ketchup - This is a key ingredient in homemade barbecue sauce. Use your favorite brand or the best quality ketchup you can find.
- Gochujang sauce - Pronounced “Go-Choo-Jang,” this ingredient gives your sauce an authentic Korean flavor. It’s sweet, spicy, and a bit salty. If you can’t find Gochujang, you can use sriracha or Tabasco as a substitute.
- Chicken thighs - Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can also use chicken breasts, drumsticks, wings, or drumettes if you prefer.
- Honey - Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the tangy barbecue sauce.
- Brown sugar - Like honey, brown sugar adds sweetness and helps balance the flavors of the sauce.
- Rice vinegar - Gives the sauce a slight tanginess.
- Soy sauce - Adds a savory, salty, and slightly sweet flavor. Use your favorite soy sauce or a soy alternative.
- Toasted sesame oil - Adds a rich, nutty flavor with just a few drops.
- Ginger & garlic - For the best flavor, use freshly grated ginger and minced garlic.
- Seasonings - Season the chicken with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and ginger.
- Vegetable oil - Helps the seasonings and cornstarch stick to the chicken and keeps it from sticking to the air fryer basket. You can also use avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
- Cornstarch - Coating the chicken pieces with cornstarch makes them crispy. You can also use potato starch if you have it.
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
How To Make Korean BBQ Fried Chicken in Air Fryer
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, coat the chicken with oil and seasonings, then toss with cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil and preheat the air fryer to 400°F (205°C).
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 6 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes, or until crispy. You may need to work in batches.
- For extra crispy chicken, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or cooling rack and let it cool for 5 minutes. After cooling, spray the chicken lightly with avocado oil and return it to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, melt butter and sauté garlic and grated ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sugar and honey, and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from heat.
- Once the chicken is done, toss it with the prepared sauce.
- Serve the chicken garnished with sesame seeds, scallions, and lime wedges.
🍽️ Read Next: Check out all our Air Fryer Recipes here.
How to Keep Korean Fried Chicken Warm:
To keep Korean fried chicken warm, place it on a wire rack in a low oven set to about 200°F (93°C).
This keeps the chicken crispy without overcooking it.
You can also cover the chicken loosely with foil to retain warmth while preventing it from becoming soggy.
Can You Air Fry Korean Chicken Breast?
Absolutely! You can air fry Korean chicken breasts. Just cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-size pieces instead of using chicken thighs. Follow the recipe, but air fry them for a few minutes less.
Best Tips for the Best Korean Fried Chicken (Air Fryer)
- Avoid overcrowding - Cook the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket. This helps everything cook evenly.
- Cut larger pieces - Don’t cut the chicken too small. Larger pieces stay juicy and crispy better.
- Heat is key - Make sure the air fryer is hot enough before adding the chicken. If it sizzles right away, it’s ready.
- Don’t overcook - Check a piece of chicken a bit earlier than the cooking time to keep it juicy.
- Cook in batches - Fry the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding, which can make the chicken soggy.
What to Serve With Homemade Korean BBQ Chicken?
What does Korean fried chicken go with?
Usually, this type of Korean-inspired dish is enjoyed over steamed short-grain white rice, with pickled radish.
You can also pair Korean BBQ chicken with stir-fried veggies, fresh salads, Asian slaw, Asian cucumber salad, Korean cucumber salad, or even kimchi.
Low Carb: Try cauliflower rice, quinoa, broccoli rice, or a mix of brown rice with these options. You can also use low-carb noodles like zoodles or spaghetti squash.
Noodles: Mix things up with ramen, soba noodles, rice noodles, or even linguine.
What is the Secret of Korean Fried Chicken?
The secret to Korean fried chicken is double frying the chicken to make it extra crispy. It’s also about using cornstarch in the coating and tossing the chicken in a sweet-spicy sauce.
Note: In my recipe, I didn’t use the double frying technique, but I recommend it for an even crispier result.
Do You Have To Preheat The Air Fryer?
You don't have to preheat the air fryer, but I like to do it. It can depend on the recipe you're using. If you skip preheating, you might need to cook your chicken a little longer.
Variations for Korean BBQ Chicken Bites
🌶️ Spice it Up: If you like your chicken extra spicy, add more Gochujang or a splash of Sriracha to the sauce.
🍞 Make it Gluten-Free: To keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce. Tamari, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, or Coconut Aminos are great choices.
🍗 Skip the Chicken Thighs: Prefer chicken breasts? Just cut boneless, skinless breasts into bite-size pieces and follow the recipe. You might need to adjust the cooking time slightly.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- To Store. Put leftover Korean fried chicken in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to three days.
- To Freeze. For the best results, freeze the chicken (I recommend doing it without the sauce) on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 1-2 hours. After it’s frozen, transfer it to an airtight container or zip-top bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the sauce.
- To Reheat. To reheat frozen chicken, use the air fryer at 400°F (205°C) for 5-7 minutes until it’s crispy and hot.
Recommended Tools
- Air Fryer - this is what I use and love for years! Ninja Foodi Air Fryer is my second favorite.
- Measuring cups and spoons
More Delicious Asian-Inspired Recipes
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Recipe Card
Korean BBQ Fried Chicken Bites (Air Fryer)
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INGREDIENTS
For Chicken
- 1 - 1½ pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless, cut into bite size pieces (or chicken wings, drumettes or boneless chicken breasts if preferred) cut into 1 ½ - 2 inches thick.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt , or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil, I recommend natural oil spray
- 2 tablespoons corn starch, or potato starch
Korean Gochujang Barbecue Sauce
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons gochujang , more or less depending on desired spice
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar , packed
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or use other vinegars, but they will change the flavor of the dish
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce , or tamari
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, minced or grated
- 2 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
Optional Toppings
- toasted sesame seeds
- scallions, or green onions, diced
- lime cut into wedges , for squeezing onto crispy fried chicken
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, coat the chicken with oil and seasonings, then toss with cornstarch until evenly coated.1 - 1½ pounds chicken thighs boneless skinless, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil and preheat the air fryer to 400°F (205°C).
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 6 minutes. Turn the pieces and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes, or until crispy. You may need to work in batches.
- Optional: For extra crispy chicken, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or cooling rack and let it cool for 5 minutes. After cooling, spray the chicken lightly with oil and return it to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan, melt butter and sauté garlic and grated ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sugar and honey, and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from heat.1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or use other vinegars, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, 2 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons ketchup
- Once the chicken is done, toss it with the prepared sauce.
- Serve the chicken garnished with sesame seeds, scallions, and lime wedges.toasted sesame seeds, scallions, lime cut into wedges
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NOTES
- To Store. Put leftover Korean fried chicken in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to three days.
- To Freeze. For the best results, freeze the chicken (I recommend doing it without the sauce) on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 1-2 hours. After it’s frozen, transfer it to an airtight container or zip-top bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the sauce.
- To Reheat. To reheat frozen chicken, use the air fryer at 400°F (205°C) for 5-7 minutes until it’s crispy and hot.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Korean BBQ Chicken Air Fryer: FAQs
Korean restaurants often use bone-in chicken pieces like wings or drumsticks.
For a different twist, I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces. This gives you more crunchy, sauce-covered coating.
Korean chicken tastes sweet, spicy, and savory. The crispy coating is covered in a tasty sauce made from Gochujang (Korean chili paste), honey, and soy sauce, giving it a yummy tangy and spicy flavor.
Here are some easy gochujang alternatives for BBQ sauce:
Sriracha mixed with honey creates a spicy-sweet combo, closely mimicking gochujang's flavor.
Another option is chili garlic sauce with a bit of sugar or honey for a similar heat and sweetness balance.
For a more complex substitute, try tomato paste combined with red pepper flakes and soy sauce. This blend gives you thickness, heat, and umami. Hoisin sauce mixed with Sriracha also works well, offering a sweet and tangy base with added spice.
Lastly, Thai sweet chili sauce with a splash of soy sauce provides a milder, sweet-spicy option, perfect for a less intense alternative.
Greta S
Absolutely DELICIOUS! Crispy and like take-out, but even better and without all the extra crap! So excited to make again.
Julia
easy and quick Korean chicken recipe!