This Crispy Korean Air Fried Chicken Wings recipe is delicious, sweet, sticky, and a little bit spicy. The Air Fryer provides the perfect crunch to these wings without all the added fat from frying.
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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
So here’s a fun fact about me...I am not the biggest fan of traditional fried chicken. Only a few close friends know this fact because I live in the South and in the South, everyone loves fried chicken. However, fried chicken should be doused in a delicious sauce after it’s fried to perfection. This must be why I love Korean fried chicken so much.
*Update: My thoughts changed on traditional fried chicken after I made it in the air fryer. Air Fryer Fried Chicken is the truth!
What is Korean Fried Chicken
Korean Fried Chicken is fried chicken that has a super crunchy exterior, yet juicy interior. Therefore, the chicken is usually double fried in oil and then covered in a delicious spicy, sweet and sour type sauce. Any part of the chicken can be used to make Korean Fried Chicken.
Korean fried chicken is popular for the spicy sauce that it is covered in. The main ingredient to this sauce is a spicy Korean paste known as gochujang. The good thing about this paste is there are different heat levels. I used the mild for this recipe so I could enjoy the flavors more but the paste can be extremely spicy if you are not careful.
Why make these chicken wings in an Air Fryer?
Most Korean fried chicken is double fried in oil. Part of me wanted to find a healthier alternative but another part of me didn't want to do all that work. Blame it on the baby, work, life...but if I can simplify a delicious recipe then that's what I'm going to do.
Coating these chicken wings in cornstarch and frying them for 30 minutes in the air fryer was easy, fast, and healthy.
How to Make Korean Air Fried Chicken Wings?
Creating Korean Air Fried Chicken Wings is easy. You don't even need to preheat the air fryer. Just set the temperature to 390 degrees, season the chicken wings, cover them in a corn starch, and cook in air fryer for 30-35 minutes.
Make sure when coating the chicken wings with cornstarch, that you shake off the cornstarch from each piece really well. You want the chicken wings to be completely covered but you don’t want too much excess corn starch. Pick up each chicken piece with a pair of tongs, tap it against the side of your bowl before placing it in the air fryer basket.
As with any air fryer recipe, make sure the bottom of your air fryer basket is properly seasoned with oil so your chicken does not stick.
Never use aresole can sprays in your air fryer. Invest in a good quality spray oil bottle. I use this brand.
As always, enjoy.
If you like this recipe, check out my general Air Fryer Chicken Wings from Fresh or Frozen post or my Honey Mustard Chicken Wings recipe.
Notes on Korean Air Fried Chicken Wings
- The sauce provided in this recipe is enough to lightly coat 2 lbs of chicken wings. If you desire more sauce, feel free to double the sauce ingredients.
- I’d suggest serving Korean Air Fried Chicken with a nice quick pickled carrot.
Korean Air Fried Chicken Wings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings
- ¾ cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Korean Air Fried Chicken Sauce
- 2 Tablespoon gochujang Korean chilli paste
- 3 Tablespoon honey
- 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rinse and dry chicken wings with a paper towel. Place in a large bowl and season with garlic powder, onion powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cover chicken with corn starch and use kitchen tongs to stir, ensuring all chicken pieces are coated. Tap each piece of chicken on the side of the bowl (to remove excess starch) and place it in the air fryer basket.
- Close the basket and cook chicken wings at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, turning and rotating chicken about every 10 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce.
Korean Air Fried Chicken Sauce
- Add the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan over medium heat and whisk until combined. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Once chicken is done cooking, add sauce to the wings and toss to cover all wings. Enjoy 🙂
Notes
Suggested Tools for Korean Air Fried Chicken
Air Fryer
Kitchen Tongs
Large Bowl
Nutrition
Step by Step Photos of Korean Air Fried Chicken Wings
Pin Korean Air Fried Chicken Wings for Later
Looking for more Air Fryer recipes? Try my Perfect Air Fryer Steak or Healthier General Tso's Chicken in the Air Fryer.
Joyce Rozek says
I made these for my husband tonight, he absolutely loved them!!!
Tanya says
Awesome! So glad he loved them and thank you for the feedback 🙂
Jill says
These were amazing! I wouldn’t change a thing (except to make more next time)
Saunya says
These wings are awesome!! I brushed the sauce on a few wings for my husband to try, he loved it! I was only going to glaze half the wings but he wanted it on all of them, these were delicious!
I should mention that I did not have chili paste and looked up a substitute with ketchup and cayenne pepper and because of my husband's diet, I reduced the garlic but I tried the sauce and the sauce did not lack in flavor at all!! The crispness of the wings was a big hit!!
Carol says
Can you make this with cut up chicken thighs? or does it have to be wings?
Tanya says
You could use thighs. They may not be as crispy and the time may need some modifications. The sauce would go great with any part of the chicken.
Mims says
Hello! If I want to make the sauce not spicy, do I just not add the gochujang and keep the recipe the way it is? Or do I need to make any adjustments?
Tanya says
You would still need the gochujang for this particular flavor but they do sell mild gochujang. I've made this with mild and served it to my kids and the loved it.
Kendra Morgan says
I tried this recipe on yesterday and I must say it was DELICIOUS! The crispiness of the wings was phenomenal and the sauce was incredible!
I've had my air fryer for about six months and primarily used it for heating up things or throwing crisp things like breaded fish, fries, Pizza Rolls etc. This is a recipe I have shared with the family and will get a ton of use!
Thank you!
Kendra
Tyler says
Just made these and they turned out great! The sauce is a restaurant-quality recipe. Only difference is that I marinated them in buttermilk first. Definitely gonna check out your other air fryer recipes after this. Thanks for posting this!
Tanya says
Yay, so glad you liked it! I love chicken marinated in buttermilk. I do that for my Southern fried chicken. It creates amazingly flavorful and juicy chicken.
Barb Cook says
Hi Tanya,
Could you also use the same recipe for chicken legs?
Tanya says
Hi Barb, I haven't tried it with chicken legs but I'm sure it would work. I would not overlap the chicken legs though, as they will need the extra air to crisp. Keep them in a single layer and turn them halfway when air cooking.
Dory says
Eating this recipe right now! Awesome, best wings I have ever had! Now I can hardly wait to try more of your recipes!
Tanya says
Hi Dory, Thank you for the feedback 🙂 So glad you liked them.
Kelly says
These were AH. MAZING.
Whole family loved them! Thanks for great recipe!
Tanya says
Yay! Thank you for letting me know. So glad you all enjoyed them.
Peggy Neal says
Tanya, on your recommendation, I purchased a pair of the spray bottles from Amazon that you promoted. I'm thoroughly disappointed with them! The straws of both bottles are opposite of the position they need to be in. I tried and tried to turn them around (as you also recommend), but neither of them will budge! I can only use the bottles if I hold the oil-needing item vertically to the spray nozzle! Buyers beware!
Tanya says
Hi Peggy, it looks like you may have gotten a defective bottle. I'd contact the seller and try to return it for a new bottle or a refund.
Adrienne Anderson says
I have bad allergy to any corn product.
Is there a product that you think might
work almost as well as cornstarch?
Tanya says
Yes. Potato starch would work just as well.
Jim Trebowski says
If I fried them halfway through, then let them rest awhile before finishing them, would I get the separation of the skin from the meat that makes Korean wings so awesome?
Tanya says
Hi Jim, I'm not sure to be honest as I'm always just ready to chow down on these because of the sauce lol. I know exactly what you mean though.
Sami Mitchell says
I love your receips!
I tried them all,keep up the good work???
Tanya says
Thank you so much Sami 🙂 I truly appreciate it.
Chuck says
This recipe was the bomb, I couldn’t believe how fast my boy ate them. It was a grand slam. Thank you for sharing this delicious dish. I need to teach someone else how to make it so I can jump in on the action.
Noreen Gamble says
Hi, Tanya Thanks so much for this recipe it was delicious! I've been looking for a great spicy wing sauce and this one was off the charts! My wings turned out perfectly crispy in my new Cuisinart air fryer. I'm new to air frying so this recipe made me a firm believer! Thanks again!!
Tanya says
Hi Noreen, so glad you liked these wings. They are a fav of mine too. Thanks for letting me know 🙂