Food Guide

Korean Fried Chicken: Crispier, Saucier, Better

Korean fried chicken is double-fried for maximum crunch, then glazed in sweet-spicy sauces. Often delivered at midnight, always paired with beer.

Korean Fried Chicken: Crispier, Saucier, Better 2

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Quick Facts

What You Need to Know

🌡️

Best Season

Year-round

All seasons

💰

Price Range

₩8,000–30,000

per person

📍

Origin

Seoul

Overview

What Is It?

Korean fried chicken (chimaek, 치맥 = chicken + maekju/beer) is a national obsession. Double-fried at high heat, the skin achieves a glass-like crunch that stays crispy for hours.

The Double-Fry Method

The secret is two rounds of frying. The first fry cooks the meat through. After a brief rest, a second high-heat fry creates the iconic crackly exterior. No soggy skin — ever.

Classic Styles

Huraideu (후라이드) — classic fried, no sauce, pure crunch
Yangnyeom (양념) — coated in sweet-spicy red sauce
Gangjung (강정) — soy-garlic glaze, slightly sweet
Half & Half (반반) — get both styles at once
Snow Cheese (눈꽃치즈) — topped with parmesan powder snow

Where to Eat

Standalone chicken restaurants (chikin-jip) are everywhere. Major chains: BBQ Chicken, Kyochon, BHC, Nene Chicken. For the full chimaek experience, sit outside near the Han River with delivery.

Ordering Tips

Order whole birds, not pieces — Korean fried chicken is sold by the whole bird (한 마리). Boneless options are labeled bbalsal (뼈살).

📖 Brief History

Korean fried chicken (치킨) is double-fried chicken known for its ultra-crispy coating, often tossed in sweet, spicy, or soy garlic sauces.

Fried chicken arrived in Korea through American military influence during and after the Korean War (1950–1953). By the 1960s and 1970s, whole roasted and fried chicken began appearing in small restaurants. The modern Korean fried chicken industry took off in the 1980s and 1990s with franchise chains perfecting the double-frying technique — frying the chicken twice to create an exceptionally crispy exterior while keeping the inside juicy. The sweet and spicy yangnyeom (양념) sauce variety, now iconic worldwide, was popularized in the 2000s and helped Korean fried chicken become a global phenomenon.

Koreans eat fried chicken primarily as an evening or late-night snack, especially as delivery food. The term "chimaek" (치맥) — a portmanteau of chicken (치킨) and maekju (맥주, beer) — describes the beloved pairing of fried chicken with cold draft beer. It is extremely popular while watching sports, during weekend gatherings with friends, or simply as a late-night treat ordered through delivery apps.

Korean fried chicken comes in several styles: original crispy (후라이드), sweet-spicy sauce-coated (양념), soy garlic (간장), and various newer flavors. It is typically served with pickled radish cubes (치킨무) to cut through the richness. Koreans eat it with their hands, alternating between bites of crispy chicken and sips of beer. Delivery is the most popular way to enjoy it — ordering to a park, a riverside, or simply at home is a quintessential Korean experience.

Where to Eat