Korean Fried Chicken Bites & Coconut Rice
Craving something crispy and crazy good? These Korean Fried Chicken Bites with Coconut Rice bring the perfect mix of sweet, spicy, and creamy vibes for an easy, flavor-packed dinner recipe.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- chicken breasts
- buttermilk
- salt, black pepper, garlic powder
- flour
- cornstarch
- baking powder
- olive oil or frying oil
- brown sugar
- honey
- soy sauce
- gochujang paste
- fresh ginger
- mayo
- yogurt
- lime
- coconut milk
- rice
tips to making the best fried chicken:
There’s two key tips to making the crispiest fried chicken:
Brush on the hot honey. Since the outside coating will be pretty thick and crispy, it’s best to brush on any glazes or hot honey spread rather than tossing around in a bowl to prevent the outside from breaking apart!
Allow time for the chicken to marinate in buttermilk. Preferably, you’d want to let marinate overnight but a few hours will also be bette than nothing! This helps to break down the chicken and make it very tender.
Well batter and double fry. When making your fried chicken, you want to make sure the chicken is well coated in the flour so it looks shaggy on the outside. If needed, add back into the buttermilk and the toss in the flour for a second time. Same when it comes to frying, you may want to fry just until golden, then let rest a few minutes before frying a second time until deeply golden.
How to reheat leftovers:
When ready to serve, reheat the fried chicken at 375F in the oven on a parchment paper lined baking pan until crispy on all sides again (about 6-10 minutes). IF making in advance, only toss the fried chicken bites in the sauce when ready to serve!
Cook with me!
Korean Fried Chicken Bites
Ingredients
For the Fried Chicken Bites:
- 1 ½ lbs. Chicken Breasts sliced into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 tsp. EACH: Salt Black Pepper, Garlic Powder
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- 1 tsp. EACH: Salt Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Dried Chives
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- Olive Oil for frying
For the Korean Sticky Sauce:
- 4 tbsp. Brown Sugar
- 4 tbsp. Honey
- 4 tbsp. Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp. Gochujang Paste
- 1 tbsp. Fresh Ginger grated
- 1 tbsp. Water
- 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds
- 2 Garlic Cloves finely minced
- Optional Scallions, for garnishing
(Optional) Lime Mayo Sauce:
- ½ cup Mayo
- 1/3 cup Plain Yogurt
- Zest and juice of 1 Lime
- Salt & Black Pepper to taste
For the Coconut Rice:
- 2 cups Jasmine or Basmati Rice
- 14 oz can Full Fat Coconut Milk
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1 tsp. Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
- To Prep the Fried Chicken Bites: In a large bowl, combine the chicken sliced into small bite-sized pieces with the one teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Add the buttermilk and mix so that the chicken is underneath the seasoned buttermilk. Cover and marinate in the fridge at least 1 hour (up to overnight).
- While the chicken marinates, this is a good time to make the coconut rice and prep the sauces.
- To Make the Korean Sticky Sauce: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Only heat up after frying the chicken bites.
- To Make the (Opt) Lime Mayo Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix very well to season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add more lime juice, as preferred. Set aside.
- To Make the Fried Chicken Bites: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and remaining seasonings. Mix very well.
- Add 3-4” of olive oil to a small skillet over medium heat. Bring to 350-375F, until the oil is glistening.
- Using a fork, dredge each piece of chicken into the flour mixture then back into the buttermilk mixture and once more into the flour mixture to coat until a shaggy exterior.
- Fry in small batches, so that the skillet isn’t overcrowded, until deeply golden and cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel lined pan to absorb any excess oils.
- Heat up the Korean sticky over medium high heat until bubbly, about 1-2 minutes, then pour over the pan with the fried chicken bites. If needed, transfer to a large bowl. Toss the chicken bites in the sauce using two spoons.
- Serve warm with a drizzle of the lime mayo sauce and freshly chopped scallions!
- For the Coconut Rice: Add the rice and 1 tbsp olive oil to a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat to stir in the coconut milk.
- Add the saucepan back over heat, add the water, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover to cook 20 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork. Let steam 5-10 minutes.
I truly hope you all enjoy this treasured recipe that has nestled its way into our hearts here in the ABM kitchen! ’till next time… xxL
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
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I made this recipe and my family loved it! I do have a question. Your recipe lists 2 TB butter and salt for the rice. But I don’t see that listed being used in the instructions. When do you use it?
This was so delicious and it was fairly easy to make if you can take your time with it. I will definitely be making regularly!
My family is obsessed with this recipe! They even said it’s the best thing I’ve cooked for them. 10/10 would recommend.
Omggg this was so soooo good! My whole family loved this. Definitely making this again and again. A solid 10/10.
My family loved this!
my husband said this might be the best thing I’ve ever made! This was SO good! A labor of love for sure since we did more chicken but so pleased with how it turned out! We will be making this a LOT more!
This was awesome! It reminded us of our favorite takeout spot in college. Thank you!
Love recipes that take you back in time!! Thank you, Sami!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
So yummy! It’s definitely a labor of love to hand batter & fry chicken but it’s worth the time! I cooked the rice, prepped the sauce and added stir fry veggies ahead of time so I could focus on the frying! We loved the sauce too! Fabulous and easy to follow! Having your ingridients ready to go is so helpful! Thank you so much for the recipe!
My family loved this!