My love of both KFC popcorn chicken and dakgangjeong, a traditional Korean dish of fried chicken coated in a sticky, sweet, and garlicky glaze (and often topped with nuts or sesame seeds), informed this recipe. These days you can find versions of dakgangjeong that combine the chicken with chewy, lightly pan-fried rice cakes. I took that inspo and ran, turning it into a snacky starter served on a skewer or stick for a finger food no one can resist.
This crisp coating on the chicken is due to two details: potato starch (you can sub corn starch) and the double fry. In the first phase of cooking, you will divide up the chicken into two batches, shallow-frying each with enough space to prevent steaming. In the second phase, everyone goes back into the pool (er, the pan) for a quick final fry. This stage takes barely any time and helps to keep the shell on the popcorn chicken crisp for an extended period (if they don’t all get eaten at once!). One recommendation: Plan to make more than you think if you’re expecting guests—this dish has a tendency to disappear faster than you can make ’em.
4 servings
1
1¼
1
10
2
1½
¼
2
1
1
1
Place 1 cup cylindrical rice cakes (about 2½” long) in a medium bowl; pour in cool water to cover. Let soak 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Cut rice cakes in half; set aside.
Meanwhile, combine 1¼ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs and/or breasts, cut into 1″ pieces, one 1″ piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, 1 Tbsp. mirin, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl; season with freshly ground pepper. Mix well; set aside.
Whisk 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, remaining 1 Tbsp. mirin, and ½ cup water in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Set dressing aside.
Place 1 cup potato starch or cornstarch and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a large bowl; season generously with pepper and whisk to combine. Remove reserved chicken from bowl, letting any marinade drip back into bowl; place in bowl with seasoned potato starch. Gently toss to coat, pressing down into mixture and turning to cover every surface; set aside.
Pour vegetable oil (about 1½ cups) into a medium stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet to come ½” up sides and heat over medium-high until an instant-read thermometer inserted into oil registers 350°. Fry half of chicken in a single layer until golden brown and crisp underneath, 2–3 minutes. Turn over; fry until golden brown and crisp on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a parchment-lined baking sheet; season with salt. Using a slotted spoon, remove any dark bits from oil and return oil to 350°; repeat with remaining chicken. Bring oil back to 350° again, then return all of the chicken to pan. Fry until deep golden brown, 1–2 minutes. Transfer back to rack.
Stir remaining 1 tsp. potato starch or cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl until starch is dissolved. Set slurry aside.
Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium. Add reserved rice cakes and cook, stirring, until golden brown in spots, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to rack with chicken. Reduce heat to medium-low and carefully pour in reserved dressing. Cook, stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula, until sugar is dissolved. Add reserved slurry (give it a quick stir if it has separated); cook, stirring constantly, until dissolved into sauce. Continue to cook sauce, stirring occasionally, until a line drawn through sauce with spatula holds, 30–60 seconds more. Reduce heat to low; add chicken and rice cakes and toss until every piece is coated with some sauce; remove from heat.
Arrange chicken and rice cakes on a large plate; top with chopped salted roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro. Serve with toothpicks or skewers if desired.
