Fried chicken is a staple in culinary cultures from the Far East to the Wild West, and each is unique in its own way. Whether pan-fried, stir-fried, or deep-fried, chicken goes so well with batter and oil that it truly could be a food group of its own.
In Louisiana, places like Willie Mae’s Scotch House in New Orleans, Delpit’s Chicken Shack in Baton Rouge, and Hot Food Express in Lafayette, create out-of-this-world fried chicken in the state’s own style. However, there is one variety of fried chicken that might just be out-trending those south of the Mason-Dixon Line: Korean fried chicken.
With a thin and crispy batter, this version from East Asia has found a place on the menu of restaurants like Phillip Lopez’s Root in the Crescent City. I recently featured some Korean fried chicken wings on a pop-up dinner menu at the Tin Roof Brewing Company in Baton Rouge. The “Asian Wing Trifecta” course featured a tandoori-style chicken wing from Chef Aaron Brown of the Taco de Paco food truck, as well as a ginger-sesame Chappapeela Farms duck wing, and a Cajun-influenced Korean fried wing by yours truly.
I turned to Serious Eats writer J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for a little inspiration on the Korean fried chicken method, and then took it from there with my adaptation of a Louisiana-spiced Korean fried chicken wing. Diners were pleased with the crispy battered skin of these wings, and they’re one of my new favorites.
- 4 pounds whole chicken wings
- 1½ cups cornstarch, divided
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, divided
- 2 quarts peanut oil for frying
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup vodka
- Louisiana-style hot sauce, to serve
- Rinse wings and pat dry. In a large bowl, combine ½ cup cornstarch, 4 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Add chicken to bowl and toss until completely coated. Shake off excess cornstarch mixture, then place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat peanut oil over medium heat until it reads 350° on a candy or deep-fry thermometer.
- In a large bowl, combine remaining 1 cup cornstarch, remaining 1 teaspoon baking powder, flour, and Cajun seasoning. Whisk in water and vodka until smooth. Batter should be thin; add additional water if needed.
- Add 6 wings to batter; toss to coat. Remove wings from batter, letting excess drip off , and add to hot oil one at a time. Cook in batches, turning occasionally, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from oil to drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with additional kosher salt. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.
What could Substitute the vodka with
You can replace vodka with more water instead, so have 2 cups of water ready for this recipe.