Air fryer Korean fried chicken sandwiches
Shatteringly crisp chicken glazed in sticky sweet-spicy gochujang honey, piled on soft buns with a tangy sesame slaw.
- 50 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 4
- About $2.38 a serving
- 630 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs, about 4 thighs
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 cups coleslaw mix
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 hamburger buns
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar, divided
- 1 tsp sugar
Each serving has about 630 calories, 41 g protein, 63 g carbs and 23 g fat, and costs about $2.38 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No honey? Maple syrup works.
- No coleslaw mix? Green cabbage or red cabbage works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the chicken with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and the pepper, then cover and leave it in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Timer: 10 min
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the air fryer to 380°F. In a shallow dish, mix the cornstarch, flour and ½ teaspoon salt.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Press each thigh into the coating on both sides, shake off the extra, and let them sit 5 minutes until the coating looks damp.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Cornstarch is what makes Korean fried chicken glassy and crisp instead of bready.with the oil so no dry powder is showing, lay the chicken in the basket without touching, and air fry 18 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until and it reads 165°F.
Drizzle. Drizzling means pouring a thin, slow stream over the top of something. A thin stream spreads a little flavor a long way.
How you’ll know: You see thin lines across the food, not a puddle collecting underneath.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Timer: 19 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Meanwhile, the gochujang, honey, garlic, the rest of the soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar in a small over medium and let it bubble 1 to 2 minutes, until glossy.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min 30 sec
the coleslaw mix with the rest of the vinegar, the sugar, the sesame seeds and the rest of the salt.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Brush the all over the hot chicken.
Glaze. A glaze is a thin, glossy coating, often sweet, brushed or spooned over food near the end. It adds shine and flavor, and because it has sugar, it can burn quickly.
How you’ll know: The food looks shiny and evenly coated, sticky at the edges but not blackened.
Dolly’s tip: Glaze it right before you build the sandwiches. The longer it sits in sauce, the softer the crust gets.Spread the buns with mayonnaise, add the chicken and a big pile of slaw, and close.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
