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5 from 1 vote

Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Nuggets - (Gluten Free)

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Asian, korean
Keyword: asian chicken, chicken, gluten free, gluten free soy sauce, gojuchang red pepper paste, red onion, sesame seeds
Servings: 6 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Equipment

  • deep fry cooking thermometer
  • dutch oven
  • fine mesh oil skimmer

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup gluten free flour I use Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • peanut oil for frying
  • 1/3 cup Korean gojuchang red pepper paste* or less according to your spice tolerance level, I use O’Food brand
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce I use San-J
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds as garnish, optional
  • few thin slices red onion as garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Pat dry and trim the chicken. Toss chicken in the flour, then place into eggs and coat each piece in cornstarch.
  • In a large bowl add gojuchang red pepper paste, vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
  • Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat 3 inches of peanut oil to 375 degrees in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan.
  • Place half of chicken pieces in the pan and fry chicken for 3-4 minutes or until browned and crispy. You may need to use tongs or a fork to separate the pieces bc they tend to clump together. Use a fine mesh oil skimmer to carefully remove the chicken pieces and transfer to paper towels on a plate
  • Bring oil heat back up to 375 degrees and fry the remaining chicken pieces. Once all chicken is cooked and drained, add to the bowl with the sauce.
  • Toss chicken to combine with the sauce and garnish with sesame seeds and red onion slices. Serve immediately. (Optional: to complete this dish make Rachel Ray's quick-style korean pickles to serve with the chicken. See link to pickle recipe in the notes below.)

Notes

*Make sure to look at the ingredients on the red pepper paste container. Many brands contain wheat. This brand does not but states it is" manufactured in a facility that processes wheat." If you are unable to tolerate this, please do not use this brand. Here is a homemade, gluten free red pepper paste recipe, if you run into problems https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-gochujang-sauce-korean-chili-paste/.
When working with raw chicken always use a separate cutting board and be sure to wash it and the counter thoroughly. I have a dedicated cutting board for chicken.
If you don't eat chicken, extra firm tofu could be substituted for the chicken.
Serve with white or brown rice.
To complete the dish, make a batch of quick-style Korean pickles to serve with the chicken.  Quick-style Korean Pickles