Kkanpunggi

Kkanpunggi is a traditional Korean dish made with chicken breast. It has an intensely flavourful sauce which is savoury, sweet, and spicy. The sauteed vegetables along with the flavourful chicken create a crunchy dish that is full of flavour.

The South Koreans were inspired by crispy fried chicken that is popular in China, and as a result, they developed their own version to suit their palates. Kkanpunggi is served at many Korean and Chinese restaurants, where it is eaten alongside banchans and other dishes, such as jajanmyeon, which is a type of black bean noodles.

Gochugaru are red pepper flakes that are mild in flavour; they add a gentle heat to the dish. Onions and bell peppers add crunch. The leeks are the unexpected part of this dish that adds a savoury flair. We strongly advise that you add them to this dish; it makes a world of difference. If you don’t use a lot of leeks in your food, you can always slice them up and place them in the freezer for the days that you will use them. Garlic cloves and ginger add a fragrant flavour that complements the chicken.

The sauce that coats the chicken is made with oyster sauce, a common ingredient in Asian cooking, which adds a unique flavour to this dish. Rice vinegar adds a tangy punch, and dark soy sauce deepens the colour of the chicken—a little bit of ground white pepper and sugar balances out the flavours of the dish. All-purpose flour lightly coats the chicken and ensures that it crisps to perfection.

Ingredients

Chicken Breast, Gochugaru, Cooking oil, Leek, Onion, Bell peppers, Garlic cloves, Fresh ginger, Oyster sauce, Rice vinegar, Dark soy sauce, Ground white pepper, Sugar, Water, All-purpose flour.

Instructions

Slice the onion, mince the garlic cloves, julienne the bell peppers, and thinly slice the Leeks into matchsticks. To make the base sauce for kkanpunggi, prepare a small bowl and add oyster sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water. Mix the sauce ingredients thoroughly to ensure that the sugar crystals are dissolved.

Thereafter, wash and prepare the chicken by cutting it into bite-sized cubes. It shouldn’t be thicker than half an inch. Pat dry with a kitchen towel and set it aside along with the plate of all-purpose flour. Coating the chicken with flour will be done just before frying the chicken. Place the meat in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

You can either use store-bought chili oil or create your own version at home. Making chili oil for this recipe is super simple; just add gochugaru into the cooking oil in a wok and fry for thirty seconds on low heat. Be attentive, the chili flakes can burn very quickly. Add one tablespoon of gochugaru, instead of half a tablespoon, if you are a fan of spicy food.

Korean gochugaru adds mild and fruity flavor to the chili oil; however, other types of crushed red pepper flakes can be used, such as Cayenne or Italian, which are readily available in stores, or use chili flakes that you are familiar with. Incorporate Sichuan peppercorn flakes for an interesting tingling sensation in addition to heat.

Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the wok with chili oil and cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring continuously. Then, add the Leek and cook for one minute while stirring. Use a separate pan with oil to lightly fry the chicken. Set the temperature to medium low. Pat the chicken dry with a kitchen towel to remove any excess water.

Then, coat the chicken with flour by using your hand or other utensils. Be gentle and coat all the surfaces of the chicken with flour. Add drops of water here and there while coating the chicken with flour, which will create tiny clumps of flour and add bits of crispy bites to the chicken. Wash your hands after coating the chicken.

Preheat the cooking oil to a medium-low temperature of around 170 °C to 180 °C (338°F to 356°F). Gently place one chicken at a time on the pan, whilst spreading them out to prevent them from sticking to each other.

Fry the chicken for four minutes on each side. While the chicken is frying, add the bell pepper and the base sauce to the wok of vegetables. Stir-fry everything for two minutes on medium-high heat, stirring continuously. 

Adjust the temperature to the lowest and add the fried chicken to the wok. Stir everything until the chicken is evenly coated with sauce and all the ingredients are well combined. Drizzle sesame seed oil to intensify the aroma and lightly garnish with black sesame seeds, serve while warm.

What can you Serve with Kkanpunggi?

Kkanpunggi is a tasty, crispy Korean fried chicken coated in a spicy and mildly sweet sauce. It is flavourful and has a umami taste, which pairs well with many side dishes, such as steamed rice, kimchi, radish kimchi, pickled onion, or pickled radish called dongchimi. 

Steamed rice is a classic accompaniment to serve with kkanpunggi, completing the dish by adding volume and balancing the flavour of the sauce. Any type of kimchi, or Korean pickled vegetables like jangachi(장아치), adds tangy or vinegary zing that cuts through the richness of the kkanpunggi and balances the overall flavour.

How to Store and Reheat Kkanpunggi?

Allow the kkanpunggi to cool down to room temperature, and then transfer it into an airtight container. It would be best to keep the sauce and the chicken separately; however, most likely, the kkanpunggi you made will be covered in sauce. The leftover kkanpunggi covered in sauce will no longer be crispy, but the taste will be the same. Kkanpunggi can be stored in the fridge for up to four to five days. Freezing the kkanpunggi is not recommended. 

Reheating the kkanpunggi in a frying pan. Add half a teaspoon of cooking oil, one teaspoon of water, and add the kkanpunggi. Then reheat the chicken on medium-low heat for two to three minutes while stirring occasionally.