Kkanpunggi

Kkanpunggi is a traditional Korean dish made with chicken breast. It has an intensely flavourful sauce which is savoury, sweet, and spicy. The South Koreans were inspired by crispy fried chicken popular in China and, as a result, 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.

Ingredients

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

Gochugaru are mild red pepper flakes that add a gentle heat to the dish. Onions and garlic add crunch. The leeks are the unexpected part of this dish that adds a savoury flair. The flavour of this dish comes from the sauce that coats the chicken, which is made with oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and dark soy sauce. White pepper and sugar balance the dish’s flavours.

Instructions

Slice the onion and the garlic cloves, and thinly slice the Leeks into circular shapes. Mince the ginger, cut the green onions, and wash three dried red chilies.

Make the base sauce for kkanpunggi, combine oyster sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water in a small bowl. Mix the sauce ingredients thoroughly to ensure the sugar crystals dissolve. Set aside, this sauce will be used after the chicken is fried.

Thereafter, wash and cut the chicken into small cubes. It shouldn’t be thicker than half an inch. Pat dry with a kitchen towel and set it aside. Add soy sauce to the chicken to infuse it with more flavour.

Add cooking oil to a wok, set the heat to medium-low, and sauté the leeks and garlic. After the leeks and garlic are caramelized, remove the ingredients out of the wok and set aside.

---

Make the Chili oil: Making chili oil for this recipe is super simple: just add gochugaru to the cooking oil in a wok and fry for 30 seconds on low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of gochugaru instead of 1/2 tablespoon.

Korean gochugaru adds a mild, fruity flavour to the chili oil; however, other types of crushed red pepper flakes can be used. The heat from other chili flakes can be more substantial, so use a small amount if you are unsure about its heat level.

Fry the Chicken: Use a separate pan with oil to lightly fry the chicken. Set the temperature to medium-low. Then coat the chicken with flour using your hand or another utensil. Add drops of water here and there while coating the chicken with flour, which will create tiny clumps and add a bit of crispiness.

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. After the chicken is fried, remove it from the oil and set it aside. Add the onion and ginger to the wok with chili oil and cook for 8 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring continuously.

Add the sauce made earlier in the process. Add the chicken to the wok after the onions have caramelized. Mix everything until the chicken is evenly coated with sauce and all the ingredients are well combined. Stir-fry everything for two minutes on medium-high heat, stirring continuously. 

Drizzle sesame seed oil to intensify the aroma and lightly garnish with black sesame seeds, serve while warm.

What can you Serve with Kkanpunggi?

Steamed rice is a classic accompaniment to kkanpunggi, adding volume and balancing the sauce’s flavour. Any type of kimchi, or Korean pickled vegetables like jangachi, 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 to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. Kkanpunggi can be stored in the fridge for up to four to five days. Reheating the kkanpunggi in a frying pan.