People | Food | Culture

Kkanpunggi

ByAva
Published OnSep 2, 2025
Updated OnJun 22, 2026

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, garlic, and leeks; mince the ginger and cut the green onions. Wash three dried red chilies. Mix oyster sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water to make the kkanpunggi sauce. Cut chicken into half-inch cubes, pat dry, and marinate with soy sauce.

Heat cooking oil in a wok over medium-low heat and sauté the leeks and garlic until caramelized. Set aside. For chili oil, add 1 tbsp of gochugaru to the cooking oil in the wok and fry on low heat for 30 seconds.

Korean gochugaru adds a mild, fruity flavor to chili oil, but other red pepper flakes can be used—just start with a small amount if unsure of their heat. Lightly fry the chicken in medium-low oil. Coat the chicken with flour while adding drops of water to create clumps for extra 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 for aroma and garnish with black sesame seeds. Serve warm. Kkanpunggi is a delicious, crispy Korean fried chicken with a spicy, mildly sweet sauce, known for its unforgettable flavor and crunch. Enjoy immediately!

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.