Print

Korean Fried Chicken and Rice Waffles

Korean Fried Chicken and Rice Waffles
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Experience the perfect harmony of heat, crunch and comfort with this Korean Fried Chicken and Rice Waffles recipe. We’ve reimagined the classic brunch staple by pairing succulent boneless chicken thighs with our signature crispy rice waffles. This isn’t just a meal, it’s a texture rich journey that brings Korean flavors to your kitchen. 

Tender and flavorful, the buttermilk brine breaks down enzymes in the chicken for a melt-in-your-mouth result. Authentic Korean gochugaru spice provides a complex depth of flavor without being overwhelmingly spicy. The pairing of crispy rice waffles and fried chicken offers a double crunch experience that flour waffles can’t match.  

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, each thigh cut in half
  • 4 cups of canola oil for frying (vegetable or avocado are fine too)
  • 4 rice waffles (recipe here)

Gochugaru Spice Mix (You will need this for the brine, dredge and drizzle sauce)

  • 4 tablespoons gochugaru powder (Korean red pepper powder)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons smoke paprika
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon garlic granules
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Buttermilk Brine

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang
  • 1 tablespoons Gochugaru Spice Mix
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Flour Dredge

  • 1 1/2 cups (185 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons Gochugaru Spice Mix
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Rice Waffles

  • 4 cups of cooked rice
  • 4 tablespoons potato starch
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Spicy Gochugaru Drizzle Sauce

  • 1/2 cup kewpie mayo
  • 2 tablespoons Gochugaru Spice Mix
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Garnish

  • chopped scallions
  • sesame seeds

Instructions

Spice Mix

  1. Combine all the spice ingredients in a medium bowl. Use your hands to break up any clumps.

Brine Chicken

  1. In a large container with a lid, whisk together buttermilk, gochijang, gochugaru, and salt. Use tongs to add coat each chicken in the brine and make sure each piece is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Overnight is best.

Make Spicy Korean Drizzle Sauce

  1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce: kewpie mayo, Gochugaru Spice Mix, honey, gochijang, soy sauce, and salt. Let that sit to allow the sugar in the spice mix to dissolve. Pour into a  squeeze bottle or store in a container.

Fry Chicken

  1. In a skillet or dutch oven, heat about 3 inches of oil to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a 2nd baking sheet with a wire rack.
  2. Combine and whisk together the dredge ingredients. Remove the chicken from the brine one piece at a time and dredge both sides of the chicken in the flour mixture. Place the dredged chicken on the lined baking sheet. Repeat for the rest of the chicken.
  3. Carefully place each chicken into the hot oil and fry for 6 to 8 minutes, turning each piece halfway through cooking. Move the cooked chicken to cool on the wire rack.

Rice Waffles

  1. Preheat your waffle iron.
  2. Combine cooked rice, potato starch, soy sauce, sesame oil and salt. Toss together to mix well. Spread the rice mixture on to your waffle iron, about 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick rice per waffle. Depending on the size of your waffle iron, you may need to do this in batches. Press close the waffle iron and let that cook until your rice waffle is just crispy on the outside. Use a fork to remove your rice waffle from the iron.

Assemble the chicken and waffles

  1. Place 1 or 2 pieces of Korean fried chicken on top of a rice waffle. Drizzle with Korean drizzle sauce and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Equipment

Find it online: https://moderateposh.com/korean-fried-chicken-rice-waffle/