Korean fried chicken 치킨

A box of crispy Korean fried chicken

Korean fried chicken, called chikin (치킨) in Korean, is chicken pieces fried until the coating is thin and crunchy. It is sold plain or coated in sauce, and it is one of the most common takeout and delivery meals in Korea.

You can eat it at a chicken restaurant, at a pub (hof, 호프) with beer, or have it delivered to your hotel or a park. It is usually served with pickled radish (chikin-mu, 치킨무), and a small dip or seasoning salt.

"Chikin" covers several different dishes. The flavor comes from how the chicken is coated and sauced, so it helps to know the kinds before you order.

Kinds of Korean fried chicken

Fried chicken 후라이드

Crispy golden fried chicken pieces in a paper-lined box

Huraideu (후라이드) is the plain version: chicken coated in a light batter and fried, with nothing on it. The skin is crunchy and the meat is juicy, and it is the base for all the other kinds. It is the best choice if you want to taste the chicken itself. You can dip it in salt or sauce, and eat it with the pickled radish to cut the oil.

Yangnyeom chicken 양념치킨

Fried chicken glazed in a dark red sweet and spicy sauce on a plate

Yangnyeom (양념) means seasoned sauce. The fried chicken is tossed in a sticky red sauce made with gochujang (고추장), Korean chili paste, sweetened with sugar or syrup. The result is sweet, a little spicy and sticky, so the coating is less crunchy than plain fried chicken. It is the most popular flavored chicken.

Soy sauce chicken 간장치킨

Ganjang (간장) means soy sauce. The fried chicken is brushed with a savory-sweet soy and garlic glaze, which gives it a dark, glossy surface. It is not spicy, so it is the usual pick for children and for anyone who does not like chili heat. Some places add sesame seeds or a little garlic on top.

Scallion chicken 파닭

Fried chicken in a box topped with a pile of shredded green scallions

Pa (파) means scallion and dak (닭) means chicken. Padak is fried chicken buried under a heap of fresh shredded scallions with a tangy soy-based sauce. The raw scallion is sharp and fresh, which balances the oil in the chicken. Order it if you find plain fried chicken heavy.

Half-and-half 반반

Banban fried chicken: pieces coated in red sauce next to plain fried pieces

Banban (반반) means half and half. You get one chicken with two flavors, usually plain fried on one side and yangnyeom or soy on the other. It is the easy way to try two kinds, and it is the standard order for two or three people who cannot agree. Some restaurants offer banban with other combinations, so ask which flavors are available.

Chimaek 치맥

Chimaek (치맥) is chikin plus maekju (맥주), beer, combined into one word. It is a way of eating rather than a kind of chicken: fried chicken with cold beer, at a pub, on a park lawn or in front of a TV. In Seoul people often order delivery to a Han River park or a baseball game and eat it outdoors. Any of the flavors above works, and plain fried or yangnyeom are the usual choices.

How to eat and order

Order by the kind and the amount. Chicken is usually ordered by the whole bird (hanmari, 한 마리), and some places also sell a half (banmari, 반마리). Say the flavor in Korean: "huraideu", "yangnyeom" or "ganjang". For a mix, say "banban".

At a chicken pub, order the chicken with beer (maekju, 맥주) or soju. Pickled radish and a small dip usually come with it.

Delivery is very common. Delivery usually goes through Korean apps, so ask your hotel staff or a local friend to order for you. Eat it soon after it arrives, while the coating is still crisp.

Where to find it

Photo credits