The crispiest, crunchiest Korean Fried Chicken Salad! With a bright and tangy persimmon vinaigrette to make it extra special. An absolutely delicious Korean-inspired salad that’s chock-full of fresh, vibrant flavors. And the crispiest Korean fried chicken ever!
Korean Fried Chicken Salad
I simply adore a good fried chicken salad. And Korean Fried Chicken Salad with crispy, crackly Korean Fried Chicken is especially delicious!
The secret ingredient is a potato starch batter that keeps the chicken light and shatteringly crisp. The texture is a delightful reminder of why we all love Korean Fried Chicken so much — that delightful brittle crunch!
To amplify the Korean flavors, there’s a light and tangy Korean-inspired vinaigrette with persimmon vinegar, soy sauce, and plenty of garlic and chili peppers. And don’t forget the slices of ripe, juicy persimmon! Fuyu Persimmons are a well-beloved Korean fruit with a subtly sweet, honeyed flavor. The end result is so fresh!
Similar to Korean-style Rotisserie Chicken Salad, it only takes a few tweaks to make a classic salad unbelievably light and refreshing.
Take your salad game to the next level with Korean Fried Chicken Salad!
Ingredients:
- Chicken Thighs. Boneless chicken thighs stay tender and juicy, even when deep-fried. If you can, keep the skin intact — it will add another layer of flavor and extra-crunchy texture.
- Soy Sauce. Salty, umami flavor.
- Mirin/Mirim. Korean or Japanese sweet cooking wine. Removes the gamey flavor of the chicken.
- Potato Starch. To dredge the chicken and create an ultra-crispy and crunchy coating! Can be subbed with corn starch, if you don’t have it.
- Egg white. Creates a crispier coating.
- Persimmon Vinaigrette. A fresh and tangy Korean-style vinaigrette, made with persimmon vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, and chili peppers (fresno, jalapeno, finger chili peppers all work well). If you can’t find persimmon vinegar, use apple vinegar, rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
- Romaine hearts. Any salad greens work but romaine hearts are especially crunchy and crispy. Red, green, butter, or gem lettuce would also work nicely.
- Mini Cucumber. Stays crunchy and crisp. My preference over large English cucumbers.
- Persimmon. Seasonal Fuyu Persimmons are delicately flavored with an earthy, honey-like sweetness. Look for slightly firm persimmons that are bright orange without any bruising or discoloration. Do not use Hachiya persimmons, which need to be soft and fully ripened before eating.
Instructions:
- Marinate chicken. Add chicken thighs to bowl with soy sauce and mirin. Mix well and set aside.
- Make vinaigrette. In a glass jar, add soy sauce, persimmon vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, grapeseed oil, minced garlic, and minced chili peppers. Set aside.
- Prep chicken. To the marinated chicken, add egg white and potato starch. Dredge the chicken thighs until well coated with beading from the potato starch and liquid.
- Deep fry 1st time. Heat a Dutch oven with 2 inches of oil (grapeseed oil or vegetable oil) over medium heat until a thermometer hits 350F. Add chicken thighs in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Deep fry until golden and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove and set aside on cooling rack fitted over a sheet pan. Make sure to flip the chicken about halfway through at the 2-minute mark.
- Deep fry 2nd time. Cool chicken briefly and deep fry again, about 1-2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Assemble salad. In a large shallow bowl, add romaine hearts, cucumbers, and persimmons. Shake the vinaigrette to emulsify and drizzle all over. Toss the greens.
- Add fried chicken and serve. Slice fried chicken into bite-sized strips and add directly on top of salad. Enjoy!
Watch how to make it:
PRO Tips:
- Set up a deep frying station. To deep fry at home, set up a deep frying station: a dutch oven, candy thermometer, and cooling rack fitted over a sheet pan. The dutch oven makes the best deep frying vessel as the high walls prevent the oil from splashing over and the cast iron is a great heat conductor. The candy thermometer (affiliate) helps to accurately gauge the oil temperature. And the cooling rack fitted over a sheet pan prevents soggy chicken after it’s fried. Also, a metal strainer and tongs are helpful tools when frying the chicken.
- Double fry the chicken! The key to creating extra-crispy Korean fried chicken. The second fry is only 1-2 minutes and ensures the chicken stays extra crispy and crackly.
- Adjust spice level. Feel free to adjust the spicy level to your preference. I include 2 chili peppers and their seeds in the vinaigrette, which is only moderately spicy. To make it less spicy, do not include the seeds. Or, swap with red bell pepper instead.
Variations:
- Add more herbs. For a more herbal, aromatic flavor, add big handfuls of finely chopped perilla leaves, cilantro, and green onions into the salad bowl.
- Make into a sandwich. Stuff into brioche buns for a Korean-inspired fried chicken sandwich. YUM!
FAQ:
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, Korean Fried Chicken Salad can be made in advance — or at least mostly in advance.
Prep the salad components and store in the fridge, tightly sealed, and in separate containers. Also, prep the vinaigrette and store in a glass jar. For the fried chicken, you can fry the 1st time up to 4 hours beforehand. But for best flavor and texture, I suggest frying the 2nd time right before serving.
Other salad recipes to enjoy:
- Kale Apple Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette
- Korean Romaine Salad (Sangchu Geotjeori)
- Arugula Quinoa Salad with Feta
- Cilantro Lime Slaw with Jalapeno
- Korean Sushi Salad Bowl (Hwe Dup Bap)
Korean Fried Chicken Salad
The crispiest, crunchiest Korean Fried Chicken Salad! With a bright and tangy persimmon vinaigrette to make it extra special. Make this absolutely delicious Korean-inspired salad that's chock-full of fresh, vibrant flavors. And the crispiest Korean fried chicken ever!
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- candy thermometer
- Cooling rack
- rimmed sheet pan
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Persimmon Vinegar (can be subbed with apple vinegar, rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar)
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Sesame seeds toasted
- 1 Tbsp Grapeseed oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 chili peppers fresno or jalapeno, minced
Salad
- 1 large head romaine hearts chopped
- 2 mini cucumbers sliced thinly
- 1-2 Persimmons peeled and sliced thinly
Chicken
- 4 boneless chicken thighs with skin preferably
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp Mirin/Mirim or Korean sweet cooking wine (can be subbed with sake)
- 1 egg white
- 3/4 cup Potato starch can be subbed with corn starch
Instructions
- Marinate chicken. Add chicken thighs to bowl with soy sauce and mirin. Mix well and set aside.
- Make vinaigrette. In a glass jar, add soy sauce, persimmon vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, grapeseed oil, minced garlic, and minced chili peppers. Set aside.
- Prep chicken. To the marinated chicken, add egg white and potato starch. Dredge the chicken thighs until well coated with beading from the potato starch and liquid.
- Deep fry 1st time. Heat a Dutch oven with 2 inches oil (grapeseed oil or vegetable oil) over medium heat until a thermometer hits 350F. Add chicken thighs in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan. Deep fry until golden and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove and set aside on cooling rack fitted over a sheet pan. Make sure to flip the chicken about halfway through at the 2 minute mark.
- Deep fry 2nd time. Cool chicken briefly and deep fry again, about 1-2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Assemble salad. In a large shallow bowl, add romaine hearts, cucumbers, and persimmons. Shake vinaigrette to emulsify and drizzle all over. Toss the greens with tongs.
- Add fried chicken. Slice Korean fried chicken into bite-sized strips and add directly on top of the assembled salad.
- Serve. Enjoy immediately!
Video
Notes
Additional Tips:
- Set up a deep frying station. To make deep frying easier at home, set up a deep frying station: a dutch oven, candy thermometer, and cooling rack fitted over a sheet pan. The dutch oven makes the best deep frying vessel as the high walls prevent the oil from splashing over and the cast iron is a great heat conductor. The candy thermometer (affiliate) helps to accurately gauge the oil temperature. And the cooling rack fitted over a sheet pan prevents soggy chicken after it’s fried. Also, a metal strainer and tongs are helpful tools when frying the chicken.
- Double fry the chicken! The key to creating extra-crispy fried chicken. The second fry is only 1-2 minutes and ensures the chicken stays extra crispy and crackly.
- Adjust spice level. Feel free to adjust the spicy level to your preference. I include 2 chili peppers and their seeds in the vinaigrette, which is only moderately spicy. To make it less spicy, do not include the seeds. Or, swap with red bell pepper instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 1067kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 47gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 17gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 221mgSodium: 1810mgPotassium: 1553mgFiber: 5gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 412IUVitamin C: 61mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
This fried chicken salad was the best salad I have ever had. My whole family loved it too. This is definitely one to make again.