10 Best Sauces for Korean Fried Chicken

Nothing takes Korean fried chicken to the next level like a delicious sauce!

Whether it’s extra-spicy, sweet and sticky, or garlicky goodness you’re looking for, I’ve got the perfect sauces lined up.

Korean fried chicken is crisp and crispy on the outside, yet still juicy from being double-fried.

It can be served as wings or nuggets, giving you lots of great options for pairing it with any number of these 10 drool-worthy sauces.

My favorite is definitely gochujang barbecue—tender Korean Fried Chicken tossed in a spicy blend of chili paste and soy sauce—but there are plenty more where that came from!

Try sweet honey butter or garlic parmesan… yummm!

What are you waiting for?

Let’s get saucy!

Read Also:

• The 16 BEST Sides for Fried Chicken
• 15 Best Salads To Go With Fried Chicken
• Korean BBQ Wine Pairing – The Best Wines for Korean BBQ
• Fried Chicken Wine Pairing – Best Wines for Fried Chicken

What is Korean Fried Chicken?

Korean fried chicken, also known as chikin in Korea, is a type of fried chicken dish that was created in South Korea and is now a popular dish all over the world.

This dish is made by marinating chicken pieces in a spiced batter, then deep-frying them twice until they are golden and crispy.

The result is a juicy, flavor-packed chicken that is usually served with a variety of sauces, such as soy sauce, garlic, and spicy gochujang.

Korean fried chicken is enjoyed as a meal, an appetizer, or as an after-meal snack, and is often a favorite choice for parties and gatherings.

10 Best Sauces for Korean Fried Chicken

Korean fried chicken is a delicious dish, but it’s even better with the right sauce.

Here are ten of the best sauces for Korean fried chicken that will take your meal to the next level:

1. Gochujang Sauce

Gochujang sauce is a traditional Korean condiment made from chili peppers, fermented soybeans, and various spices.

It has a complex flavor that is both sweet and spicy.

It’s often used as a marinade or dipping sauce for fried chicken, but can also be used in other dishes such as soups, stews, stir-fries, and salads.

Ingredient List

• ¼ cup of gochujang (a type of Korean red pepper paste)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoon strawberry jam (use the seedless variety)
• 2 ½ Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ½ Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 6 Tablespoons water (or more if needed to thin out the consistency)
• 2 cloves garlic minced or grated ginger root about ½ teaspoon salt and a small pinch of five spice powder (optional).
• You may also add ketchup for an extra kick.

How to Make it

1. To make the gochujang sauce easily start by combining all ingredients in a bowl or food processor and whisking until fully combined.
2. Taste test the mixture and adjust seasonings as desired. If you find that the mixture is too thick then add some additional water until it reaches your desired consistency.
3. Serve with your favorite fried chicken dish!

2. Hot Honey Butter Garlic Sauce

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Hot honey butter garlic sauce is a sweet, spicy, and savory condiment that is commonly used as a dipping sauce for Korean fried chicken.

It combines the sweetness of honey with the heat of chilli sauce, along with butter and garlic salt to create a unique flavor profile.

What You’ll Need

• 60 g salted butter
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 tablespoons chili sauce – Lingams or Sriracha

How to Make it

1. Begin by melting the butter in a small pot over medium-low heat.
2. Once melted, add the garlic salt and stir until combined.
3. Next add the honey and stir until completely incorporated into the mixture.
4. Finally add in your preferred type of chilli sauce (Lingams or Sriracha) and stir until fully blended together.
5. Serve warm or cold as desired with Korean fried chicken!

3. Garlic Parmesan Sauce

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Garlic Parmesan sauce is a creamy, flavorful sauce that can be used to enhance the flavor of many dishes.

The combination of garlic and Parmesan cheese creates a rich and savory flavor that pairs well with fried chicken, pasta, vegetables, and more.

What You’ll Need

• butter
• garlic cloves (finely minced)
• Italian seasoning
• flour
• vegetable broth
• heavy cream
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• parsley (finely chopped)
• Kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper

How To Make It

1. Begin by melting the butter in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
2. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Stir in the Italian seasoning then sprinkle in the flour while stirring constantly to avoid lumps from forming.
4. Slowly whisk in vegetable broth until smooth then add heavy cream followed by grated parmesan cheese.
5. Simmer on low-medium heat for about 10 minutes or until thickened slightly stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking to bottom of pan.
6. Once desired consistency is reached stir through chopped parsley season with salt & pepper as needed before serving over your favorite dish!

4. Kecap Manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)

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Kecap manis is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce made from a combination of soy sauce, sugar, molasses, garlic, ginger, star anise and cloves.

It has a thick consistency and a sweet-salty flavor.

It is commonly used as a dipping sauce for fried chicken or other dishes such as noodles and rice.

What You’ll Need

• soy sauce (use a brand you know you like)
• palm/coconut sugar or brown sugar (note: palm/coconut sugar has a rich caramel/butterscotch flavor whereas brown sugar yields a sweeter-tasting sauce – take your pick!)
• molasses
• garlic cloves
• fresh ginger root that’s been peeled and quartered
• whole star anise pods and whole cloves

How to Make it

1. Begin by combining the soy sauce and the palm/coconut sugar or brown sugar in a medium pot over medium heat.
2. Stir until the sugars dissolve completely into the liquid.
3. Then add in the molasses followed by the garlic cloves, ginger pieces, star anise pods and whole cloves.
4. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until thickened slightly but still pourable.
5. Allow to cool before transferring into bottles or jars with lids for storage in refrigerator up to 1 month.

5. Chili Tahini Lime Sauce

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This Chili Tahini Lime Sauce is a delicious and easy way to take any fried chicken dish to the next level.

It has a creamy base of tahini, with a kick of chili powder and smoked paprika, balanced out by the bright flavor of lime juice.

What You’ll Need

1. 1/4 cup tahini
2. the juice of 2 limes
3. 1 teaspoon chili powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
5. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and a generous pinch of salt.

You may also need to add some water as needed to thin it out for desired consistency.

How To Make It

1. Just mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined.
2. Add a little water if necessary to reach desired consistency.
3. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed before serving over your favorite fried chicken dish!

6. Honey Mustard Sauce

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Honey mustard sauce is a creamy, tangy condiment that pairs perfectly with fried chicken.

The combination of honey and mustard creates a unique flavor that’s both sweet and savory.

This sauce can be used as a dip for crispy chicken wings or drizzled over the top for an extra layer of flavor.

What You’ll Need

To make this delicious honey mustard sauce, you will need mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt.

All these ingredients can be found at your local grocery store.

How to Make It

1. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until they are thoroughly combined.
2. Then pour the mixture into a jar or container with a lid and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When you’re ready to enjoy your fried chicken with this amazing sauce simply drizzle it over the top or serve it on the side as a dipping sauce.

7. Teriyaki Sauce

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Teriyaki sauce is a sweet and savory Japanese-style sauce made with soy sauce, mirin (a type of rice wine), sake (rice wine), sugar, and ginger.

It is often used to marinate meats, such as chicken or beef, before grilling or stir-frying.

What You’ll Need

• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 5 teaspoons packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey (or more to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup cold water

How To Make It

1. Start by combining the first seven ingredients in a small pot over medium heat.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook for about five minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the cornstarch and cold water until there are no lumps left.
4. Slowly add this mixture into the pot while stirring constantly until it thickens up into a nice glaze consistency.
5. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed by adding more honey or brown sugar if desired.
6. Let cool before using as an amazing dipping sauce for your Korean fried chicken!

8. Sweet and Sour Sauce

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Sweet and sour sauce is a popular condiment used in many Asian dishes.

It is made with a combination of sweeteners such as sugar, honey, or brown sugar along with vinegar or citrus juice and other seasonings like soy sauce and ketchup.

The result is a thick, tangy sauce that adds an extra layer of flavor to your favorite dishes.

What You’ll Need

• 1 cup canned pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar OR brown sugar alternative (for low-sugar option)
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar (found in the Asian or general vinegar section of any grocery store, or you can substitute apple cider vinegar)
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (GF)
• For the cornstarch slurry: 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

How To Make It

1. Begin by combining all ingredients except for the cornstarch slurry into a medium-sized pot over medium heat on the stovetop.
2. Bring to a boil while stirring frequently until all ingredients are well combined and the mixture has reached boiling point.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes while continuing to stir occasionally.
4. After 5 minutes add in your prepared cornstarch slurry and stir until fully incorporated into the mixture – this will thicken up your sweet & sour sauce nicely!
5. Continue simmering for another minute before removing from heat; use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

9. Korean BBQ Sauce

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Korean BBQ Sauce is a sweet and savory sauce that is used to enhance the flavor of Korean fried chicken.

It has a distinct umami flavor, with notes of garlic, ginger, and chile-garlic sauce.

What You’ll Need

• 1 cup soy sauce
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chile-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha) (optional)
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

How To Make It

1. Begin by combining all ingredients together in a medium bowl except for the cornstarch and water.
2. Whisk until everything is well combined.
3. In a separate small bowl combine the cornstarch and water together until it forms a paste.
4. Then add it to the other ingredients in the medium bowl and whisk until everything is blended together nicely.
5. Transfer mixture into a small pot or pan over medium heat stirring occasionally while bringing it to a boil for about 5 minutes or so until thickened slightly.
6. Let cool before using on your favorite fried chicken recipe!

10. Spicy Hot Honey Sauce (Garlic and Chili Infused Honey)

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Spicy Hot Honey Sauce is a delicious and versatile condiment that is made with honey, dried chili flakes, garlic cloves, and rice wine vinegar.

It’s the perfect combination of sweet and spicy flavors that will take your Korean fried chicken to the next level!

What You’ll Need

• 1½ cups of honey
• 1 tablespoon of dried chili flakes
• 2 large garlic cloves (finely diced)
• 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar

How To Make It

1. Start by heating up the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer.
2. Then add the chili flakes, garlic cloves, and rice wine vinegar to the pan and stir together until everything is combined.
3. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until it has thickened slightly.
4. Let cool before serving or storing in an airtight container for future use.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many delicious sauces that can be used to add flavor and spice to Korean fried chicken.

From gochujang sauce to hot honey butter garlic sauce, there is something to suit every palate.

The best sauces for Korean Fried Chicken are gochujang sauce, hot honey butter garlic sauce, garlic parmesan sauce, kecap manis, chili tahini lime sauce, honey mustard sauce, teriyaki sauce, sweet and sour sauce, Korean BBQ sauce, and spicy hot honey sauce.

Each of these sauces has its own unique flavor profile that pairs perfectly with fried chicken, so experiment with different combinations to find your favorite.