Korean Fried Chicken Burger with Gochujang Mayo

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A shatteringly crisp chicken thigh cutlet, shallow-fried in a single skillet, stacked on a soft bun with sweet-hot gochujang mayo and 10-minute pickled daikon. All the crunch of Korean fried chicken with none of the deep-fryer commitment — and it lands on the table in about half an hour.

Ingredients

• 8 oz daikon radish, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 small carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 3 tbsp warm water

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated

• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 lb)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (or plain milk plus 1 tsp vinegar)
• 3/4 cup potato starch (or cornstarch)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups neutral oil, such as canola or peanut

• 4 soft potato or brioche buns
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage or iceberg lettuce
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Make the pickles first so they have time to sit: in a medium bowl, whisk the rice vinegar, sugar, salt and warm water until dissolved. Add the daikon and carrot matchsticks, press them under the liquid, and set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes (up to 3 days refrigerated).
2. Whisk all the gochujang mayo ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and add another teaspoon of honey if your gochujang is very fiery. Refrigerate until assembly.
3. Prep the cutlets: lay each chicken thigh flat and trim away any thick fat. Cover with plastic wrap and pound the thickest parts with a rolling pin or the flat of a heavy pan until the thigh is an even 1/2 inch thick and roughly bun-sized. Season all over with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and ground ginger, then toss with the buttermilk in a bowl.
4. Set up the dredge: in a shallow dish, whisk together the potato starch and flour. Add 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk mixture from the chicken bowl into the starch and rub it in with your fingers so shaggy clumps form — these become the crunchy craggy bits.
5. Press each thigh firmly into the starch, turning and packing it on so every surface is thickly coated. Set the coated cutlets on a plate and let them rest 5 minutes while the oil heats — the coating will hydrate and grip.
6. Pour the oil into a 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch and heat over medium-high to 340–350°F (a pinch of starch should sizzle vigorously on contact). If you don't have a thermometer, the oil is ready when a wooden chopstick tip bubbles steadily.
7. Lay 2 cutlets in the oil away from you and fry 4 to 5 minutes per side, adjusting the heat to keep the oil at 330–350°F, until deep golden and an instant-read thermometer registers 175°F at the thickest point. Transfer to a wire rack — never paper towels — and season with a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining 2 cutlets, letting the oil come back to temperature first.
8. While the second batch fries, butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them in a dry skillet or under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes until golden.
9. Squeeze the pickled daikon and carrot lightly to drain. Spread gochujang mayo generously on both bun halves. Build each burger: shredded cabbage on the bottom, hot chicken cutlet, a tangle of pickles, then scallions and sesame seeds. Cap and eat immediately, while the crust is still loud.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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