Recipe · Weekend · Serves 3–4
It's Okay — You Can Make the Chimaek Chicken from My Love from the Star at Home
When Cheon Song-yi said a snowy day is perfect for chimaek — fried chicken and beer — in My Love from the Star, fans around the world suddenly wanted the same. Yangnyeom chicken is the sweet, spicy, sticky version, and it's very doable at home. If you don't have every ingredient on this list, that's fine — keep reading before you decide to skip it.
Before You Shop: Quick Ingredient Check
- Chicken wings or drumettes (about 1 kg / 2 lb)easy anywhere
- Potato starch or cornstarcheasy anywhere
- Garlic, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauceeasy anywhere
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste)substitute below
- Rice syrup or corn syrupsubstitute below
Nothing here is a dealbreaker. Let's cook.
Ingredients (serves 3–4)
- 1 kg (2 lb) chicken wings or drumettes
- 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup (65g) potato starch or cornstarch (for the crisp coating)
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- Neutral oil for frying, about 2 inches (5 cm) deep
3 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste) (see swaps below) - 3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp rice syrup, corn syrup or honey - 1 tbsp rice vinegar or white vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce - 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Steps
- 1 Pat the chicken very dry. Toss with the salt and pepper and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- 2 Whisk the egg with the flour and starch, adding 2–3 tbsp cold water until you have a thin batter. Coat the chicken pieces in it.
- 3 Heat the oil to about 165°C (330°F). Fry the chicken in small batches for 8–10 minutes until cooked through and pale golden. Rest on a rack for 10 minutes.
- 4 While it rests, simmer the gochujang, ketchup, syrup, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic in a small pan for 2–3 minutes until glossy.
- 5 Raise the oil to about 180°C (355°F) and fry the chicken a second time for 3–4 minutes until deep golden and very crisp. This second fry is the secret to the crunch.
- 6 Toss the hot chicken in the sauce right away, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve with something cold to drink — beer if you like, for the full chimaek.
국룰Fry twice. The second, hotter fry drives out moisture so the crust stays crisp even under the sauce.
Substitution Guide
About the Gochujang and the Syrup — Here's What to Do
Two things trip people up: 고추장 (gochujang) and rice syrup. Here's the good news: you can get a very tasty chicken without perfect versions of either.
Use this — no need to look further
Honey or corn syrup for the rice syrup. Both give the same sticky gloss, and most kitchens already have one.
If you don't have gochujang
- Sriracha or another chili sauce plus a little extra ketchup and sugar — less deep, still tasty
- Chili flakes with a spoonful of miso, if you have it, for savoriness
Remember
Even a simplified sauce on crispy double-fried chicken will taste great. Start mild and add heat next time.
Why gochujang is worth finding someday But not today
Gochujang gives sweetness, heat and fermented depth at once. It keeps for months in the fridge and works in many other dishes, so it's a handy thing to pick up later — never a reason to skip tonight's dinner.
Want to make the sauce your own?
Our three-sauces guide explains gochujang, soy sauce and doenjang — the building blocks of Korean cooking — in plain, no-pressure language.
Read the three-sauces guideWatch It Made
Cooks' versions
Made it your way? Show us.
Swapped an ingredient, changed the heat, plated it differently? Add a photo and a few words — we'll turn it into a pretty card right here on the Yangnyeom Chicken page, so the next cook can follow your lead.
Did you try it? Tell us how your chicken turned out — and what you paired it with.