Chikin (Korean chicken)

양념치킨 Yangnyeom Chicken

Fried chicken tossed in a sweet, sticky sauce of chili paste and soy sauce, often eaten with beer.

Seasoned Fried Chicken
Spice: Mild

Fried chicken pieces coated in glossy red sauce, seen from above — AI-generated image

At a glance

Fact	Details
Main ingredients	Chicken pieces, frying batter, gochujang, soy sauce, corn syrup
How it's served	Sauce-coated pieces in a box or on a platter, with pickled radish cubes and plastic gloves
Spice level	Mild — A little warmth. Fine for most people.
Allergens	Wheat · Soy
Ask about	Sauces may contain peanuts, sesame, garlic or honey, and some batters use rice or corn starch.
On the menu	양념치킨 (Yangnyeom Chicken)
Also called	yangnyum chicken · yangnyeom tongdak · sweet and spicy Korean chicken
Region	Nationwide

Based on the usual recipe. Restaurants vary, so always tell the staff.

How to eat Seasoned Fried Chicken

Put on the gloves
The sauce sticks to your fingers. Use the plastic gloves or chopsticks, and keep napkins close.
Eat it before it cools
The sauce soaks into the coating, so the pieces turn soft and chewy as they sit.
Keep napkins close
The sauce coats your fingers; the cold radish cubes on the side balance its sweetness.

How to order it

Order it as 양념치킨. One order is usually a whole chicken, so one person can order it but groups often share.

On the menu: 양념치킨
Usually sold: 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

Where it comes from

Yangnyeom chicken is fried chicken coated in sauces based on chili paste, brewed soy sauce and corn syrup. It spread in the mid-to-late 1980s as fried chicken adapted to Korean taste.

Sources: Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (encykorea.aks.ac.kr)