What is the most common fast food in the whole world? Fried Chicken, according to Gitnux! The origin of fried chicken is way from the West, specifically, fried chicken was first made by Scottish immigrants. However, in recent years, the Korean fried chicken has becomes the hottest fried chicken ever thanks to the Hallyu – Korean pop culture!
Today in this post, together with Your Favorite K-Cult, let’s discover how did Korean people make Korean Fried Chicken (or KFC for short…), and what are the best Korean Fried Chicken Brands in its own market – South Korea!
Best Korean Fried Chicken 101: Chimaek?
Asking about the best Korean fried chicken, Koreans would answer that their original fried chicken with both bone and boneless versions are the best one, or maybe the crispy fried chicken soaked in special sauces such as sweet & spicy sauce, sweet & sour sauce, garlic soy bean sauce, honey sauce, etc are the most flavorful fried chicken.
Moreover, Korean cuisine is famous for its Banchan (반찬) – small side dishes served along with cooked rice. And of course, Korean fried chicken can not be famous without the banchans. Fried chicken in Korea usually served with pickled radishes, cabbage salad, and rice snacks or sometimes, French fries, helping to balance the flavor and create an interesting experience for the dish.
More special, Koreans usually enjoy the best Korean fried chicken with an extremely refreshing glass of draft beer, creating a perfect combination called Chimake. Chimake stands for Chicken and Maekju (Beer in Korean). Instead of soft drink or soda such as coke, Sprite, etc, Koreans love to have fried chicken with a glass of fresh beer, make it become an interesting culinary culture.
How to find the best Korean fried chicken near you?
The best Korean fried chicken brands are all over the world right now, some brand names that you might familiar with are Kyochon Chicken, BHC, Bonchon, or bb.q Chicken. If you are looking for the best Korean fried chicken near your place, check out this list for each region!
📍United States of America
- Bonchon Chicken: With 139 locations in the US, mainly concentrated on the East and West coasts.
- bb.q Chicken: More than 250 locations, mostly in North America.
- BHC Chicken: If you’re in LA, this chain is for you! The truly best Korean fried chicken brand just opened a store in LA with plans to expand all over the U.S. Check out its best menu down below!
- Pelicana: 28 locations in the U.S. Pelicana famous for its sweet and sour fried chicken and cheese balls!
📍South East Asia
- Vietnam: You might find Korean fried chicken brands like Bonchon, Kyochon, Goobne and Norang Tongdak in big cities such as Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh city!
- Thailand: Bonchon and BHC are the KFC brands from Korea that available in Bangkok, Thailand. Besides the Korean brands, you might want to give domestic KFC brands a try, some of the famous names are Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory and Tudari!
- Malaysia: Brands like Kyochon and BHC can be found in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.
- Indonesia: KFC chains like Kyochon and Goobne are available in this country.
- Singapore: Brands like Bonchon and BHC can be found in Singapore with much more different choices from local KFC brand such as More Batter, Waker Chicken, …
- Cambodia: You can easily find Bonchon and KyoChon chicken in Phnom Penh – the capital of Cambodia.
7 Best Korean Fried Chicken Brands that You Don’t Want to be Missed
Goobne Chicken is famous for its very special way of preparing fried chicken: grilling the chicken in the oven. This method does not require cooking oil, making the chicken dishes here not only delicious but also low carb, extremely suitable for gym lovers who need to stay in shape. More specifically, even though it is grilled, the chicken still retains its inherent crispness, making the dish more attractive.
One of Goobne’s famous dishes is “Spicy Pepper Crispy Chicken” – this spicy chicken dish is a perfect combination of the spicy taste of pepper, the crispy taste of chicken skin and the characteristic sweetness of spices. Right from the first days of its launch, this chicken dish was so famous that in every second, a whole fried chicken was sold.
BBQ Chicken
BBQ Chicken is one of the largest fried chicken chains in Korea, known for its menu diversity and high quality of fried chicken dishes. From grilled chicken to crispy fried chicken, from typical BBQ chicken to spicy and flavorful, even sweet and sour chicken.
A prominent dish on BBQ’s menu is “Gold Olive Chicken”, traditional fried chicken with a crispy crust and imbued with the flavors of olive oil and BBQ Chicken’s signature marinade. With a crispy crust on the outside and moist and succulent meat on the inside, the chicken dish that the famous band BTS represented 7 years ago is truly no joke!
60 Chicken
The most attractive point of 60 Chicken is the variety of spicy sauces. 60 Chicken has all kinds of chicken sauces from super spicy sauce to special chili sauce. This is the most famous chicken brand in Korea with an extremely diverse variety of spices and fries served with fried chicken.
One of this brand’s most outstanding spicy chicken dishes is “Gangi Chicken”, a type of fried chicken covered with a deliciou sweet sauce. The base seasoning layer is soy sauce with a mixture of sweet and salty flavors, mixed with crispy fried burnt rice flakes. We guarantee that with just one bite you will be immersed in the crispiness of this chicken dish.
Norang Tongdak
Norang Tongdak is known for using whole chickens to prepare delicious dishes, preserving the natural flavor of the chicken, giving it the most traditional fried chicken taste among brands in the same segment.
One of their popular fried chicken sets is the “Boneless 3 Variation Chicken Set”, which includes boneless fried chicken in three different flavors for you to enjoy. Traditional fried chicken, sweet and sour chicken and soy sauce chicken, served with pickled radish.
BHC
BHC Chicken, is one of the most popular fried chicken brands and is widely available in Korea as well as internationally. BHC is planning to expand its market to many countries around the world. If your region currently does not have BCH Chicken, stay still and look forward to the latest news from this brand!
One of BHC’s most popular dishes is “Bburinkle Chicken”, this is the dish that has made this brand famous to this day. Crispy fried chicken is coated with a signature layer of cheese, onion and garlic powder, providing an unforgettable experience for fried chicken lovers.
Puradak Chicken
Puradak Chicken is famous for its fried chicken dishes that are delicately spiced and rich in flavor, as well as combined with unique sauces, creating extremely special and one-of-a-kind experiences.
One of the most popular dishes on Puradak’s menu is “Chili & Mayonnaise Chicken”, a crispy fried chicken dish, covered with a layer of super spicy chili sauce, but blends harmoniously with the soft, smooth mayonnaise sauce. brings a taste that is both spicy and sweet.
Kyochon Chicken
Kyochon Chicken is one of the leading fried chicken brands in Korea, loved for its preparation and product quality. It is impossible for our K-Cult followers to know Kyochon through brand ambassadors or through television dramas.
One of Kyochon’s most special dishes is “Honey Combo”, which is an quintessential combination of the sweetness of honey and crispy chicken pieces that are beyond reproach! This is definitely a taste that you will remember forever!
Whatever is difficult, fried chicken will take care of it! How many of the Korean fried chicken brands mentioned above have you tried? Don’t forget to spend a weekend having a Chimaek – Korean Beer Chicken with your friends or visit these famous chicken chains when traveling to Korea!
👀Diet to ready for Summer? Here’re 5 Types of KPOP Diet you can take a look!
May a good meal be with you, kimchi 🙏
