Sweet Soy Sauce For Korean Fried Chicken Recipe

This soy-based sauce is delightfully sweet and garlicky.

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated February 19, 2025

This sauce is intended to go with our recipe for Korean Fried Chicken.

20200513-korean-fried-chicken-sweet-soy-sauce-reshoot-vicky-wasik
Vicky Wasik

October 2012

Recipe Details

Sweet Soy Sauce For Korean Fried Chicken Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 5 mins
Active 10 mins
Cooling Time 5 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 6 servings
Makes 3/4 cup
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

  • 1/4 cup mirin or other sweet rice cooking wine

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)

  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper (preferably Korean gochugaru, see notes)

  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 1/4 cup finely sliced scallions, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Combine corn starch with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl and whisk into sauce. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve with Korean Fried Chicken, garnishing with scallions, if desired.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
144 Calories
2g Fat
30g Carbs
2g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 144
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1174mg 51%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 132mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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