Korean Fire Chicken Cheese Fries

Korean Fire Chicken Cheese Fries 

Just in time for the football playoffs, these Korean Fire Chicken Cheese Fries are a great treat! Fries, topped with spicy Korean Fire Chicken and lots of melted cheese. Make them in individual skillets or in one large skillet.


When it comes to football, it’s safe to say, I’m really just all about the food. My husband is a big (big!) Seattle Seahawks fan, so he’ll be planting himself in front of the tv every weekend (hopefully :)) for the next few weeks. Me, I’ll be cooking up and sharing some fun football food to go along with it every Friday for the next couple of weeks, starting with these fries.

Earlier in the week I was cooking with Korean Gochujang for my Sesame Chicken Bibimbap. Gochujang is also the key ingredient in Korean Fire Chicken – spicy bites of chicken that are often served with cheese on top. I’ve taken that idea one step further by placing it all on top of fries.

In addition to Gochujang, the fire chicken sauce contains a lot of Korean Red Pepper Flakes, known as Gochugaru. You will find these flakes in the same place you find Gochujang, for sure (Korean or Asian markets or look for them online). The chicken cooks up super quick in the spicy sauce and is then quickly shredded. Place on top of cooked fries, then top with some mozzarella cheese cubes. Pop in to the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese and you’re good to go!

Make these as individual servings in mini cast iron skillet or make one large cast iron skillet and hand out a bunch of forks :)

Cook’s Notes for Korean Fire Chicken Cheese Fries 
You can make this dish in individual small cast iron skillets, or use one large (8-10 inch-ish) cast iron skillet. Make sure whatever dish you use will be safe under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes.

You can do your fries any way you like. I have an airfryer, so that’s my method of choice. Or make oven fries (fresh or frozen) or go all out and deep fry them. If starting with fresh potatoes, you will need 1 medium potato for each serving. For one large skillet, use 4-5 medium potatoes.

Boneless/skinless chicken breasts are perfect for the fire chicken. I usually prefer chicken thighs for their moistness, but as the chicken here cooks covered in some liquid, the chicken breasts don’t dry out at all. The chicken breast meat is also easier to shred. That said, boneless/skinless chicken thighs will work as well.

When I prepare a dish for photographing, I prepare it a bit differently some times. In this case, I just put random chunks of mozzarella on top, so that you would still be able to see the fries and chicken. Otherwise, it would have been completely covered in cheese. Not that there is anything remotely wrong with that ;) When you make it though, you should cover the top well with shredded cheese, place on a baking sheet and pop under the broiler. The layer of cheese will keep the chicken nice and moist and prevent the fries from scorching under the broiler.

Korean Fire Chicken Cheese Fries 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Energy: 410 kcal

Fries, topped with quick, easy and spicy Korean Fire Chicken and melted mozzarella. Fun served in individual small skillets or make in one large skillet.

Ingredients 
Fire Chicken Sauce: 
1/3 cup Korean Red Pepper Flakes (Gochugaru)
3 Tbsp Korean Red Pepper Pasted (Gochujang)
5 cloves garlic mince
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp honey or corn syrup
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup water plus more as needed
1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast cut in to 1-inch chunks
To serve: 
Cooked French Fries (enough for 3 servings)
1 - 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, packed
Freshly parsley or green onion chopped

Instructions 

  1. Cook your fresh or frozen fries in the oven, fryer or air fryer. If making fries from fresh potatoes, you will need 1 medium potato for each individual serving. For a larger, single skillet, use 4-5 medium potatoes. When fries are almost done, prepare the chicken. 
  2. In a large bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients except the chicken. Stir until smooth. Add chicken chunks and stir until well coated. Let stand a few minutes. 
  3. Heat a skillet or large pot with a lid over medium heat on the stove-top. Add chicken with all the sauce. Cook, stirring, until mixture begins to simmer a bit. Cover pot and reduce heat to almost low. Allow to cook about 3 minutes. Remove lid and stir. If mixture seems dry, add a bit more water and stir in. Cover pot again and cook a further 3 minutes. Using two forks, shred the chicken a bit and stir together. *If chicken doesn't easily shred, cook a bit longer, adding a bit more water if necessary. Turn off heat under chicken and place lid on to keep warm. 
  4. To serve: Place fries in skillet(s). Top with fire chicken and cover generously with shredded mozzarella cheese. Place on a baking sheet and pop under a hot oven broiler until cheese has melted and is golden in spots. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or green onion. 


Comments