Korean Fried Smash Tacos
Also called Korean fried chicken smash tacos
Ground chicken pressed onto tortillas, crusted with panko, fried, dipped in a gochujang glaze and topped with slaw.
Ingredients
Amounts are for the recipe. Sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Tacos
Glaze
Slaw
Amounts worked out from the other system are rounded.
Method
Season the ground chicken (455 g1 lb) with the salt (1–2 tsp), paprika (1 tbsp) and garlic powder (1 tbsp).
Press a thin, even layer of chicken, about ¼ inch, onto each tortilla, then press the chicken side firmly into the panko (110 g1 cup).
Heat a thin layer of beef tallow or avocado oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tacos chicken side down, without moving them until a crust forms, until golden, crisp and cooked through. Flip to crisp the tortilla, and while it cooks keep basting the chicken with the hot fat.
Glaze. Combine the ketchup (3 tbsp), gochujang (1½ tbsp), honey (65 g3 tbsp), soy sauce (30 g2 tbsp), rice vinegar (15–30 g1–2 tbsp), the chili flakes if using, the barbecue sauce (2–3 tbsp) and some sesame seeds in a pan. Stir over heat until smooth and slightly thickened.
Dip the chicken side of each taco into the glaze to coat it.
Slaw. Toss the green cabbage (1 cup), red cabbage (1 cup), carrot, green onions (½ cup), mayonnaise (40 g3 tbsp), rice vinegar (45 g3 tbsp), lime juice, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt until lightly coated.
Top the glazed tacos with slaw, a little more glaze and more sesame seeds.
Notes
- No egg wash is needed: cold, tacky chicken holds the panko. If it won't stick, brush on a very thin layer of mayonnaise rather than egg.
- Without Bachan's. Use an extra tablespoon of soy sauce, a splash of mirin and some grated garlic.
- Use plain ketchup in the glaze, not a spiced one.