Buffalo Korean Chicken with Baked Mac & Cheese | Cravings & Comfort

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I’ve truly done it again chat, this is something that really means somethin to me.

I love my Korean Fried Chicken Recipe; crunchy, savory, damn near makes you wanna sing the gospel. But with this Mac and Cheese and the kick of the Buffalo sauce, heaven awaits you my good lad.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

How to Make Buffalo Korean Fried Chicken with Baked Mac and Cheese:

Ingredients:

Buttermilk Marinade:

• 2 medium sized cuts of Chicken (It can be breast, thigh, or drumstick. I personally did breast)
• 2 cups Buttermilk
  • If you don’t have buttermilk, or would rather make your own, just do…
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp Old Bay (optional)
• 2-3 tsp MSG
• 1 tbsp gochujang paste
• 1 tbsp Buffalo Sauce (any brand)

Dredge:

• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup potato starch
• 1 /3 cup cornstarch
• pinch of baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp MSG
• 3 tbsp very fine panko
• a few drips of the buttermilk marinade

Thin Batter:

• 3/4 cup ice-cold sparkling water (club soda)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• Pinch of baking powder

Korean BBQ Sauce:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce ( Jin Ganjang, Dark Soy Sauce, or Kikkoman)
• 1/2 tbsp smoky bbq sauce (optional)
• 2 tbsp Korean chili sauce (gochujang)
• 3 tbsp Wegmans Buffalo Sauce
  • or Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce, but Wegmans is Elite in flavor I can’t lie
• 1/4 cup honey or rice syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp Korean Chili Flakes (gochugaru)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or 1 tbsp of lemon juice)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• Green Onions (garnish)
• Toasted Sesame Seeds (garnish)

Mac and Cheese:

• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1 cup macaroni noodles
• 2 cup Sargento “4 State Cheddar”
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, nutmeg, ground mustard, cayenne
  • or season to taste

Tips:

• Overnight MINIMUM for the buttermilk brine if you’re able to.
• When making the sauce, salt to taste at the very last step. We’re already adding soy sauce to it, so sodium is most certainly present. You want it to be a subtle hint of salt, but the sweet and spicy should hit your first.
• To get the best crunch, make sure your thin batter is as cold as possible, and your club soda isn’t flat.
• When coating, do the chicken pieces one-by-one to make sure you don’t mess up. I don’t suggest you dry and do it all in one unless you have extra hands, or confident in what you’re doing.
• I recommend that you let the floured chicken sit before frying. However, it doesn’t have to be really long. Some people online would say overnight, I’d say an hour in the refrigerator at most in all honesty.
• In the majority of cases where your sauce is a little bit different than you expected… here’s my general rule of thumb. At most, these are tablespoons, and these should be micro adjustments. If it’s so far off that adding these adjustments really didn’t change anything, it’d be better to start over, or just do a different sauce.
  • Too Sweet: Add a bit more vinegar
  • Too Salty: Add a bit more honey
  • Too Thick: Add a splash of water

Steps:

Chicken Marinade:

• Step 1: Whisk all the ingredients from the marinade section (excluding the chicken) together in a large bowl. Make sure the paste is fully incorporated with the brine, and there should be no noticeable red clumps
• Step 2: Add your chicken pieces until they’re fully submerged, and leave it in the refrigerator for 12 – 24 hours.

Dredge and Chicken Prep:

• Step 1: Set up the dredge first by combining all of ingredients in a bowl, and whisk thoroughly so it’s a uniform powder
• Step 2: Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat them very dry with paper towels. Surface dryness is crucial in making sure the fried chicken actually retains its coating
• Step 3: Add in a few drops of the buttermilk marinade to the batter. You don’t have to mix it, just add in a few drops.

Thin Batter:

• Step 1: Combine all the ingredients in the thin batter and whisk quickly. It should be thin, and not a pancake-batter kind of thick.

Coating Process:

• Step 1: Lightly dust the chicken pieces first with a tablespoon of the dry dredge, and shake off the excess.
• Step 2: Dip each piece into the ice-cold batter, let the excess drip off for around a couple seconds
• Step 3: Place the piece back into the dredge and press firmly. You want even, thin coverage, not a clumpy crust. Tap off the excess dredge, and let the chicken rest on a wire rack for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Frying Process:

• Step 1: In a deep fryer with neutral oil, fry in small batches anywhere between 300 and 320°F for around 6 – 8 minutes for bone in, 4-6 for boneless.
• Step 2: Once cooked, remove and let it rest on a wire rack for around 6 – 10 minutes.
• Step 3: Raise the oil temperature to 375 – 400°F, and fry again for around 2 – 3 minutes until deep golden and glassy. Again, remove to a rack, and do not stack it.

Korean BBQ Sauce

• Step 1: In a saucepan over medium low, with a tablespoon of oil, add in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
• Step 2: Add in Gochujang, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, Buffalo Sauce, brown sugar, honey/rice syrup, mirin, rice vinegar, and gochugaru. Whisk until smooth
• Step 3: Bring the pot to a gentle simmer and cook for around 5 – 7 minutes. Stir often, and the sauce should look glossy and coat the back of the spoon. If it gets too thick, add 1 tbsp of water at a time.
• Step 4: Remove from heat and stir in toasted sesame oil. The sauce should still be hot when applying to the chicken.
• Step 5: Brush the sauce on the chicken, or put it in a wide bowl and toss it with the chicken quickly (for a couple seconds). Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and a few chopped green onions for a final garnish.

Mac and Cheese:

• Step 1: Fill a pot half way with water over medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, add in roughly 1 tablespoon of water and the macaroni noodles. Cook until al dente.
• Step 2: Strain the pot with the macaroni. In the pot over medium heat, add in butter and wait for it to melt, then add the flour and stir for roughly 1 minute.
• Step 3: Add in heavy cream, cream cheese, and seasonings. Stir until the cream cheese melts, then add in 1 cup of the cheese blend. Continue to stir until the cheese melts and preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Step 4: Turn off the heat and add in the macaroni noodles to the pot. Stir until well-combined, then place in a small baking dish. Top it off with the remainder of the cheese, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes (or until golden brown), and you’re done!

Cravings & Comfort Recipe

Buffalo Korean Fried Chicken with Baked Mac & Cheese

Korean Buffalo fried chicken coated in glossy red sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onions, piled over baked mac and cheese

Prep Time10 minutes (exlcuding overnight marinade)

Cook Time50 minutes

Total Time1 hour

Calories1,200

CuisineKorean-American

Print Recipe Grocery List

Ingredients

US Customary — Metric

Buttermilk Marinade

• 2 medium sized cuts of Chicken (It can be breast, thigh, or drumstick. I personally did breast)
• 2 cups Buttermilk
• *If you don't have buttermilk, or would rather make your own, just do…
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 2 tsp Old Bay (optional)
• 2-3 tsp MSG
• 1 tbsp gochujang paste
• 1 tbsp Buffalo Sauce (any brand)

Dredge

• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup potato starch
• 1 /3 cup cornstarch
• pinch of baking powder
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp MSG
• 3 tbsp very fine panko
• a few drips of the buttermilk marinade

Thin Batter

• 3/4 cup ice-cold sparkling water (club soda)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• Pinch of baking powder

Korean BBQ Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce ( Jin Ganjang, Dark Soy Sauce, or Kikkoman)
• 1/2 tbsp smoky bbq sauce (optional)
• 2 tbsp Korean chili sauce (gochujang)
• 3 tbsp Wegmans Buffalo Sauce
• *or Frank's RedHot Buffalo Wings Sauce, but Wegmans is Elite in flavor I can't lie
• 1/4 cup honey or rice syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp Korean Chili Flakes (gochugaru)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (or 1 tbsp of lemon juice)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• Green Onions (garnish)
• Toasted Sesame Seeds (garnish)

Mac and Cheese

• 2 tbsp salted butter
• 1 cup macaroni noodles
• 2 cup Sargento "4 State Cheddar"
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, nutmeg, ground mustard, cayenne
• *or season to taste

Instructions

Chicken Marinade

1. Whisk all the ingredients from the marinade section (excluding the chicken) together in a large bowl. Make sure the paste is fully incorporated with the brine, and there should be no noticeable red clumps
2. Add your chicken pieces until they're fully submerged, and leave it in the refrigerator for 12 – 24 hours.

Dredge and Chicken Prep

1. Set up the dredge first by combining all of ingredients in a bowl, and whisk thoroughly so it's a uniform powder
2. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat them very dry with paper towels. Surface dryness is crucial in making sure the fried chicken actually retains its coating
3. Add in a few drops of the buttermilk marinade to the batter. You don't have to mix it, just add in a few drops.

Thin Batter

1. Combine all the ingredients in the thin batter and whisk quickly. It should be thin, and not a pancake-batter kind of thick.

Coating Process

1. Lightly dust the chicken pieces first with a tablespoon of the dry dredge, and shake off the excess.
2. Dip each piece into the ice-cold batter, let the excess drip off for around a couple seconds
3. Place the piece back into the dredge and press firmly. You want even, thin coverage, not a clumpy crust. Tap off the excess dredge, and let the chicken rest on a wire rack for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Frying Process

1. In a deep fryer with neutral oil, fry in small batches anywhere between 300 and 320°F for around 6 – 8 minutes for bone in, 4-6 for boneless.
2. Once cooked, remove and let it rest on a wire rack for around 6 – 10 minutes.
3. Raise the oil temperature to 375 – 400°F, and fry again for around 2 – 3 minutes until deep golden and glassy. Again, remove to a rack, and do not stack it.

Korean BBQ Sauce

1. In a saucepan over medium low, with a tablespoon of oil, add in garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.
2. Add in Gochujang, BBQ sauce, soy sauce, Buffalo Sauce, brown sugar, honey/rice syrup, mirin, rice vinegar, and gochugaru. Whisk until smooth
3. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer and cook for around 5 – 7 minutes. Stir often, and the sauce should look glossy and coat the back of the spoon. If it gets too thick, add 1 tbsp of water at a time.
4. Remove from heat and stir in toasted sesame oil. The sauce should still be hot when applying to the chicken.
5. Brush the sauce on the chicken, or put it in a wide bowl and toss it with the chicken quickly (for a couple seconds). Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and a few chopped green onions for a final garnish.

Mac and Cheese

1. Fill a pot half way with water over medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, add in roughly 1 tablespoon of water and the macaroni noodles. Cook until al dente.
2. Strain the pot with the macaroni. In the pot over medium heat, add in butter and wait for it to melt, then add the flour and stir for roughly 1 minute.
3. Add in heavy cream, cream cheese, and seasonings. Stir until the cream cheese melts, then add in 1 cup of the cheese blend. Continue to stir until the cheese melts and preheat your oven to 350°F.
4. Turn off the heat and add in the macaroni noodles to the pot. Stir until well-combined, then place in a small baking dish. Top it off with the remainder of the cheese, and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes (or until golden brown), and you're done!

Notes

• Overnight MINIMUM for the buttermilk brine if you're able to.
• When making the sauce, salt to taste at the very last step. We're already adding soy sauce to it, so sodium is most certainly present. You want it to be a subtle hint of salt, but the sweet and spicy should hit your first.
• To get the best crunch, make sure your thin batter is as cold as possible, and your club soda isn't flat.
• When coating, do the chicken pieces one-by-one to make sure you don't mess up. I don't suggest you dry and do it all in one unless you have extra hands, or confident in what you're doing.
• I recommend that you let the floured chicken sit before frying. However, it doesn't have to be really long. Some people online would say overnight, I'd say an hour in the refrigerator at most in all honesty.
• In the majority of cases where your sauce is a little bit different than you expected… here's my general rule of thumb. At most, these are tablespoons, and these should be micro adjustments. If it's so far off that adding these adjustments really didn't change anything, it'd be better to start over, or just do a different sauce.
• *Too Sweet: Add a bit more vinegar
• *Too Salty: Add a bit more honey
• *Too Thick: Add a splash of water

Quick Measurement Converter

Choose an ingredient when density matters. Unknown ingredients are converted by volume instead of guessed by weight.

Amount US unitCupTablespoonTeaspoonFluid ounceOunce (weight)Pound IngredientWaterFlourGranulated sugarPacked brown sugarPowdered sugarButterOilMilkButtermilkHeavy creamHalf & halfLight creamOther / volume only

Metric result240 mL

Cooking conversions are approximate; flour and packed ingredients can vary by brand and measuring technique.

Cravings & Comfort

Nutrition estimate

Calories1,250per serving

Serving1 serving, 6 pieces of chicken & 1 small mac and cheese

Protein42 g

Carbs90 g

Fat50 g

Calories are an estimate and can change based on brands, serving size, toppings, sauce amount, and oil absorption.

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