Steps

1. Cut the chicken breast in half along the center line, then slice into bite-sized pieces of about 1-2cm.
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2. Pound the cut chicken breast with the back of a knife until it has an uneven texture. The trick here! For lean meat, pounding until it's textured will make it tender.
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3. Roughly chop your nuts of choice.
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4. Place the pounded chicken breast in a bowl, add salt (a pinch), soy sauce 1 tsp, and cooking sake (rice wine) 2 tbsp as a marinade. Knead well until the liquid is absorbed. The trick here! Using plenty of sake for moisture will ensure it stays tender.
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5. In a separate bowl, mix all-purpose flour 3-4 tbsp and potato starch 3-4 tbsp. Generously coat the marinated chicken breast with this mixture. Collect any remaining flour from the bowl and coat the chicken thoroughly. The trick here! All-purpose flour adds flavor to the coating, while potato starch creates crispiness. The pounded chicken will hold the flour well.
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6. Heat vegetable oil for frying in a frying pan over medium heat.
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7. Arrange the coated chicken breast in the hot oil, shaping them slightly. Fry without moving until a nice golden brown color forms on one side.
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8. While the chicken is frying, make the sauce. In a bowl, combine soy sauce 1 1/2 tbsp, sugar 1 tbsp, tomato ketchup 1 1/2 tbsp, mirin (sweet rice wine) 2 tbsp, water 2 tbsp, grated garlic 1 clove, and sesame oil 1 tsp. Mix well. The trick here! Koreans often use corn syrup, but mirin and sugar are good substitutes.
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9. Once the chicken has a nice golden brown color on both sides, flip and fry the other side, again without moving.
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10. Remove the fried chicken from the pan and place on a wire rack to drain excess oil.
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11. Discard the oil remaining in the frying pan and quickly wipe it clean.
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12. Pour the prepared sauce into the same frying pan and heat until it starts to bubble. The trick here! You can add chili flakes or gochujang for extra spice.
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13. Once the sauce is boiling, add the fried chicken and chopped nuts. Toss to coat evenly until the sauce is glossy. The trick here! The sauce coating the crispy batter while keeping the chicken juicy is the key.
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14. Plate and serve. Your Korean-Style Sweet & Spicy Chicken (Ttakkanjeong) is ready!
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