Air fried chicken thighs are wonderfully crispy and tossed in homemade gochujang sauce, then placed atop a heaping portion of asian pear and Napa cabbage slaw.
4cups(946ml)buttermilkor enough to just cover the chicken pieces
1cup(125g)all-purpose flour
1teaspoonpaprika powder
1teaspoonwhite pepper
1tablespoonkosher salt
Avocado oil spray
For the gochujang sauce:
½cup(137g)gochujang paste
1tablespoonsesame oil
1tablespoonapple cider vinegar
1teaspoonsoy sauce
1 ½tablespoonWorcestershire sauce
1tablespoonyellow mustard
½cup(170g)honey
1teaspoongarlic powder
¼cup(59ml)wateror enough to thin sauce to coat chicken pieces
For Asian pear & Napa cabbage slaw:
6leavesof Napa cabbagesliced thinly
1large Asian pearcut into thin sticks
1teaspoonginger
¼cup(4g)cilantrochopped
¼cup(59ml)apple cider vinegar
1teaspoongranulated sugar
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonwhite pepper
To serve and garnish:
Corn tortillas
Chopped green onions
Sesame seeds
Instructions
For the fried chicken:
Remove bone from chicken thighs, keeping the skin intact. Cut thighs into halves
Place chicken pieces in a medium bowl and soak in buttermilk for 12-24 hours. Ensure chicken pieces are submerged
When you are about ready to air-fry the chicken, mix dry ingredients in a shallow dish
Dredge soaked chicken pieces in flour mix and make sure all surfaces of the chicken is covered. Place breaded chicken on a wire rack and let stand for 10-15 minutes so that the buttermilk and flour form a crust on the chicken. Repeat process for remainder of chicken pieces
Prepare Air-fryer basket by coating in olive oil spray, and arrange chicken pieces in the basket. Do not crowd the basket so the chicken can fry to golden brown and crispy. Spray chicken with avocado oil
Set air-fryer to 375 °F (191 °C) for 10 minutes, flipping after 5 minutes. Spray any white flour spots that remain on the chicken. After full 10 minutes, check whether chicken is golden brown and fully cooked. Add an additional 3 minutes if necessary. Set aside cooked chicken on cooling rack, repeat process for the remaining pieces
Pour sauce over air-fried chicken while still hot and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, if desired
For Gochujang Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Continue to whisk and add water until you have achieved a semi runny consistency. This is a great BBQ sauce for chicken and pork dishes and can be stored in a jar in the fridge for 7-10 days
For Asian Pear & Napa Cabbage Slaw:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix with hands until all ingredients are thoroughly tossed together. Keep in fridge until ready to serve
To serve:
Warm up the corn tortilla on a griddle / frying pan or over flame on the gas stovetop. Scoop a spoonful of the pear & cabbage slaw and top with fried chicken. Spoon more sauce and garnish over chicken if desired.
Notes
It is important to let chicken pieces stand for 10-15 minutes after breading so the buttermilk and flour combined can form a crust on the chicken. Place breaded chicken on a wire rack/cooling rack, not on solid flat surface to ensure breading stays on the surface of the chicken.Do not crowd the chicken on the basket or on air-fryer rack to make sure there is plenty of space for hot air to circulate.I am using the Instant Pot Air Fryer lid attachment to make this recipe and each basket can fit 4 pieces comfortably.Cooking time depends on your air fryer. If in doubt, use less cooking time and keep checking the chicken and adding more cooking time until they are crispy, flipping them over so that the other side can get crispy as well.