If you visit Korea and skip Korean fried chicken, did you even really visit? Locals call it chimaek (chicken + maekju, beer), and it is basically a national sport. In this short, a man who has ordered BBQ fried chicken a jaw-dropping 23,000 times reveals his top 3 menu picks — the kind of insider ranking money can’t buy.
Why Korean Fried Chicken Is a Different Beast
Korean fried chicken isn’t just “fried chicken from Korea.” It’s typically double-fried, which renders out the fat and leaves the skin shatteringly crispy — thin, glassy, and light instead of thick and greasy. Then comes the sauce game: sticky-sweet yangnyeom (spicy-sweet glaze), soy-garlic, honey butter, snow cheese, and dozens of seasonal flavors that rotate like fashion collections.
Korea’s big chicken franchises — and there are thousands of independent shops too — compete ferociously, which means quality is consistently high almost anywhere you order. The 23,000-order legend in the video has essentially run the world’s longest taste test on one brand, and his three winners are revealed in the short — watch it above to see exactly which menu items made the cut.
How to Order Chicken Like a Local
A few things that surprise first-time visitors:
- Half-and-half is the move. Most shops let you split one order into two flavors (banban) — usually plain crispy fried on one side and a sauced flavor on the other. Best of both worlds.
- It comes with pickled radish. Those little cubes of chikin-mu are the palate cleanser that makes you able to finish a whole bird. Don’t ignore them.
- Delivery is king. Koreans overwhelmingly eat fried chicken delivered — to homes, offices, even Han River parks. If you’re staying in a hotel, many shops will deliver right to the lobby.
- Pair it with beer. Chimaek is a ritual, especially on weekend nights and during big sports matches.
Where and When to Eat It on Your Trip
You’ll find chicken shops on practically every block in Seoul, often open past midnight — perfect for a late-night meal after a day of sightseeing. For the full local experience, grab a spot at a neighborhood hof (casual beer pub) in areas like Hongdae or Jongno, or order delivery to a picnic mat at a Han River park in the evening. One whole chicken comfortably feeds two people alongside beer and radish.
Hungry for more? Dig into our other guides in the Korean food section, and if you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss the viral Korean convenience store desserts everyone’s talking about.
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