Create Flavorful Dips For Korean Fried Chicken Using Store-Bought Sauces

Korean fried chicken is almost as revered for its complex sauces as its bold, crunchy exterior. But you don't always need a pantry full of ingredients to whip up a dipping sauce worthy of such a beautiful crust.

Daily Meal spoke with Ji Hye Kim, the owner and chef of Korean restaurant Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to get her ideas for using store-bought sauces and minimal ingredients to jazz up your home-cooked Korean fried chicken. And there's one option you can make with ingredients you already have in your pantry — or should have if you don't.

Kim recommends mixing barbecue sauce and ketchup with a little (or a lot of) gochujang paste for a dipping sauce that she describes as, "a balance of sweet, savory, a little spice, and a hint of acidity." If you don't have it, there are plenty of substitutes for gochujang paste. You could probably use Tabasco, sriracha, or even harissa, but it cannot be stressed enough how much you need gochujang in your life (especially if you make Korean food a lot or you're a ketchup-on-eggs person).

If you've got a few more ingredients at your disposal, Ji Hye Kim recommends trying a couple of other sauces you might like even better than the first. For example, mix mayonnaise, soy sauce, and as much grated garlic as you can handle. "​​It is like an amped-up Korean aioli, except you don't have to make it entirely from scratch," she notes, suggesting, "If you want a bit of a kick, stir in a dollop of sriracha — the real one in the rooster bottle."

Kim also suggests a richer, sweeter, more addictive sauce that would also be scandalous (in a good way) on popcorn. She says to "melt some salted butter in the microwave until half melted and half still spreadable, and stir in honey until it becomes a sort of glaze consistency. You can crack some black pepper into it, too." Are you drooling? Then, for more Korean food inspiration, follow Ji Hye Kim on Instagram.

The takeaway here is that you don't necessarily need many special ingredients to enjoy Korean food at home. You don't even need a lot of time. Just swing by the Korean place for some fried chicken after work and whip up some quick sauces when you get home.