Bonchon Soy Garlic Chicken Wings (Copycat Recipe)

 

Bonchon Soy Garlic Chicken Wings Recipe (Easy Copycat)

The Iconic Korean Fried Chicken Glaze You Can Now Make at Home

From SoyummySoEasy! 

If you have ever stood in line at a Bonchon Chicken — or polished off an entire box of their wings before even getting home — you already know exactly what makes their flagship Soy Garlic flavor so dangerously addictive. It is that glossy, deeply savory, lightly sweet glaze that coats every inch of a shatteringly crispy wing and somehow manages to be both bold and balanced at the same time. Bonchon Chicken is a South Korean franchise that first opened in Busan in 2002 and has since grown into a global phenomenon. Interestingly, the Philippines now hosts more Bonchon locations than any other country in the world — a testament to just how deeply Filipinos have fallen for Korean fried chicken. The name Bonchon translates to "My Hometown" in Korean, and one bite of these wings and you will understand why people feel so at home eating them.

The great news is that the Soy Garlic Glaze is entirely recreatable in your own kitchen using ingredients readily available at any supermarket. The glaze is built on a base of light soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar, deepened with fresh minced garlic, shredded ginger, and a touch of garlic powder for an extra layer of that signature pungent warmth. A small amount of cornstarch is stirred in to thicken the sauce just enough to cling beautifully to each wing without becoming heavy or sticky. The result is a glossy, restaurant-quality glaze that is sweet, savory, garlicky, and completely irresistible. Finished with a generous sprinkle of white sesame seeds, these wings look and taste every bit as good as the real thing.

The technique is just as important as the sauce. The key to achieving that legendary Bonchon crunch is coating the wings generously in cornstarch before frying — not flour, cornstarch — which creates a lighter, crispier shell that holds up beautifully under the glaze. Allow the wings to drain and dry on paper towels after frying before tossing them in the sauce, so the crunch stays intact. This recipe serves 4 and comes together in about 1 hour and 10 minutes, making it a perfect weekend cooking project, party appetizer, or game day snack that the whole family will love.

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Ingredients

For the Fried Chicken Wings

• ½ kg chicken wings
• 2 cups cornstarch
• Salt and pepper, to season
• Cooking oil, for deep frying

For the Soy Garlic Glaze

• ½ cup light soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ small onion, shredded
• 1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and shredded
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ¼ cup mirin
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

For Garnish

• White sesame seeds, as needed

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Part 1 — Fry the Chicken Wings

1. Dry the wings — Pat the chicken wings completely dry with paper towels. Removing surface moisture is essential for achieving a proper crispy crust — wet wings will steam instead of fry.
2. Season and dredge — Season the wings on all sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each wing generously in cornstarch, pressing lightly to ensure an even coat all over. Shake off any excess.
3. Deep fry — Heat enough cooking oil in a deep pan or wok for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, carefully lower the wings in batches — do not overcrowd the pan. Fry until the wings are cooked through and golden on all sides.
4. Drain and dry — Remove the wings from the oil and place on a wire rack or paper towels to drain. Allow them to rest and dry briefly — this step preserves the crunch when the glaze is added.

Part 2 — Make the Soy Garlic Glaze

5. Combine the glaze base — In a small saucepan, combine the shredded onion, minced garlic, light soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic powder, and shredded ginger. Stir to mix everything together.
6. Heat and dissolve — Place the saucepan over low to medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is fragrant and beginning to simmer.
7. Make the cornstarch slurry — In a small bowl, combine the 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of the warm soy-garlic mixture from the pan. Stir until completely smooth with no lumps.
8. Thicken the glaze — Pour the cornstarch slurry back into the saucepan and stir continuously until the sauce thickens slightly into a glossy, pourable glaze. Remove from heat.

Part 3 — Combine and Serve

9. Toss the wings — Add the fried chicken wings to the saucepan or transfer both to a large bowl. Toss until every wing is evenly and generously coated in the soy garlic glaze.
10. Garnish and serve — Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle white sesame seeds liberally over the top. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.

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Nutrition Information

Servings: 4 | Serving Size: ~255g | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 40 mins

Nutrient	Per Serving
Calories	492 kcal
Total Fat	7.1g
Saturated Fat	1.6g
Trans Fat	0.1g
Cholesterol	71mg
Sodium	1,839mg
Total Carbohydrate	68.2g
Dietary Fiber	1.6g
Total Sugars	4.3g
Protein	31.8g
Potassium	408mg

Note: Sodium is elevated due to the soy sauce base — use low-sodium soy sauce to reduce the sodium content if preferred.

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One killer glaze, one bag of wings, and about an hour in the kitchen — this is the copycat recipe that brings the Bonchon experience straight to your own table!