Crispy, sticky, sweet, and spicy – this Korean fried chicken smash taco mash-up is a serious contender for my favorite smash taco yet. Think juicy chicken topped with panko, pan-fried until golden, brushed with a sticky gochujang glaze, and loaded with a zingy slaw. No deep-frying, no messy coating.
Table of Contents
- Korean Fried Chicken Smash Tacos, at a Glance
- When Korean Fried Chicken Meets Taco Night
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How to Make the Smash Tacos
- How to Make Sure the Chicken Sticks to Your Tortilla
- Korean Fried Chicken Smash Taco FAQs
- Like this recipe? Try these ideas using similar flavors next
- Korean Fried Chicken Smash Tacos Recipe
Korean Fried Chicken Smash Tacos, at a Glance
⏰ Time: 30 minutes
🍽️ Makes: 4 servings
🛒 Key Ingredients: Ground chicken, mini tortillas, gochujang paste, light soy sauce, sweet chili jam, panko breadcrumbs
🍳 Cooking Method: Pan-fry
💪 Protein: 37g per serving
🥙 Why it Works: All the flavors of Korean fried chicken, in a jazzy new form, without the faff and mess of deep-frying
🥡 Perfect For: Easy high-protein dinners, taco night, a seriously fun, crowd-pleasing party bite
When Korean Fried Chicken Meets Taco Night
Ok, I know these aren’t technically Korean fried chicken in taco form. But thanks to the crispy panko topping and the sticky gochujang glaze, they do an excellent impression, so I’m standing by the name 😅
I’ve been sitting on this idea for a while now, and I’m so happy it worked out as well as it did. The chicken is loaded with zingy flavors (hello gochujang!), pressed straight onto mini tortillas, topped with panko for the crunch factor, then cooked until gorgeously golden. Finish with that iconic sticky gochujang glaze and a fresh slaw to cut through any richness, and you’ve got a seriously gorgeous little bite.
They’re also much easier than traditional fried chicken. No deep-frying, no messy coating process, no oil splattering. Just press, cook, drizzle, and load them up.
And if you’re as much of a smash taco fiend as I am, try these smash dumpling tacos, smash chicken Caesar tacos, smash banh mi tacos, or the classic smash cheeseburger tacos next.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground chicken. Swap this for ground turkey, beef, pork, or a plant-based alternative if you like. And if you can’t find ground chicken, you can blitz 1 lb (500g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a food processor to make your own.
- Mini tortillas. I’m using flour tortillas here, but corn tortillas work well too. You could even use regular-sized tortillas to make larger tacos.
- Panko breadcrumbs. These are used to mimic the crispy coating of Korean fried chicken. Panko breadcrumbs are a little larger than regular breadcrumbs, so I prefer them for the best crunch, but regular are absolutely fine if that’s all you can find.
- Gochujang paste. Essential for the sticky gochujang glaze to really make these taste like Korean fried chicken. You should be able to find it in the Asian aisle of your grocery store, or you can pick it up from Amazon.
- Sweet chili jam. Or use sweet chili sauce. I recommend trying my homemade sweet chili jam for the best flavor, but any will do. If you can’t find it, use honey.
How to Make the Smash Tacos
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the tacos – the full recipe with ingredient quantities is at the bottom of the page for you.
- Mix your chicken topping so that all the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Spread a heaped spoonful of the mixture onto a mini tortilla, then use the back of your spoon to smooth it into a thin, even layer.
- Add your panko breadcrumbs to a bowl, then press your tacos, topping side down, into it to coat the tacos in breadcrumbs.
- Mix your slaw, then set aside for now.
- Add all the ingredients for your sticky gochujang glaze to a pan, and heat until bubbling and glossy.
- Cook your tacos, topping side down, until gorgeously golden and crispy.
- Flip your tacos, then cook for a minute on the other side.
- Spoon the sticky gochujang glaze all over each taco, then top with the slaw, and finish with a good drizzle of the spicy mayo.
How to Make Sure the Chicken Sticks to Your Tortilla
- The chicken topping should be a thin, even layer, rather than a thick topping. Roughly ¼ inch thick works well.
- I recommend using a non-stick pan, and make sure there’s a decent drizzle of oil in the pan.
- You also need to make sure the pan is nice and hot when you add the tacos.
- Firmly press down on them in the pan to ‘smash’ and seal the meat to the tacos.
But if the meat doesn’t stick to your tortillas, don’t worry too much! It won’t make a difference to the finished tacos.
Korean Fried Chicken Smash Taco FAQs
They definitely have a little bit of a kick to them, with gochujang paste and sweet chili jam in the chicken mixture and the glaze, but I’d describe them as medium, rather than super spicy.
You can easily reduce the heat by using less gochujang paste in the chicken topping, and the glaze, and adding a little more honey (in the glaze). Or, if you’d like them spicier, add more gochujang and sweet chili.
For the chicken topping, I highly recommend pan-frying a spoonful of the mixture and tasting it before you top the tacos. That way, you can adjust the spiciness before you get too far into the recipe.
Yes! You can get ahead in a couple of ways:
The ground chicken mixture can be made two days ahead of time and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to top and cook your tacos.
The topped (raw) tacos themselves will keep well for 24 hours in the fridge – just use pieces of parchment paper to separate them when you store them in a container so they don’t stick together and go soggy.
The gochujang glaze keeps well for at least one week in the fridge once mixed, and the zingy slaw can be made three days ahead of time. Store them separately in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
The oven or the air fryer is the best option here. Avoid microwaving them if you’d like to keep the crispy texture – it’ll make the tortillas and the panko go soggy.
Reheat them, chicken side up, in the air fryer at 350°F (180°C) for 4 to 5 minutes, or in the oven at the same temperature for about 8 minutes, until hot and crispy.
Like this recipe? Try these ideas using similar flavors next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
Korean Fried Chicken Smash Tacos
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the chicken topping.To a large bowl, add the ground chicken, grated ginger, crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of gochujang paste, 1 tablespoon of sweet chili jam, and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Mix well to combine.
- Press the topping onto your tacos.Scoop up a heaped spoonful of the chicken mixture and spread it onto a tortilla, using the back of your spoon to smooth it into a thin, even layer. Roughly ¼ inch thick works well. You can go right to the edge of the tortilla. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- Add your crispy panko topping.Pour your panko breadcrumbs into a bowl or a lipped plate that will fit your tortillas. Press the topped tacos, meat side down, into the panko breadcrumbs.Press down on the tortilla so the breadcrumbs stick to the topping. Carefully remove and set aside, then repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Make the zingy slaw. To a small bowl, add the diced cucumber, shredded cabbage, sliced scallions, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar. Toss to combine, then set aside.
- Make the sticky gochujang glaze. Set a small pan over medium heat, and add ¼ cup gochujang paste, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sweet chilli jam, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Mix to combine well, and keep stirring as the sauce loosens up and starts to bubble. It should be deeply red and sticky. At this point, remove the pan from the heat. If your sauce is very thick, you can mix in a little water to loosen it up.
- Cook the tacos. Set a large frying pan or skillet over high heat. Drizzle the pan with a little olive oil, then add your topped tacos, chicken side down, into the pan. Use a fish slice or flat spatula to really press the tacos into the pan – this 'smashes' the tacos and ensures they cook quickly, the panko crisps up well, and helps the chicken stick to the tortilla.Cook for four minutes, then flip and cook for a further minute to crisp up the tortilla. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining tacos.
- Top and serve. Drizzle the cooked tacos with some of the gochujang glaze, then spoon over the zingy slaw. Drizzle with spicy aioli, then scatter with cilantro and the sesame seeds. Enjoy while hot and crispy.
