Review: Bonchon - Sweet Red Chili Korean Fried Chicken

Bonchon's Sweet Red Chili Korean fried chicken is a limited-time offering that features the chain's signature hand-battered, double-fried chicken brushed with new, limited-time Sweet Red Chili sauce.

I paid $14.99 for three drumsticks and six wings (with half Soy Garlic [left] for comparison).

The chain's Sweet Red Chili sauce combines sugar and chili flakes for a light glaze on each piece of chicken. It's a fairly mild sauce (especially compared to the chain's more savory Soy Garlic and much more spicy and savory Spicy sauces) that's more sweet than spicy and barely spicy at all. They brush on the sauce rather than tossing the fried chicken in it for a thin, even coat.

If you've never had Korean Fried chicken, Bonchon's version is very lightly battered and fried so that the outer of the layer of the skin crisps up to a thin, crackly shell. There's a bit of a pork rind feel to the fried chicken crust but it's not airy nor bubbly. The chicken is fried to order (it's best to order ahead online or by phone if you're short on time) so the chicken itself is very juicy but not very flavorful outside of the sauce/glaze (I don't think they marinate or brine the chicken at all).

Overall, Bonchon's Sweet Red Chili Korean fried chicken was a little too mellow and simple for my liking. The chain's other sauces are more punchy and go better with the very neutral chicken underneath. The crispy fried chicken crust is a must-try though.