Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 3 lbs chicken thighs; cubed

• 1/2 cup cornstarch

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

• 2 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 6 cups neutral oil

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1 fresno chile; minced

• 3 cloves garlic; minced

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/3 cup gochujang

• 3 tbsp ketchup

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1/4 cup honey

• 3 tbsp brown sugar

For the carrots:

• 2 carrots; thinly sliced

• 1 jalapeño; seeded and thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 2 tsp sea salt

• 1/4 cup cilantro; chopped

For the rice:

• 5 cups white sushi rice; cooked

• 1 cup kimchi; chopped

• 1 tbsp gochujang

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1/2 cup cilantro; chopped

• 1/2 cup scallions; chopped

For the creama:

• 3 tbsp gochujang

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 clove garlic

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

For the corn:

• 2 ears of corn; kernels removed

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp sea salt

• 1 tbsp all purpose flour

For the cucumbers:

• 4 persian cucumbers

• 2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

For serving:

• 2 scallions; thinly sliced

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

• 1 cup bean sprouts

Instructions

1. Make the pickled carrots by adding all of the ingredients to a mason jar. Shake vigorously to combine all of the ingredients. Chill for at least 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, start the cucumbers by smashing them with the side of a knife, then chop vertically into 1 inch pieces. Whisk together the red pepper flakes, sesame oil, olive oil, rice vinegar, granulated sugar, salt, and black pepper. Add the smashed and chopped cucumbers to the dressing, stir to coat. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Start the sauce by melting the butter in a medium saucepan and adding the fresno chili, ground ginger, and garlic. Stir and cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Stir in the gochujang, ketchup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and brown sugar. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan. The sauce will noticeably thicken. Cover and set aside.

4. Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Dredge the cubes of chicken thighs into the mixture, squeeze each coated piece with your hand to make sure the flour mixture really sticks. Heat 3 cups of the oil in a pot until it reaches 275 degrees.

5. Add enough chicken to fill the pan but avoid overcrowding, you will need to fry the chicken in batches. Cook for 15 minutes, flipping occasionally, until just golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate lined with a paper towel.

6. Replace the oil and heat to 400 degrees, add the chicken back to the oil in batches, cook for 3 minutes on each side until the pieces are dark golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on another paper towel lined plate.

7. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 5 minutes, then toss in the sauce until completely and evenly coated. Set aside.

8. Start the corn by whisking together the onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt, and flour. Add the corn kernels and toss until full coated. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the corn and cook on medium-high heat for 3 minutes without moving the corn around so it can get crispy. Stir the corn around and cook for another 5 minutes until the kernels are golden brown and crispy.

9. Stir the kimchi, gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cilantro, and scallions into the cooked rice.

10. Make the crema by adding all of the ingredients to a blender or a food processor and blending until smooth.

11. Serve the chicken over a bed of the rice. Top with the carrots, corn, and cucumbers then drizzle with the creama. Finish with a sprinkle of bean sprouts, scallions, and sesame seeds.