Mochiko Fried Chicken with Gochujang Aioli from Chef Sheldon Simeon
Have you ever had Mochiko Fried Chicken? It’s a delicious dish made with Japanese rice flour that gives the chicken a crispy outer crust. Chef Sheldon Simeon, fan-favorite from the popular TV show “Top Chef”, created this recipe and I’m going to show you how to make it at home. The best part is the Gochujang Aioli, which adds a spicy and tangy flavor to the chicken. So let’s get cooking!
What is Mochiko Rice Flour?
Mochiko rice flour is a type of sweet flour made from glutinous rice. Glutinous rice is a type of short-grain rice that is sticky and chewy when cooked. The name “mochiko” literally means “rice flour”.
Mochiko flour adds an out-of-this-world crunch to this fried chicken recipe! Mochiko rice flour, as well as some of the other items in this recipe, can be found in most Asian supermarkets. They can also be found online on websites such as Yummy Bazaar.
Who is Chef Sheldon Simeon?
Sheldon Simeon is a classically-trained chef originally from the Philippines. After studying at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, he worked in some of the country’s most prestigious kitchens, including The French Laundry and Per Se. In 2010, he was a runner-up on Season 10 of Bravo’s popular cooking competition show Top Chef.
In 2012, Sheldon opened his own restaurant, Mi Lupita, in Lahaina, Maui. The restaurant has been praised by food critics for its inventive yet simple takes on traditional Filipino cuisine. Sheldon was also nominated for a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Pacific Northwest.
Since then, Sheldon has opened many restaurants in Hawaii, including Tin Roof, a casual lunch shop Kahalui, and Lineage in Wailea with modern yet local Hawaii fare. In 2022 Sheldon made it to the finalists for James Beard’s Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific.
How to Make the Crispiest Fried Chicken Ever
This recipe uses the Mochiko rice flour to make a paste that the chicken is marinated in, which adds another layer of crunch to the fried chicken. I can confidently say that this is the best fried chicken recipe I have ever made.
Even if you are not in the mood for the Hawaiian-Asian flair, I recommend using this breading/batter technique for extra-crispy fried chicken. If there was one recipe worth buying the extra ingredients and oil, THIS IS IT!
Get more AMAZING Hawaiian recipes and support the chef by purchasing your own Cook Real Hawai’i cookbook.
Mochiko Fried Chicken w/ Gochujang Aioli
Ingredients
Ingredients for Mochiko Fried Chicken
- 8 pieces Chicken thighs boneless, skin on
- 3/4 cup Mochiko Rice Flour
- 1/4 cup Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Ginger minced
- 2 tbsp Sake
- 2 tbsp Gochujang
- 2 tbsp Water
- 2 cups AP Flour
- 2 cups Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp garlic salt
- Canola Oil for deep frying
Ingredients for Gochujang Aioli
- 1 tbsp Gochujang
- 2 cups Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
Directions for the Fried Chicken
- In a medium bowl, mix the mochiko flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt until well combined.
- In a smaller bowl, whist together the eggs, soy sauce, ginger, sake, gochujang and water.
- Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Add the chicken to the paste-like mixture.
- Marinate at least 4 hours; preferably overnight.
- To cook the chicken, sift together AP flour, cornstarch and garlic salt in a medium bowl.
- Take the chicken thighs from the marinade (leaving the paste on the chicken) and dredge in dry mixture. Shake off any excess flour and deep-fry until golden brown (cooked to 165F).
Directions for the Gochujang Aioli
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well incorporated.
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