Give Fried Chicken 10x More Flavor With A Packet Of This Seasoning (Hint: It's Cheesy)

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Korean fried chicken is a culinary tradition with wartime origins, but it's a phenomenon that's quickly spread around the world. Not only is this spin on fried poultry distinguished by its craveably crispy texture, but Korea has also gifted us with delicious and occasionally unique flavors of fried chicken. Take, for example, cheesy fried chicken. As brought to life by K-food brands like bb.q Chicken and BHC, two chains that started in Seoul, "cheesling" or "Bburinkle" chicken is dusted all over with a cheesy condiment that's typically a dried concoction of several cheeses, including cheddar, mascarpone, and blue cheese.

Are you dying to try cheesy chicken in your own kitchen? We're intrigued by the possibilities. Basically, you bread and fry your chicken pieces as you normally would using a seasoned flour or bread crumb dredge. Then, while the fresh, hot chicken is still oily, you absolutely blanket the pieces in a dusting of cheese powder. The cheese powder used is up to you, but Korean-style ones have a specific flavor thanks to that mix and additional ingredients like garlic and onion. One Prime-eligible candidate for home experimentation might be Foodrella Korean Taste Crispy Fried Chicken Cheese Seasoning Mix, which is described as a "frying mix" that's sourced straight from Korea. Amazon will get you two pounds of the stuff, but you'll likely pay a pretty penny for the acquisition. That got us using our thinking caps to not only mull over how much we wanted to eat cheesy chicken but also the topic of other ingredients that might deliver a similar flavor profile.

Is the limited availability of cheese snow or cheese powder tripping you up? We can think of a few accessible ways to get your fix that don't necessarily involve finding a specific product. One option is to utilize something that many of us already have in our pantries: grated parmesan cheese. Now, parm has its own unique flavor profile (nutty, umami-forward), but it's definitely cheesy. Another alternative is to take a page from the book of utilizing crushed saltine crackers as fried chicken breading and take a rolling pin to a bag of Cheez-It crackers, cheddar Goldfish, or your favorite thrifty alternative.

Perhaps the best alternative, however, is also the closest: a package of cheese powder from boxed mac and cheese. This definitely isn't the most efficient way to source cheese powder, even if the box is about to expire (which boxed mac definitely does over time), but you can't beat the delightful savor of bright yellow cheese that it imparts. Use the noodles for soup or butter 'em up for your kiddos ... waste not, want not! To really replicate the tangy flavor of cheesling or Bburinkle chicken, pour a packet of ranch dressing mix in with your cheesy sub. The seasonings and dairy components of the ranch should add nuance to your coated chicken.

Of course, genuine Korean cheesy chicken can only come with the right ingredients. As is the case with other spendy culinary investments like authentic vanilla extract or intact saffron threads, sometimes it's worthwhile to spend your coins on the good stuff. If "real" cheese dust isn't in the budget, however, you definitely have options.