Korean Crispy Potato Bites

Name: Korean Crispy Potato Bites
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed; 1/2 cup tapioca starch; 1 tsp salt; 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying); 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes); 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Mashed potato bound with tapioca starch into a glossy dough, piped into bite-sized pieces, and fried until the outside shatters while the inside stays chewy, a viral Korean street-food snack.

35 minMediumServes 4210 cal/serving

KoreanAppetizerStovetopVegetarianGluten-FreeNut-FreeDairy-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp salt
4 cups vegetable oil (for frying)
1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1

Boil 2 lbs peeled and cubed russet potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes, until fork-tender, then drain well and mash until completely smooth.
2

While the mash is still warm, stir in 1/2 cup tapioca starch and 1 tsp salt and knead in the bowl until the mixture forms a smooth, stretchy, glossy dough.
3

Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a wide round tip, or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off.
4

Heat 4 cups vegetable oil (for frying) in a deep pot to 350°F.
5

Pipe 1-inch pieces of dough directly into the hot oil, cutting them off with kitchen shears, and fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and puffed, turning occasionally.
6

Drain the bites on paper towels, then toss with 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds while still hot.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Keep this recipe

Prints the ingredients and method only.

The Korean Kitchen 30 recipes from this kitchen in one printable PDF. $5, no account.

Questions

How hot should the oil be for Korean Crispy Potato Bites?

For Korean Crispy Potato Bites, the frying oil is held at 350 F (about 175 C) in step 4. Hotter scorches the outside before the inside cooks, and cooler turns it greasy.

What should Korean Crispy Potato Bites look like when it is ready?

Go by the cues in the method rather than the clock. Step 5: cook until golden and puffed, turning occasionally.

Is there a substitute for gochugaru in Korean Crispy Potato Bites?

The entry for Korean Crispy Potato Bites calls for 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). In its place: Use half as much crushed red pepper flakes, or sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne. Gochugaru is milder and fruitier than standard flakes, so go by taste.

Can I make Korean Crispy Potato Bites less spicy?

Yes. The heat in Korean Crispy Potato Bites comes from 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). For a milder plate, halve the gochugaru; nothing else in the method changes.

Does Korean Crispy Potato Bites contain sesame?

Yes: 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds. The full allergen list for this entry is sesame. Seeds used as a garnish can simply be left off; the oil has no true substitute. Packaged ingredients vary by brand, so check labels if the allergy is serious.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,544 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.