"An Incredible Taste... How on Earth Did They Fry It?" The Korean Food Foreigners Love Most [K-Holic]

"Korean-style chicken" wins fans with its crispy bite
Praise continues to pour in on TikTok and other social media

Editor's NoteWorldwide interest in Korean culture is growing rapidly. Korean-related products and content such as K-Food and K-Beauty are permeating the everyday lives of overseas consumers, far beyond a niche maniac fan base. [K-Holic] sheds light on the global 'Korea craze' being spotted across the world and examines why overseas consumers are paying such close attention to Korea.

Chicken. Getty Image Bank

Korean-style fried chicken, known for its crispy texture and diverse flavors, is winning over overseas consumers and driving the global expansion of Korean dining brands. In particular, as more people are exposed to the 'chimaek' culture (chicken and beer) through movies and dramas, interest in Korean-style fried chicken among overseas consumers is growing even further. In line with this trend, domestic chicken franchise companies are accelerating their push into overseas markets.

K-Food overseas outlets up 25% in 5 years... Chicken is leading the expansion

Chicken. Pixabay

According to the "2025 Survey on Overseas Expansion of Restaurant Companies" recently released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation (aT), Korean restaurant companies operated a total of 4,644 outlets in 56 countries around the world last year, including the United States, China, and Vietnam. This represents an increase of 24.8% compared to 3,722 outlets in 2020. Over the same period, the number of countries entered rose from 48 to 56.

Among the types of overseas businesses, chicken specialty restaurants accounted for the largest share. Overseas outlets operated by 28 Korean chicken brands numbered 1,809, representing 39.0% of all overseas outlets.

By country, chicken specialty restaurants were found to have the largest presence in the United States, with 555 outlets. This was followed by the Philippines (207), Thailand (157), Vietnam (129), and Taiwan (109). In particular, in Kazakhstan, there had been no outlets of Korean chicken brands at all through 2023, but there are now 60 outlets in operation.

Major franchise companies such as Bonchon Chicken and BBQ have especially led the increase in the number of overseas outlets by expanding their presence mainly in the United States. Bonchon Chicken is relatively less well-known in Korea, but operates more than 150 outlets across the United States. BBQ has also steadily expanded its outlets into the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Southeast Asia since it began its overseas expansion in 2003.

The secret to winning global palates: crispiness and variety of flavors

On TikTok, posts with the hashtag 'Korean Fried Chicken' are appearing one after another. TikTok

As Korean fried chicken expands overseas, interest in Korean-style chicken is also continuing on social media (SNS). One foreign user posted a video on TikTok of themselves eating Korean-style fried chicken, praising it by saying, "I don't know how they fried this chicken, but the taste is incredible." In response to the video, overseas users left various comments such as "In Asia, Korea is the king of chicken," "Korean fried chicken is so delicious that I hope many people get to try it," and "The crispy texture is impressive."

The crispy texture and variety of flavors are cited as key reasons Korean-style fried chicken has captured global taste buds. Korean fried chicken often uses a double-frying method to create what is popularly called a "crispy outside and moist inside" texture. Also, unlike American-style fried chicken, which tends to have a thick batter and a somewhat coarse texture, Korean-style chicken typically uses a thinner batter, achieving a crisp exterior while retaining the meat's juices.

The diversity of seasonings is another strength of Korean fried chicken. In addition to spicy gochujang-based seasoned chicken, menus using various sauces such as soy sauce chicken, garlic chicken, and honey chicken have been continuously developed. Recently, menus reflecting global trends, such as mala and sour cream flavors, have also appeared, widening the range of choices for consumers.

On top of this, the 'chimaek' culture, which spread through K-content such as dramas and films, has also contributed to raising awareness overseas. Scenes of office workers enjoying chimaek at company dinners, or people eating chicken and beer while watching sports broadcasts, are among the classic tropes of K-dramas. As a result, "chimaek" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) in 2021. The OED explains that the combination of fried chicken and beer became popular outside Korea through the Korean drama "My Love from the Star."

The Korean food foreigners like most? K-Chicken

Overseas consumer response has also been positive. According to the "2025 Overseas Korean Food Consumer Survey" conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korean Food Promotion Institute on 11,000 consumers in major cities across 22 countries, "Korean-style fried chicken" ranked first in preference for Korean food with 14%. It was followed by kimchi (9.5%), bibimbap (8.2%), bulgogi (5.6%), and ramyeon (5.1%).

In terms of Korean dishes that respondents actually ate frequently over the past year, "Korean-style fried chicken" also recorded the highest response rate at 28.3%. It was followed by kimchi (28.0%), bibimbap (19.9%), ramyeon (16.6%), bulgogi (14.0%), mandu (13.3%), and kimchi fried rice (12.5%).

Given this situation, Korean chicken franchise companies are actively moving to enter overseas markets. BHC, the chicken brand of Dining Brands Group, opened its first Indonesian outlet in Jakarta, the capital, last December, launching its push into the local market. Kyochon F&B, which operates Kyochon Chicken, plans to expand new outlets this year mainly in overseas markets such as China, Malaysia, and Dubai. Genesis BBQ Group has also announced plans to speed up its push into the Chinese market by appointing actor Lee Minho as the model for BBQ in China and strengthening its local marketing.