Spicy Gochujang Korean Chicken (Printable)
Juicy chicken thighs glazed with spicy-sweet gochujang, soy, and honey for a bold Korean-inspired dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
→ Marinade
02 - 3 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
03 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
04 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
05 - 2 tbsp honey (or brown sugar)
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
08 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
09 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Garnishes
10 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
11 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
# How-To Steps:
01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
02 - Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and toss to coat evenly. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - Heat a large skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken along with any excess marinade and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, until the chicken is fully cooked through and lightly caramelized on the exterior.
04 - Remove the skillet from heat. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately alongside steamed rice or lettuce wraps.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The gochujang marinade does all the heavy lifting, so you get restaurant quality flavor with almost zero effort.
- It caramelizes into this sticky, glossy glaze that makes everyone think you spent way longer than 40 minutes cooking.
02 -
- Do not drain the marinade before cooking because that liquid reduces into the glaze, and dumping it means losing half your flavor.
- If the sauce is too thin near the end of cooking, just let it go another minute or two uncovered and it will thicken right up from the honey caramelizing.
03 -
- Pat the chicken dry before adding it to the marinade so the glaze adheres better and you get a real sear instead of steaming.
- Cook in two batches if your pan is crowded because overlapping pieces will boil instead of caramelize and you will lose that gorgeous char.