If you’ve never had Gochujang Chicken before, you’re going to love its sticky, spicy-sweet glaze bursting with bold Korean flavor.
If you ever crave Korean cuisine or feel like expanding your culinary horizons, I can’t speak highly enough of gochujang chicken. This definitely isn’t an ordinary chicken recipe. But it’s also not an overly complicated or difficult one. From start to finish, this dish is ready to eat in about 30 minutes. That’s not bad! So, if you find yourself short on time but want to cook something special, gochujang chicken might be the perfect solution.
For those unfamiliar with Korean cuisine, gochujang chicken is spicy, but not too spicy—for most people. Sure, there’s a little heat, but it does a great job of balancing spicy with sweet. Aside from the gochujang paste, the dish mixes garlic, ginger, and honey. It boasts a diverse mixture of bold flavors without feeling like you need to down a glass of milk.
While the gochujang paste is probably more exotic than your average flavor, most of the ingredients are pantry staples. And don’t worry; places like Whole Foods and Kroger all carry gochujang paste these days. Alternatively, you could always visit your local Asian market. All this to say, gochujang chicken proves you don’t need a long ingredient list or hours of cooking to deliver big, satisfying flavors.
Is Gochujang Chicken Healthy?
With boneless, skinless chicken thighs, this recipe is off to a good start from a health standpoint. Traditionally, gochujang uses skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs. Opting for skinless chicken thighs helps reduce some fat and calories.
The sodium and cholesterol levels are also manageable, unless you’re strict about cutting back on either. Besides, you could also substitute the soy sauce with coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce. Plus, the chicken provides a good source of protein. This dish is also high in potassium, iron, and other nutrients.
Focus On The Ingredients
The quality of the ingredients in the gochujang mixture is the key to making this dish stand out. You simply can’t make this recipe without it! Since the gochujang paste is mentioned in the dish’s name, I think it’s pretty clear, right? As I said earlier, it’s pretty easy to find nowadays, but if you can’t find it, you can always order the paste on Amazon or somewhere similar.
For the ginger and garlic, stick to fresh. I’m not against using dried spices, but fresh is best. You can surely taste the difference if you try to cut corners. Regarding the fresh ginger, I recommend storing it in your fridge. It keeps for quite a while and grates beautifully with a zester!
How To Make Ahead And Store
After cooking the chicken, allow any leftovers to cool to room temperature. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Just make sure to reheat the chicken until piping hot before eating the leftovers.
Serving Suggestions
Both rice and vegetables pair well with gochujang chicken, so feel free to make either or both as a side dish. Personally, I enjoy gochujang chicken on a bed of Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice or perhaps Vegetable Fried Rice. If you prefer the vegetable route, Garlic-Parmesan Green Beans are a great option. I also like mixing gochujang chicken with roasted broccoli. If you want to make the meal extra special, consider making Shrimp Spring Rolls as either a side dish or appetizer.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 green onions sliced for garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix gochujang paste, soy sauce, honey, garlic, and ginger with water to create the sauce.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add chicken pieces and cook until browned.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken in the skillet, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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