Spicy Gochujang Chicken (Printable)

Sticky, spicy Korean-style chicken with gochujang chili paste, soy, and honey. Ready in 40 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1½ lbs 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 rest for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 2 hours 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 nicely caramelized on the exterior.
04 - Remove from heat and transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve hot alongside steamed rice or lettuce wraps.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce caramelizes into something that tastes like you spent three hours on it, not twenty minutes.
  • Chicken thighs stay juicy and forgiving, so even if you overcook slightly, dinner still works out beautifully.
02 -
  • If you crowd the pan the chicken will steam instead of caramelize, so cook in two batches if needed.
  • The marinade will look thick and almost pasty at first but thins out beautifully as the chicken cooks and releases its juices.
03 -
  • Pat the chicken dry before adding it to the marinade so the sauce clings rather than sliding off wet meat.
  • A cast iron skillet gives the best caramelization, but any heavy bottomed pan will do the job nicely.

Return