Tasty gochujang chicken glazed with a spicy-sweet Korean-inspired sauce. Serve with rice and quickly stir-fried vegetables for a fast, healthy weeknight meal.
Do you love good food but often feel time-squeezed when it comes to actually cooking?
I can relate. At the same time, I’m always on the lookout for super-tasty chicken recipes.
This gochujang chicken is one of the most delicious quick recipes in my file, and it only takes about 20 minutes to make.
For better or worse, chicken is the happy mealtime mediator in my family, a neutral canvas that everyone seems to like.
If you love discovering new flavors and ideas for spicing-up your everyday meals, especially when it comes to chicken, I promise you’re going to fall in love with this tangy-sweet, kinda-spicy Korean gochujang chicken.
Gochujang chicken has been on weekly repeat in my kitchen for a few reasons.
It’s not only a great choice to cook on a busy weeknight, but the sauce is addictively craveable.
The secret ingredient in the sauce/glaze on the chicken is gochujang, a type of chili paste.
Have you tried gochujang? Well, if not you’re about to meet a seriously delicious new best friend!
What’s Korean gochujang?
Gochujang is a type of chili paste that’s often called the flavor backbone in Korean cooking.
Based on a mixture of dried red chili (gochugaru), fermented rice and soybeans, gochujang is versatile condiment you’ll always want on hand.
It has a mellow heat — although not searingly hot — and a deep savory flavor with a touch of sweetness.
Once I discovered what is now my favorite brand of gochujang, I keep a jar in the fridge at all times.
While the paste isn’t really an ingredient you’d want to eat straight-up, it’s a fantastic condiment to use when you want to boost the flavor of sauces, salad dressings and soups, much like you’d use miso or hoisin sauce.
My glaze recipe is actually a great little sauce by itself, something to dab on tacos, vegetables or a salad, and it keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Serve this chicken with stir-fried baby bok choy or other greens and short grain rice for a perfect weeknight meal.
More quick weeknight chicken recipes:
- Thai Basil Chicken with Chili Garlic Sauce
- Coconut Lime Chicken Skewers
- Chopped Chicken Shawarma Salad
Easy Sweet and Spicy Gochujang Chicken
Ingredients
Gochujang Sauce:
- 1/4 cup gochujang paste
- 1/4 cup white miso
- 2 tablespoons mirin or honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or pressed
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 - 3 tablespoons water
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup very thinly sliced green onion
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.
- Put the chicken in another bowl, add 1/4 cup of the sauce and toss around to coat. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-hot direct grilling, or place a heavy, lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
- Cook the chicken about 5 minutes per side, turning frequently, until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing 1/2-thick.
- Serve the chicken sprinkled with the green onion and additional sauce drizzled over.
Notes
Extra sauce will keep refrigerated for a week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 378 Total Fat: 17g Saturated Fat: 4g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 184mg Sodium: 1295mg Carbohydrates: 20g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 13g Protein: 39g
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Hi there! I’m Karen, a mother of two and a professionally trained cook certified in holistic nutrition.
As the recipe developer, photographer and publisher of Familystyle Food, I share recipes and tips for making easy seasonal meals that are healthy and flavorful. Learn more about me here.
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