This tasty gochujang chicken is glazed with a spicy-sweet Korean-inspired sauce. You can cook the chicken on a grill or bake in the oven. Serve this simple, complex-tasting chicken with rice and quickly stir-fried vegetables for a quick weeknight meal.

Two glazed chicken thighs on a plate with gochujang sauce and chopped scallion.

I’m always on the lookout for super-tasty chicken recipes that don’t require lots of fussing to cook. This gochujang chicken is one of the most delicious quick recipes in my file, and it only takes about 20 minutes to make.

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 love with this tangy-sweet, kinda-spicy chicken.

About key ingredients

Ingredients for a gochujang chicken recipe arranged on a surface, including raw boneless chicken thighs, fresh ginger, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar and jarred gochujang paste.
  • Gochujang: Gochujang is a type of chili paste that’s often called the flavor backbone and an essential condiment in Korean cooking. It has a mellow heat — although not searingly hot — and a deep savory flavor with a touch of sweetness. While the paste isn’t really something 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.
  • Miso: I recommend white or yellow miso, which has a sweet, less potent flavor than darker miso.

Recipe overview

  • A bowl of ingredients for making gochujang chicken marinade.
    1. To make the gochujang marinade/sauce, combine the ingredients with cold water.
  • Gochujang sauce in a bowl with a whisk.
    2. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and blended.
  • Uncooked boneless, skinless chicken thighs with gochujang marinade in a bowl.
    3. Put the chicken in a bowl. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the sauce and toss in the bowl until the chicken is evenly coated.
  • Marinated chicken thighs arranged on a rack in a sheet pan.
    4. For oven cooking, arrange the chicken on a rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Cooked chicken thighs with gochujang sauce on a roasting rack set into a sheet pan.
    5. Roast for approximately 20 minutes, flipping over halfway.
  • A serving of gochujang sauce chicken served on a platter with chopped scallions sprinkled over the top.
    6. Sprinkle sliced green onions over the chicken.
  • Sliced chicken thighs with gochujang sauce served in a bowl with rice and chopped green onions.
    Slice into pieces and serve atop rice, with additional sauce on the side.
4.80 from 81 ratings

Easy Sweet and Spicy Gochujang Chicken

Karen Tedesco
Super tasty and quick to make, this easy gochujang chicken is glazed with a quick, sweet and savory sauce. For a fast weeknight meal, slice the chicken and serve in rice bowls with steamed or stir-fried vegetables.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
 

Gochujang Marinade:

  • ¼ cup (70 g) gochujang paste
  • ¼ cup (70 g) white miso
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) mirin or honey
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) toasted sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated or pressed
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons (45 ml) cold water

Chicken

  • 1½-2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ¼ cup (25 g) thinly sliced green onion

Instructions
 

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl. Put the chicken in another large bowl, add ¼ cup of the sauce and toss the pieces around to coat. At this point, the chicken can marinate up to 24 hours. Reserve the remaining sauce (it will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator).

Option 1: Grill the chicken

  1. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-hot direct grilling. Oil the grates to prevent sticking. Cook the chicken about 5 minutes per side, turning frequently, until the chicken is cooked through.

Option 2: Oven-bake the chicken

  1. Preheat the oven to 450F (225C), with the oven racks arranged in the center. If you have a convection oven, preheat it to 425F (220C).
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup. Set a rack inside the pan and arrange the chicken on top. Pour ¼ cup water into the bottom of the pan (this will help prevent the sugars in the sauce from scorching).
  3. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake 10 minutes. Flip the chicken over and bake an additional 8-10 minutes, until the pieces are browned on the edges.

Serving

  1. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice it into ½-inch thick pieces — don't forget to reserve any juices that have collected on the board or in the sheet pan. Serve the chicken sprinkled with green onions and additional sauce drizzled over.

Notes

    • The gochujang sauce also tastes great with tacos, vegetables, or a salad. It keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge.
    • Serve the chicken with stir-fried baby bok choy or sauteed broccoli and cooked rice for a simple weeknight meal.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 268kcal Carbohydrates: 9g Protein: 31g Fat: 12g Sodium: 609mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 3g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Save to Pinterest
Tried this recipe?A star rating takes 5 seconds and helps more people find it.
Sliced chicken thighs on a plate with gochujang glaze and chopped scallion.
The secret ingredient in the sauce/glaze on the chicken is gochujang, a type of chili paste.