Spicy Gochujang Chicken
This sweet but spicy Gochujang Chicken is your new favorite dinner. It has pan fried chicken tossed in an easy, sweet and sticky gochujang sauce! Toss in some of your favorite veggies or steam some on the side for an 30 minute weeknight dinner!
Whenever I don’t know what to make for dinner, I almost always opt for some Asian inspired dish because I know it’ll be flavorful, quick, easy and I can usually use whatever I happen to have on hand. This sweet and spicy gochujang chicken is a go to recipe when I need dinner asap!
It’s packed with flavor, the perfect balance of sweet and spicy and delicious served with any of your favorite vegetables or just as is! If you love this recipe, try my gochujang tofu or korean gochujang noodles next!
A few notes before we get started
- Be sure to check the ingredient labels for your gochujang paste. The one I used is this one, which is gluten free. Some (honestly most) contain barley malt which is not gluten free.
- This recipe calls for velveting the chicken which is a process commonly used in Asian recipes to make the meat very tender. If you’re in a hurry, you can get away with skipping this step, just be extra cautious to not over cook the chicken!
- You’ll know the chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to make Korean Gochujang Chicken
Cut the chicken into small, bite sized pieces and add to a bowl. We’ll start by velveting the chicken. Toss with the baking soda and mix well to combine. This will tenderize the chicken and prevent it from drying out. Set aside in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Once done, rinse well with cold water, then add back to a bowl. Toss with the salt and pepper. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Once hot, add in the chicken and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and mostly cooked through. We’ll continue cooking it in a minute, so it doesn’t need to be fully done yet. Try to use a large enough pan so the chicken is in one even layer. If you only have a small pan, do this in two batches.
Add in the minced garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute. Meanwhile, in a small dish, whisk together the tamari, gochujang, honey, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and two tablespoons of water. We’ll use the other two in a second.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the sauce into the pan and let simmer. In a small dish, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining two tablespoons of water. Add to the chicken.
Simmer for about 5-7 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. If it’s not bubbling and getting thick, you can make another slurry with 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. I like to keep it saucy because I usually serve with rice and veggies! Remove from heat.
Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds and serve over rice. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
This recipe is just for the chicken, I opted out of adding in any veggies to the dish, but there is plenty of sauce if you want to stir fry some veggies on the side and toss them in.
You can steam or saute veggies like broccoli, cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, onion etc. and then toss them with the chicken. I always serve over rice, but you can also try cauliflower rice for a lower carb option or rice noodles if you want to go in a different direction.
Pro tips!
- Try to cut the chicken into the same size pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Careful not to over cook the chicken, you don’t want it to dry out! Velveting it beforehand will help keep it tender, but you want to just brown it evenly before adding the sauce.
- Be sure the oil is hot in the skillet before adding the chicken, it will help give it a bit of a crispy coating!
- I used 28% reduced sodium tamari, but if you prefer it even less salty, you can use 50% reduced.
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a fermented chili paste made from red chili powder, rice, fermented soybeans and salt. It’s a savory and spicy sauce that adds a rich umami flavor to Asian dishes. Some gochujang pastes are spicier than others, so the final flavor of the dish can vary depending on the brand you use. If you want it spicier, you can add in a bit of sriracha or red pepper flakes. If it’s too spicy, you can balance it out with a bit of extra honey and rice vinegar.
More asian inspired dinner recipes!
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Spicy Gochujang Chicken
by: claire cary
Sweet but spicy Gochujang Chicken is your new favorite dinner. It has pan fried chicken tossed in an easy, sweet and sticky gochujang sauce! Toss in some of your favorite veggies or steam some on the side for a quick and easy weeknight dinner!
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Instructions
Cut the chicken into small, bite sized pieces and add to a bowl.
We'll start by velveting the chicken. Toss with the baking soda and mix well to combine. This will tenderize the chicken and prevent it from drying out. Set aside in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Once done, rinse well with cold water, pat dry, then add back to a bowl.
Toss with the salt and pepper. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Once hot, add in the chicken and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and mostly cooked through. We'll continue cooking it in a minute, so it doesn't need to be fully done yet. Try to use a large enough pan so the chicken is in one even layer. If you only have a small pan, do this in two batches.
Add in the minced garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, in a small dish, whisk together the tamari, gochujang, honey, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and two tablespoons of water. We'll use the other two in a second.
Once the chicken is cooked, add the sauce into the pan and let simmer.
In a small dish whisk together the cornstarch and remaining two tablespoons of water. Add to the chicken.
Simmer for about 5-7 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. If it's not bubbling and getting thick, you can make another slurry with 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water. I like to keep it saucy because I usually serve with rice and veggies! Remove from heat.
Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds and serve over rice. Enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to check the ingredient labels for your gochujang paste. The one I used is linked in the ingredient list, which is gluten free. Some (honestly most) contain barley malt which is not gluten free. The one I linked is quite spicy, just keep that in mind!
Serving: 1bowl / Calories: 416kcal / Carbohydrates: 42g / Protein: 35g / Fat: 12g / Saturated Fat: 2g / Sodium: 957mg / Fiber: 1g / Sugar: 15g