Sweet & Spicy Gochujang Recipe

Sweet & Spicy Gochujang Chicken
BY Usman July 24, 2023
Sweet & Spicy Gochujang Chicken

Prep Time:
10 mins

Cook Time:
15 mins

Total Time:
25 mins

Servings:
6

Chicken in sweet and spicy gochujang. Crispy chicken bits covered in a gochujang-based, glossy, spicy, and sweet sauce. The ideal side dish to go with steaming rice and lush vegetables. This chicken lunch or dinner is sure to please! Great for food preparation as well! Just 30 minutes to complete.

If you have a family of four or more, you might need to double the portion of this spicy gochujang sauce chicken because it will disappear quickly. Although it is hot, you can make it milder by halving the amount of gochujang. I would only advise adding around a half-teaspoon of the gochujang if your children are not accustomed to spicy.

EASY SWEET AND SPICY GOCHUJANG CHICKEN

It’s quite simple to create my gochujang chicken, which is sweet and spicy. Additionally, there is no deep-frying involved. The chicken is simply coated with cornstarch and shallow-fried until crispy and brown.

After that, take it out of the pan and continue to cook your onions in the sauce components until they are thick and reduced. The chicken has now been added back, and it has been thoroughly coated in the gochujang stir-fry sauce.

Gochujang Chicken Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this sweet and spicy gochujang chicken recipe:

  • Gochujang: This recipe starts with ⅓ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste).
  • Rice: Serve the gochujang chicken over white rice.
  • Soy sauce: Less sodium soy sauce lends tons of savory, umami-rich flavor.
  • Mirin: Sweet rice wine (mirin) gives the dish even more umami-rich, yet mildly sweet, flavor.
  • Honey: Honey puts the “sweet” in the “sweet and spicy.”
  • Garlic: Take the flavor up a notch with three cloves of garlic.
  • Sesame oil: Add one or two teaspoons of sesame oil, depending on your flavor preferences.
  • Ginger: For the most delicious results, grate your own fresh ginger.
  • Canola oil: Cook the chicken in canola oil.
  • Chicken: Opt for skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
  • Garnishes: Garnish the gochujang chicken with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.

TIPS

  1. For a tasty, juicy, and tender entrée, use chicken thighs. Unless you choose to cook the chicken only until it is fully cooked in the center and no longer, I would not advise using chicken breast. The meat will get dry if you cook the breast until it is golden crispy.
  2. Fry the chicken thigh bites until they are a crispy brown color for that crispy chicken thigh feel. Unlike chicken breast, the chicken thighs you use are a highly forgiving cut of meat, so they will stay juicy and soft. When the sauce is added, this will give you a crispier texture.
  • Before adding the components for your sauce, fry the onions until they are fragrant to really bring out that flavor.
  • On high heat, reduce the sauce by roughly half to make it thick and adhere to the chicken. Cook the sauce less until it reaches the appropriate thickness if you prefer a runnier sauce.
  • To avoid overcooking the chicken, remove from heat right away after adding the spicy gochujang chicken stir fry sauce to the chicken.

    • HOW TO MAKE SWEET SPICY GOCHUJANG CHICKEN

    1. Your cornstarch slurry ingredients should be whipped together in a small bowl before being left aside.
    2. Add your diced chicken thighs to a large mixing bowl, then add the cornstarch and stir until the cornstarch is evenly distributed over each piece. Make sure the chicken thighs are slightly moist or wet so the cornstarch will adhere. Rinse the thighs under cold water and strain them before dicing if they are dry for whatever reason.
    3. Then add your avocado oil and heat the pan or wok over medium-high heat. Carefully lower your breaded chicken into the hot, shimmering oil and cook until golden and crispy. Depending on how hot it is, around ten minutes. Your heat may need to be adjusted.
    4. Take the fried chicken out and place it on a platter. Turn up the heat all the way. Add onion to the remaining oil in the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
    5. The remaining sauce ingredients should then be added, with soy sauce coming last. Blend thoroughly, breaking up the gochujang. Finally, stir in the cornstarch slurry. The sauce must be reduced and simmered until glossy and thick.
    6. Finally, reintroduce your fried chicken and cover with sauce. When the sauce has completely covered the chicken, remove it and place it on a serving plate. Sesame seeds and green onions can be used as garnish. Enjoy!

    Ingredients

    • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs diced (skinless boneless)
    • ½ red onion chopped
    • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • ¼ cup avocado oil

    Sauce

    • ½ tablespoon garlic minced
    • 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
    • 2 tablespoon Gochujang
    • ¾ teaspoon sesame oil
    • 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce

    Cornstarch slurry

    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 cup water

    Optional garnish

    • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
    • 1 stalk green onion sliced

    Directions

    1. Step

    Gather all ingredients.

    1. Step

    2. Step

    In a small bowl, combine the gochujang, soy sauce, sweet rice wine, honey, garlic, sesame oil, and ginger.

    2. Step

    3. Step

    In a wok or big skillet, heat oil to medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken to the wok, and cook and stir over medium-high for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.

    3. Step

    4. Step

    From the wok, remove the chicken. the remaining chicken, and repeat. Bring back all of the cooked chicken to the wok.

    4. Step

    5. Step

    Well-stir the sauce. Add to the pan; heat and stir for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and is bubbling.

    5. Step

    6. Step

    Sesame seeds and green onions go on top. Serve with rice right away.

    6. Step

    FAQ

    GOCHUJANG CHICKEN: IS IT PEPPERY?

    Yes, gochujang chicken is spicy because of the gochujang paste, but if you want to cut the heat, use only half to one tablespoon.

    WHICH STORES OFFER GOCHUJANG?

    Any Korean or Asian grocery store will have gochujang in the sauce section. It is available in a range of heat degrees, from mild to hot. I typically choose mild.

    FOR THIS SPICY GOCHUJANG CHICKEN STIR FRY RECIPE, WHAT CUT OF CHICKEN SHOULD I USE?

    Instead of utilizing chicken breast, I would suggest using chicken thighs.

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