An easy and delicious recipe to spice up dinnertime: Spicy Gochujang Chicken Drumsticks! A Korean-inspired dish with easy-to-love drumsticks and a spicy-sweet Gochujang marinade and glaze. Throw in the oven for one of those simple weeknight dinners that’s BIG on flavor and tastes good with rice and steamed veggies!
An easy and delicious recipe to spice up dinnertime: Spicy Gochujang Chicken Drumsticks! A Korean-inspired dish with easy-to-love drumsticks and a spicy-sweet Gochujang marinade and glaze. Throw in the oven for one of those simple weeknight dinners that’s BIG on flavor and tastes good with rice and steamed veggies!
What are Gochujang Chicken Drumsticks?
Gochujang Chicken Drumsticks are an easy and delicious way to enjoy chicken drumsticks and Korean flavors. The main flavor base comes from Gochujang, or Korean red pepper paste. It adds a spicy-sweet flavor with lots of umami.
Although this is not a traditional Korean recipe, it’s a simple way to combine the best of two worlds: the North American method of oven roasting with Korean ingredients. Trust me when I say that the Gochujang adds so much exciting and mouth-watering flavor. This is definitely not a boring chicken recipe!
The secret to that glossy coating comes by brushing some reserved marinade at the end. It creates a shellac-like finish that is simply irresistible. A quick final broil creates little charred edges that mimics the smoky flavor of Korean BBQ. So good!
These simple drumsticks are perfect for busy weeknights. Juicy and meaty with LOTS of flavor! Serve with white rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice. And a lightly steamed vegetable like broccoli or bok choy. An easy dinner that the whole family will love.
Spicy-sweet, sticky bites of chicken — what’s not to love? My kids love these chicken drumsticks and honestly, I do, too! Enjoy!
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang is Korean red pepper paste. It’s a fermented chili paste that’s also one of the building blocks of Korean cuisine. The flavor is spicy and sweet with a deep umami.
In Korean cooking, Gochujang is often used as a sauce, marinade, or glaze.
Gochujang comes in a plastic tub and needs to be refrigerated after opening. The good thing about Gochujang is that it keeps a really long time, like ketchup or sriracha.
Gochujang also comes in different levels of spiciness. Look at the label and choose low, medium, or hot, depending on your personal preference. (I choose medium — you can add more spice but it’s hard to take it out.)
Ingredients:
- Chicken Drumsticks. Accessible, affordable, easy-to-handle chicken drumsticks for the win!
- Gochujang. Korean fermented chili paste. Look for it at Asian supermarkets or Korean grocery store. Sometimes, local grocery stores also carry it in the International food section.
- Soy Sauce. For deep, salty, umami flavor.
- Mirin. Korean sweet cooking wine.
- Sugar. To balance the spicy heat!
- Sesame oil. Adds fragrant, nutty flavor.
- Garlic. Lots of fresh minced garlic adds a punchy kick.
How to make Korean Gochujang Chicken:
- Whisk marinade. In a large bowl, mix together . Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside for later glazing.
- Score chicken. Using a sharp knife, score the meaty side of the drumsticks 2 or 3 times. The scoring will ensure maximum Gochujang flavor!
- Marinate chicken. Add chicken drumsticks to the marinade. Mix together until the chicken is well coated.
- Roast. Bake until chicken is halfway cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Add glaze. Apply reserved sauce as glaze. Brush every 5 minutes, until fully cooked — about 10-15 minutes more.
- Broil. Turn on the broiler function in the oven. Broil for the last 5 minutes to get those charred, crispy bits.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions, if you like. Serve with rice and steamed veggies of choice. Enjoy!
PRO Tips:
- Use Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil. The gochujang glaze will drip and burn. For easy cleanup.
- Watch carefully. Be careful — Gochujang burns quickly. In the last 5-minute broil, watch closely!
- Easy to multiply. For a larger crowd or batch cooking, I’ve made this recipe easy to double or triple.
- Meal prep. Make ahead of time and portion into 4 separate servings. These chicken drumsticks will reheat well. They are good for meal prepped lunches or dinners.
More recipes with Gochujang:
- Gochujang Roasted Carrots
- Gochujang Jjigae (Korean Stew)
- Gochujang Chicken Thighs
- Korean BBQ Gochujang Chicken Tacos
- Spicy Pork Belly Bulgogi
- Slow Cooker Gochujang Pork
Easy Spicy Gochujang Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
Equipment
- sheet pan
- aluminum foil or parchment paper
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 8-10 chicken drumsticks (about 2 lbs, depending on size)
- 1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp mirin (or rice wine)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
Instructions
- Make marinade and glaze. In a large bowl, add Gochujang, soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic. Whisk until smooth. Scoop 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside in a small bowl, for later glazing.
- Score chicken. Make 2 or 3 cuts into the meaty side of each drumstick. Do not cut down to the bone, but about halfway through the meat. This will help the marinade to penetrate the meat.
- Marinate chicken. Add scored drumsticks to the marinade, mixing until the chicken is fully coated.
- Preheat oven. Turn on the oven to 350F/175C and let the drumsticks marinate while the oven preheats, about 15 minutes.
- Bake chicken. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Ad the drumsticks in an even layer, making sure not to crowd the pan. Bake until halfway cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Brush glaze. Add the reserved sauce from before, as a glaze. Brush chicken every 3-5 minutes until fully cooked, an additional 10-15 minutes. That's 25-30 minutes in total. This will ensure a deeper-flavored, glazed coating vs. roasting alone.
- Broil. When the chicken is fully cooked, broil for the an additional 3-5 minutes to get those charred, crispy bits. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn!
- Serve. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion (optional). Serve with rice and steamed veggies. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
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- Use Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil. The gochujang glaze will drip and burn. For easy cleanup.
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- Watch carefully. Be careful — Gochujang burns quickly. In the last 5-minute broil, watch closely!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! So yummy and easy. It was a little on the saucy side. I would maybe use more chicken next time for the same amount of sauce.
Good recipe, but the cooking time is not enough. The internal temperature was at ~60°C after 25 minutes of cooking… I had to cook for about 15 minutes longer so I didn’t get pink chicken. Considering the vast majority of drumstick recipes recommends at least 35 minutes at 190°C, I don’t think it’s my oven that’s the problem.
The recipe was good, very Gochujang forward. The skin was flabby. Not matter what I did, air fry, convection bake it was still flabby.
Can I marinate longer?
yes, definitely! You can marinate for 1-2 days in advance. 🙂
Incredible!! I really enjoyed this recipe. I have access to the real Gochujag living and working here in Japan. The paste is easily imported from Korea. I think I used a pretty high test sauce as the first bite sent me scrambling for a glass of water. Heaven!! Thank you so much 🥰.
Thank you! If this was super spicy for you, I suggest checking the label of your gochujang as most come in a spicy level ranging from 1-5. You may accidentally have bought a super spicy 5!
So easy…,and so delicious! 🤗
We make this all the time and love it! We serve with cauliflower rice, bok choy, kimchi and kewpie mayo! Yum! Just wondering if you have the nutritional information for this dish please?
Looking forward to tasting this! What shall I serve this with?
This is a great basic that tastes good with so many sides! Noodles, rice, salad, etc. I usually serve with rice, kimchi, and any kind of grilled vegetable or sauteed greens.
Hi! I was going to make this and realized that I didn’t have any gochujang in my fridge!! What are your favorite brand(s)?
Can’t wait to try!
Thanks!
I don’t have a favorite brand but I like Gochujang but I usually buy Sunchang Gochujang which is a gochujang made in a certain city. In general, look for gochujang that’s made in Korea or imported by a Korean company. Look at the label on the back and you should be able to see where it’s made. Also, check the spicyness level as there are usually 5 different levels!
What’s the temperature for the oven?
350F for the roasting then turn on the broiler at the end!
I’m so glad to hear that! My kids love this recipe so much!!
Is the sauce the one we marinated the chicken in? Also for the cooking time after the first 15 minutes is it another 25-30 mins or 25 mins in total?
Oops sorry about the unclear directions. Thanks, I’ll make it more clear. It should be 25 min total. And yes, reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade at the beginning (before adding the raw chicken) and use it to brush on the chicken later.
Thank you for clarifying. I made this recipe last night and it was a hit! Tasted very good. Thank you!
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