Make easy and delicious Korean Spicy Gochujang Chicken at home! Gochujang, or Korean chili paste, adds a spicy kick of flavor. A versatile chicken recipe that can be made in 30 minutes. A simple marinade and quick cook time will make this a favorite on busy weeknights. So fast, easy, and tasty — it will become your new go-to chicken recipe!
Table of contents
What is Korean Gochujang Chicken?
Korean Spicy Gochujang Chicken is a spicy chicken dish served on a hot grill pan at Korean restaurants. Boneless chicken pieces are coated in a gochujang marinade and cooked until sizzling hot. Sometimes, it’s called Chulpan Chicken (grill plate chicken) or Spicy Chicken.
Adding Gochujang (Korean red chili paste) makes plain, ordinary chicken special. It adds an intense, savory flavor with a spicy-sweet edge. An easy way to add BIG flavor.
Gochujang Chicken is an easy recipe and great for beginning cooks. A 5-minute marinade with a handful of ingredients. Accessible, easy-to-find chicken thighs. Good for busy weeknights.
I first learned how to make Gochujang Chicken as a graduate student in NYC from my friend Ju Yun. We pan-fried the chicken in a skillet. But over the years, I’ve learned to cook it in multiple ways: in the Air Fryer, oven, BBQ grill, and Instant Pot. Choose the method that’s easiest for you. *My favorite method is using the Air Fryer!*
A Korean BBQ classic that’s ridiculously easy to make at home. And that fiery, spicy kick of flavor!
More Korean chicken recipes: Cheese Buldak (Fire Chicken), Chicken Bulgogi, and Korean Fried Chicken.
Ingredients:
- Chicken Thighs. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs are ideal for their juicy tenderness. They cook up fast! If you prefer, chicken breasts work too.
- Gochujang. Korean chili paste. Gochujang is a traditional Korean ingredient and an essential pantry item in Korean cuisine. A fermented food item, it’s deeply flavorful, rich, thick, and pasty. The taste is spicy-sweet with a deep umami-richness that’s unbelievably delicious and addictive. Look for it at Korean grocery stores. Or the international aisle of big box stores.
- Garlic + Ginger + Onion. The flavorful aromatics. Don’t skimp on the amounts!
- Soy Sauce. Rich umami flavor + depth.
- Sugar. Balances the heat level and creates those crunchy, caramelized bits. Adds sweetness! Sub with maple syrup, honey, or agave if you prefer.
- Mirin/Mirim. Korean or Japanese sweet cooking wine. Sub with sake, rice wine, Shaoxing wine, sherry, or cooking wine if you don’t have it.
- Sesame Oil. Fragrant, nutty deliciousness.
Instructions:
- Make marinade. In a large bowl, add the marinade ingredients and mix well.
- Marinate chicken. Place chicken thighs into the marinade and mix well. Make sure all the chicken pieces are well coated. If you can, marinate the chicken pieces overnight.
- Cook. Choose one of the cooking methods below: Air Fryer, Sheet Pan, Instant Pot, Non-stick Skillet, or BBQ grill. Cook the marinated chicken until golden brown on the edges and cooked through with crispy, charred edges.
- Serve. Garnish with green onions or cilantro, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds if you like. Slice into strips or serve whole. Serve with steamed white rice, kimchi, and steamed vegetables. Enjoy!
Pro Tips:
- Marinate overnight for best flavor. Minimum 30 minutes if you’re in a rush. But overnight marination provides the best flavor.
- Check spice level. Check the packaging on your Gochujang container for spice level, which ranges from 1-5. I usually buy medium (3) but you can buy the spicy level you like best.
- Watch carefully to avoid burning. Gochujang burns easily so keep an eye on the chicken as it cooks.
- Get that char. The smoky char and crispy edges on the chicken taste SO good! If you can, choose cooking methods that can achieve the burnt crispy bits (Air Fryer, oven broil, BBQ grill).
Variations:
- Chop into cubes. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. So crisp and juicy!
- Put on a skewer. Cooking chicken on a stick makes all the corners crispy and golden brown.
How to cook Korean Spicy Chicken
There are many different ways to cook Gochujang Chicken:
1. Air Fryer. Easy and convenient with all the BBQ flavor of a grill but very little mess! To make, place in the bottom of the air fryer basket and cook.
2. Sheet Pan. Broiling on a foil-lined baking sheet pan makes it easy + convenient.
3. Non-stick skillet. Cook on medium-low heat in a non-stick skillet. Lots of splatter but very good flavor.
4. BBQ Grill. When cooked on the BBQ grill, Gochujang Chicken takes on all that BBQ charred flavor. Be careful, the grill will become quite sticky and messy.
5. Instant Pot. Let the Instant Pot do the work for you. Saucy + intensely flavored.
Serve with:
There are so many ways to enjoy this easy, versatile protein. Some suggestions:
- Korean BBQ. Serve with lettuce wraps and ssamjang for a fast and easy meal. Serve with other Korean side dishes. Some suggestions: Korean Cucumber Salad, Korean Potato Salad, and Romaine Lettuce Salad.
- Rice + Kimchi. Serve with white rice, brown rice, or even sticky rice. With a side of kimchi, that’s all you need for a satisfying meal.
- Korean-inspired Rice Bowl. Make an easy Bibimbap with spicy chicken. Add cucumbers, cilantro, avocado, Kewpie mayo, sriracha.
- Noodle Bowl. Add to Spicy Soba Noodles for a delicious, easy meal!
- Sandwiches. Add pickled daikon + carrots + cilantro and stuff into a baguette for Korean-inspired Bahn Mi.
- Salad Bowl. Add to your favorite salad for an exciting, spicy-sweet upgrade.
- Tacos. Yes, Gochujang Chicken Tacos are SO GOOD!
FAQ
Fully cooked leftover chicken can be stored in the fridge. Transfer to an airtight container and it should keep for 3-4 days. Reheat in the air fryer, microwave, or by oven broiling until warmed through.
More recipes with Gochujang:
- Spicy Gochujang Pork Rice Bowls
- Slow Cooker BBQ Gochujang Pulled Pork
- Spicy Braised Chicken (Dak Dori Tang)
- Spicy Gochujang Sauce (Bibimbap Sauce)
- Spicy Pork Belly Bulgogi
- Gochujang Jjigae (Spicy Tofu Soup)
- Gochujang Chicken Drumsticks
Korean Spicy Gochujang Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2.5 lbs)
- 1/2 cup Gochujang, Korean fermented chili paste
- 1/2 large onion, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp Mirin
- 1 Tbsp sesame seed oil
Instructions
- Add gochujang, onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Mix with a spoon until combined. Add chicken. Mix thoroughly, making sure each chicken piece is coated with sauce. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes but preferably overnight.
- NOTE: depending on thickness, the chicken may require more cooking. Check for doneness before serving.
BBQ Grill:
- NOTE: when grilling on the BBQ, add an additional 1 Tbsp oil (any neutral kind works) into the marinade. This will help with sticking.
- Heat grill on high heat and oil the grates very well.
- When the grill is fully heated, lower the heat to medium. Grill the chicken thighs, turning as necessary, until browned and cooked through. There should be crispy charred edges but watch carefully so it doesn't burn too much. Discard remaining marinade ingredients.
- Transfer chicken to a platter. Optional: garnish with chopped green onion and/or cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Non-Stick Skillet:
- Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat. When the skillet is fully heated, add 1 Tbsp oil (any neutral kind works). Gently slide chicken thighs into the oil, being careful as the oil will sputter and pop.
- NOTE: Arrange the chicken in the skillet evenly in one layer, barely touching each other with a little space in between. Depending on the size of the skillet, you may need to cook the chicken in several batches.
- Cover and lower heat to medium low until chicken looks firm and cooked on the edges, about 6-8 minutes. Uncover and cook on the other side, adding more oil if needed, for another 6-8 minutes. Turn and flip as necessary until browned and cooked through. There should be crispy charred edges but watch carefully so it doesn't burn too much.
- Transfer chicken to a platter. Optional: garnish with chopped green onion and/or cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately!
Instant Pot :
- Put chicken and all of the marinade into the Instant Pot. Spread chicken evenly into one layer. Make sure not to mound chicken in the middle, as this will lead to uneven cooking.
- Cover and lock the lid in place. Cook on Manual function (high pressure) for 8 minutes. When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then, release the rest of the pressure manually.
- Transfer chicken to a platter and drizzle generously with sauce. You can shred the chicken or serve as whole thighs. Garnish with chopped green onion and/or cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Serve with additional sauce at the table.
Sheet Pan:
- Position oven rack so that it's on the top most rack, about 3-4-inches from the heat source. Preheat oven to BROIL. Let the oven heat for at least 10 minutes.
- Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Add chicken thighs to the sheet pan in a single layer. They should all fit comfortably with some space in between. Broil until partially cooked with little charred spots on the top, about 5-6 minutes, depending on thickness
- Flip the chicken. Broil until completely cooked with little charred spots on the top, another 5-6 minutes, depending on thicknessMake sure to watch the chicken carefully – the sauce burns easily.
- Transfer chicken to a platter. Optional: garnish with chopped green onion and/or cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately!
Air Fryer:
- Preheat the Air Fryer at 400F for 5 min.
- When the Air Fryer has finished preheating, add a piece of parchment paper to the basket. It should fit the bottom of the basket and go up the sides a little. Make sure it doesn't touch the heating element at the top! Or it will catch on fire!
- Add 2-3 chicken thighs to the parchment paper, evenly spaced apart. Cook at 400F for 5 minutes. Flip thighs. Cook at 400F for another 5 minutes until cooked through with crispy, charred bits. Flip thighs again, to the first side that was cooked. Cook at 400F for 2 minutes for that crispy, charred BBQ flavor.
- Transfer chicken to a platter. Optional: garnish with chopped green onion and/or cilantro and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately!
Video
Notes
- Marinate overnight for best flavor. Minimum 30 minutes, if you’re in a rush. But overnight marination provides the best flavor.
- Adjust spice level. Check the packaging on your Gochujang container for spice level, which ranges from 1-5. I usually buy medium (3) but you can buy the spicy level you like best.
- Watch carefully to avoid burning. Gochujang burns easily so keep an eye on the chicken as it cooks.
- Get that char. The smoky char and crispy edges on the chicken taste SO good! If you can, choose cooking methods that can achieve the burnt crispy bits (Air Fryer, oven broil, BBQ grill).
Another great recipe!! LIS YOU ARE THE GOAT 🫶🏻🙌🏻 Everything was just perfect. I halved the recipe for 4 ck thighs and it was delish. I also added 1 block of firm tofu to the same marinade and it was amazing. Make sure to add a pinch of fine sea salt to the tofu after it’s been tossed in the marinade. I only marinated everything for 30 mins and there was so much flavor!! I roasted everything in the oven for 25 mins then broiled at the end for 5 mins. Make sure to place the onions on the bottom of the ck and tofu to prevent them from burning from broiling at the end. Thanks Lis!!
Thanks for the delicious idea.
Long my your memories and your friends sustain you.
How about if I just have bone-in chicken? How long would you cook?
Depending on size and thickness, I would try 14 min in the instant pot. If they are really skinny and small, try 12 min. In the oven, they will take a lot longer. I would roast first then broil at the end to get some crispy charred bits, like in my Gochujang Drumsticks recipe. Good luck! https://thesubversivetable.com/gochujang-chicken-drumsticks/
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Hi there! If wanted to use chicken breast instead of thighs, would you keep cooking time the same at 5 minutes in the Instant Pot?
I would cook for longer, depending on the thickness. I think 10 minutes should work. Let me know how it goes!
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Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe! I have been making this every week. I do use the mini Instant Pot with half the amount of chicken thighs and notice that I get the “burn” signal every time. Is there something you recommend to remedy this? Thank you again!
Hi Briana! I’m so glad you are enjoying this recipe! To remedy the “burn” signal when making 1/2 portion, try adding water. I would suggest 1/4 – 1/2 cup water. If there’s too much liquid at the end, you can remove the chicken and then sauté until it’s the desired consistency. Let me know how it works out!
Was worried that it would not pressurize, sauce was kind of thick and not much liquid. Waited to post until it came to pressure (it did, yay). Now to wait 13 minutes to see if I have yummy chicken.
Oh man….I’m totally going to make this in my Instant Pot!!!! And love all the memories, reading your words made my memories flood back. Oh that church parking lot! : )
those were the days… 🙂
Love connecting with your words and dishes! So glad you have found an outlet to share!!
Hi Pearl! Thanks for your kind words!