Sweet and Spicy Gochujang Chicken

This test kitchen-approved gochujang chicken recipe is “fast, flavorful, and fun,” according to recipe tester Kathryn Hendrix. 

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).
• 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. 
• Rice: Serve the gochujang chicken over white rice. 

How to Make Gochujang Chicken

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade gochujang chicken: 

1. Make the sauce in a bowl and cook the chicken in a wok. 
2. Add the sauce to the wok (with the chicken) and cook until thick and bubbly. 
3. Garnish and serve over rice. 

Test Kitchen Tips 

This recipe was developed in our test kitchen. Check out some tips and tricks from culinary experts that might make the cooking process easier: 

• Be sure to use gochujang paste in this recipe rather than gochujang sauce (gochujang is a thick, glossy Korean chili paste that is the base for making the sauce with the soy sauce, mirin, and honey). 
• Buy gochujang in the tube as it stays fresh longer and is a more manageable amount, recommends test kitchen expert Emily Nienhaus.
• Traditionally, the chicken is coated in cornstarch and fried. We skipped this step for a quick and easy weeknight dinner — but you can tweak the recipe to make it more authentic, if you like.

What to Serve With Gochujang Chicken

Serve this gochujang chicken with rice and steamed vegetables for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner, suggests Kathryn. Kathryn also recommends folding the leftovers in a wonton wrapper (with optional cream cheese) and deep frying them for a “crispy and indulgent appetizer.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams