Spicy Korean Chicken Recipe (2024)

Korean Chicken bursting with savory sweet heat that is easy to make at home!

This Korean Chicken recipe is out of this world – and way easier, less messy and healthier than Korean Fried Chicken – but with ALL the flavor. The Korean spicy chicken is bathed in a spicy, savory marinade spiked with soy sauce, honey, rice wine, garlic, ginger, and kicking gochujang. The spicy, sweet, and savory notes are utterly addicting. You can cook the Korean Chicken recipe on the grill, on the stove or in the oven – for an easy marinate and cook chicken dinner that’s destined to become a year-round favorite.

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Korean BBQ Chicken – Savory Sweet Heat

Korean Chicken is characterized by the perfect blend of spicy and savory with a hint of sweetness. It’s one of my favorite flavor profiles due to the gochujang (Korean chili sauce) which delivers bold, complex flavors in just one ingredient. That means this Korean Chicken recipe is super easy to make with less ingredients but boasts huge aromatic flavors that deliver a truly addictive result.

Why you will love this BBQ Chicken (Korean recipe)

• Easy:marinate and cook!
• Simple ingredients:grab some gochujang at your grocery store and now you have ALL the ingredients to make this Korean Chicken recipe any time.
• FLAVOR! you will be blow away at this flavor bomb.
• Versatile:you can cook this Korean chicken recipe on the stove, grill, or oven AND customize the heat.
• JUICY and so TENDER:the marinade tenderizes the chicken leaving it incredibly moist and flavorful.
• Freezer friendly:you can freeze the chicken in the marinade for an easy defrost and cook dinner or freeze it after cooking for an easy thaw and reheat dinner.

Korean Chicken Recipe ingredients

Most of the ingredientsfor this Korean chicken recipe are pantry staples, except perhaps gochujang BUTit can be easily found at your grocery store (more on that later). You will need:

• Soy Sauce.Always use less sodium soy sauce otherwise your chicken will be too salty. I recommend Kikkoman for the most rounded flavor.
• Honey. Mild clover honey will do the trick.
• Brown sugar. You may also substitute granulated sugar if that’s all you have. Both the honey and brown sugar are needed to balance the savory soy sauce and spicy chili paste.
• Sesame Oil.Is made from sesame seeds and adds a fabulous nutty flavor but you may substitute vegetable oil. I don’t recommend olive oil because we want an oil with a high smoking point.
• Ginger. Adds a fabulous, almost pepper kick. You will need one tablespoon freshly grated ginger or you may substitute with ¾ teaspoon powdered ginger.
• Garlic.This Korean Chicken uses 4 garlic cloves but you may use more or less to taste.
• Rice Wine.Rice wine should become a pantry staple if you do much Asian cooking because it is used ALL the time. Rice wine is NOT rice vinegar- DO NOT switch them out. Rice wine adds a sweetness and depth of flavor while also tenderizing the chicken. Rice vinegar, on the other hand will add an acidic flavor.
• Where do I Buy Rice Wine?I use “Kikkoman Aji-Mirin: Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning” which is commonly found in the Asian section of most grocery stores or you can Amazon it. I highly suggest you google image before you head off to the grocery store so you know exactly what you are looking for. The best substitute for rice wine is pale dry sherry.
• Gochujang.Gochujang is a spicy Korean red chili paste that puts other chili pastes to shame. Do NOT substitute with any other chili paste and expect the same results.

WHAT IS GOCHUJANG?

Let’s talk a little more about Gochujang becauseit is the quintessential ingredient in this Korean Chicken recipe. It adds aton of flavor to the chicken and balances the sweet notes of the brown sugarand rice wine.

Gochujangis a Koreanred chili paste and my FAVORITE chili paste. It is primarily made from red chilies,glutinous rice and soy beans. What sets this chili paste apart is thatit is not just spicy, but boasts more of a complex, savory, spicy, sweet heat –kind of like a spicy Asian BBQ sauce. The sweetness comes from the starch ofcooked glutinous rice which imparts its distinctly wonderful flavor.

WHERE CAN I BUYGOCHUJANG?

Gochujang is the primaryflavor in this Korean BBQ Chicken, so please don’t substitute it for any otheringredient. Fortunately, you shouldn’t have to worry about that because Koreanand other Asian ingredients are increasingly easy to find at your local grocerystore and Amazon.

For this Korean Chicken, I useAnnie Chun’s Gochujang Sauce.It is located in the Asian section of my grocery store, but you can also easilybuy it on Amazon (LOVE Amazon prime!). I do recommend lookingto seewhatAnnie Chun’s Gochujang Saucelooks like so you can easily spotit at the grocery store (not an affiliate, just will make your life easier).

If you live by an Asian or Korean Market, look for Chung Jung One Sunchang Hot Pepper Paste Gold (Gochujang). You can also purchase it on Amazon.

In addition to this Korean Spicy Chicken recipe, I also use gochujang in myKorean Tacos,Korean Meatballs,Korean Spicy Noodles, Korean Beef BulgogiandKorean Beef Bowls, so you will have plenty of scrumptious opportunities to use it up!

What cut of chicken is best for BBQ Korean Chicken?

I know many of you are going to ask if youcan use chicken breasts for this Korean Chicken recipe instead of chickenthighs– and the answer is yes! I chose chicken thighs because they aremore commonly used in authentic Korean Chicken, are inherently juicier and reheatbetterbutchickenbreasts will still work

If you choose to use chicken breasts then take care to pound them to an even thickness before marinating. If your chicken breasts are extra-large, slice them through the equator to create fillets. You don’t want large chicken breasts because the honey in the marinade will cause the surface of the chicken to burn before it is cooked through, especially on the grill or stove.

How to make Korean Chicken

This Korean Spicy Chicken is extremely simplemake – pound the chicken, marinate the chicken, cook the chicken! Here’s how:

1. Pound Chicken.Whether you use chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this Korean Chicken recipe, you will want to pound the chicken to an even thickness. Pounding chicken to an even thickens not only helps tenderize the chicken but ensures the chicken cooks evenly. Even cooking eliminates dryness caused from overcooking the chicken in order to make sure the thickest part is cooked at the peril of the thinnest.
2. Whisk marinade together.Whisk together all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl or Ziploc bag (whatever you are going to marinate your chicken in).
3. Reserve part of the marinade. Remove ½ cup of the marinade. This will become your sauce or dip for the cooked Korean BBQ Chicken.
4. Add chicken to marinade.Add chicken and massage marinade into chicken so it’s evenly coated/covered.

5. Marinate. Marinate Korean Chicken for 4 to 8 hours. I normal marinate this chicken for 4 hours and it is seeping with flavor.
6. Let chicken rest.Let your chicken sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before cooking so it will cook more evenly.
7. Cook.You can cook the Korean Spicy Chicken on the grill, stovetop or in the oven – all work fabulously well.

How to make sticky BBQ Korean Chicken

I don’t usually thicken the reserved sauce after cooking and use it more as a thin glaze or dip. If you want sticky Korean chicken, however, simply whisk in 1 teaspoon cornstarch and ¼ cup water and simmer into a sticky glaze.

3 ways to cook Gochujang Chicken

HOW TO COOK KOREAN CHICKEN ON THE GRILL

Themethod of cooking is entirely up to you! To impart that smoky Korean BBQ Chickenflavor, however, go for the grill. Justkeep in mind that due to the honey in the marinade, the Korean Chicken can charquickly, so make sure you grease the grill extremely well and only use thinlypounded pieces of chicken so they can cook through before the outside of the chickenburns.

• Generously grease and preheat the grill tomedium heat, 375-450°F.
• Grill chicken, covered for 5-7 minutes perside, or until chicken is cooked through and an internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

HOW TO COOK KOREAN CHICKEN IN THE OVEN

I love the oven method for cooking Korean Chicken because it means you can pop it in the oven and completely forget about it while you prep veggies, etc. The oven method also means we get to enjoy Korean Chicken year-round!

• Line a baking sheet with foil and spray withcooking spray.
• Add chicken to baking sheet so they aren’t touching.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or untilan internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

HOW TO COOK KOREAN CHICKEN ON THE STOVE

Upon first glance, the skillet method lookslike the fastest way to cook Korean Chicken BUT your chicken will likely notfit in one skillet without overcrowding so you’ll need to work in batches or usetwo skillets.

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Remove chicken from marinade and let excess marinade drip off. Add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, or until nicely browned on one side.
• Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook approximately 3-5 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through.

Korean Chicken Recipe tips

This Korean Chicken recipe is SO easy, so here’s just a reminderof my most important tips and tricks:

• Pound chicken to an even thickness for the most tender and evenly cooked chicken. If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use the side of a can. I place my chicken in the ziploc bag I’m going to marinate it in for convenience.
• Let the chicken marinate to drink up the strong aromatic flavors for at least 4 hours.
• Use chicken thighs for the juiciest chicken.
• DON’T substitute the gochujang for any other chili paste.
• Let chicken sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before cooking.
• Use little or no sauce for less spicy chicken and more sauce for spicier chicken.
• Always use a meat thermometer so you don’t undercook, OR overcook the chicken.
• Let chicken rest 5 minutes before slicing so it has time to reabsorb the juices that have pushed towards the outside of the chicken. If you cut into it immediately after cooking, valuable, moisture-giving juices will run out.

What to serve with Korean BBQ Chicken

My favorite sides to serve with Spicy Korean Chicken are steamed rice and stir-friedveggies. The chicken is so flavorful, that both the rice and vegetables offera neutral, textural counterpart.

Here are some more delicious options to serve with your easy Korean Chicken recipe:

• Rice: White rice,brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, broccoli rice or PineappleRice.
• Stir Fry Veggies.Youcan stir fry any veggies your heart desires from broccoli, to bellpeppers, to mushrooms, to carrots, etc. or you can serve with roastedveggies such asRoastedBroccoli, RoastedBroccolini,RoastedCauliflower,RoastedCarrots,SautéedBrussels Sprouts,orRoastedSquash.
• ShortcutVeggies.You can purchase pre-chopped veggies perfect forstir fries or use a frozen stir-fry blend orsteam-in-the-bagmicrowavable frozen veggies.
• Salad.You can serveKorean Chicken withCrunchy AsianSalad,Chinese Salad,AsianPineapple Salador add the chicken directly to the salad to makea chicken salad.
• Soups:Miso Soup,ThaiNoodle Soup,CurriedButternut Squash Soup,ThaiSoup
• Fruit: Pineapple, GrilledPineapple,SummerFruit Salad,PerfectFruit Salad,CreamyGrape Salad,
• Appetizers.For an Asian feast, Korean BBQ Chicken is delicious withWontons,Asian Salad,Potstickers,Wonton SoupandChinese Chicken Egg Rolls.

How to store Gochujang Chicken

To store:Store Gochujang Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

CAN I FREEZE KOREAN BBQ CHICKEN?

Yes! You can freeze either the marinating Korean Chicken or the cooked chicken.

To freeze chicken in marinade: Add the chicken to the marinade in a freezer safe bag, squeeze out excess air and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator; cook immediately so it doesn’t marinate for too long and become mushy.

To freeze leftover chicken:Let the cooked chicken cool completely then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. If you want access to individual pieces of chicken, wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap before adding to the freezer bag. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.

HOW TO REHEAT KOREAN CHICKEN

• From frozen: thaw KoreanSpicy Chicken in the refrigerator overnight. You can also defrost inthe microwave but take care to defrost slowly so your chicken doesn’t becomerubbery.
• From fridge: you can warm chicken in a skillet on the stove top or in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Take care not to overcook or it will become dry. You can also reheat in the oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit or just until warmed through.

Can I prepare Korean Chicken ahead of time?

This Korean Spicy Chicken is just as delicious the next day, especially if you use chicken thighs. You may store cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. Use leftover Korean BBQ Chicken warmed up with some sauce or serve it cold on a salad, sandwich, wraps etc.

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