Sweet Spicy Gochujang Chicken. Crispy chicken bites smothered in a glossy spicy, sweet, smoky sauce with a gochujang base. Ready in 30 minutes.
The perfect main to steamed rice and leafy greens. This is a winner-winner chicken dinner or lunch! Also great for meal prep too!
This spicy gochujang sauce chicken is so amazing and addictive in flavor! The sauce is bursting with sweet, spicy with savory flavor. It goes so well with the fried chicken bites.
I love pairing this Korean fried chicken dish with white rice or brown rice and vegetables for one of those delicious meals! For a lower calorie diet, feel free to pair the chicken in lettuce wraps or lettuce leaves.
What is Gochujang Chicken?
Gochujang Chicken is fried pieces of chicken coated in a glossy sweet, spicy, smoky sauce with onions. The gochujang sauce is a mixture of gochujang (Korean red chili paste), soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, cornstarch, and water. The gochujang gives the sauce that umami flavor takes this whole chicken dish to another level!
Easy Recipe
This is one of those scrumptious easy recipes that doesn't take a lot of time, with a handful of ingredients! The cooking process only takes 10 minutes. Most of the time towards preparing the gochujang chicken thighs.
Not a fan of spice?
If you're not a fan of spice, I recommend you to check out my Korean Sweet & Sticky Chicken instead. It has a similar taste profile but no spice at all! Perfect for the whole family and young kids.
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients for Gochujang Chicken. Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: I prefer using juicy chicken thighs without chicken skin for that tender dark meat. But feel free to substitute with chicken breast if you wish. If you do, please reduce the cooking time.
- Onion, or red onion: to add a sharp flavor to our spicy sauce!
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch. This helps make our sliced chicken crispy and golden.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil, coconut oil or any heavy scented oils.
- Green onion or spring onions: these add vibrant color and flavor to our gochujang chicken recipe! They are optional.
- Toasted sesame seeds: I highly recommend this optional garnish. It adds delicious flavors to our spicy gochujang sauce.
Sauce:
- Garlic cloves: to add a delicious garlicky flavor to our hot sauce!
- White granulated sugar: or substitute with honey, maple syrup or brown sugar. The sugar is necessary for that signature sweet flavor that you find in Korean gochujang chicken.
- Gochujang paste: a Korean chili paste. It's a thick, sweet, dark red paste with a smoky flavor. It's made of Korean chili flakes, sticky rice (aka glutinous rice), soybeans that have been through the fermentation process, and salt. It's a building block of many Korean recipes. There are different ways to use this Korean red chili paste in Korean cooking. In fact, it's commonly used in Korean BBQ grill for those big bold flavors! You can find this ingredient at the Korean grocer or at select Asian grocery stores.
- Regular soy sauce: aka all-purpose soy sauce. The label will simply say "soy sauce". This is different from dark soy sauce, which is darker in color and thicker in viscosity. You may also substitute with light soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce.
- Toasted sesame seeds: another common ingredient used in Korean cuisine. This easily adds great flavor to any Korean food.
- Toasted sesame oil: to add a potent sesame flavor to our spicy Korean chicken recipe. This is a must!
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch. This helps thicken our spicy glaze.
- Room temperature water: create a luscious and glossy sauce for our Korean spicy chicken.
How to Make Gochujang Chicken
Dice chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine Sauce ingredients as listed. Set aside.
Into your large bowl of diced chicken, add cornstarch. Mix until chicken is coated in starch.
In a large wok or large pan on medium-high heat (around 350-375 degrees F), heat vegetable oil or any neutral oil. Once hot, add coated chicken.
Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 7-10 minutes. Remove and set aside on a baking dish or large plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Back into the pan on medium high heat, fry onion until translucent, about 30-45 seconds.
Pour in sauce. Allow it to simmer to thicken.
Once the sauce has thickened, reduce to medium heat. Add in fried chicken. Mix to coat evenly.
Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Storage
This gochujang chicken will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes or on the stovetop over medium heat.
FAQ
Can I fry the chicken in the air fryer?
Yes! To air fry, follow these instructions:
- Line the air fryer basket with air fryer parchment paper or lightly spray the basket with neutral oil.
- Place coated chicken in a single layer giving each piece enough space. Do not overlap. You may need to air fry in small batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Lightly spray the coated chicken with neutral oil.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F for 10-14 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Where can I buy gochujang?
Most Korean grocers or select Asian grocers will carry this Korean red pepper or red chili paste. It comes in a red tub, like this. There are different spice levels, so go for the mild version.
Is there a substitute for gochujang?
The next best substitute for my sweet spicy gochujang chicken is ssamjang with gochugaru. Both are Korean ingredient that most Korean grocers will carry.
Can I make this gluten free?
Yes, substitute the soy sauce with tamari sauce, coconut aminos, or gluten free soy sauce. The rest of the ingredients are gluten free.
Other recipes you may enjoy!
If you enjoyed this chicken recipe, you may like these other recipes:
- Mongolian Chicken (this went viral on social media and has been made countless times!)
- Ginger Chicken
- Honey Sesame Chicken
- General Tso Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Orange Chicken
- Lemon Chicken
- Bang Bang Chicken
Easy Sweet Spicy Gochujang Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs diced
- ½ onion or red onion diced
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 green onion finely sliced (optional garnish)
- ½ teaspoon sesame seeds toasted (optional garnish)
Sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon white granulated sugar or sub with honey or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon Gochujang
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce (not dark soy sauce)
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds toasted
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil toasted
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 cup water room temperature
Instructions
- Dice chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine Sauce ingredients as listed. Set aside.
- Into your large bowl of diced chicken, add cornstarch. Mix until chicken is coated in starch.
- In a large wok or large pan on medium-high heat (around 350-375 degrees F), heat vegetable oil or any neutral oil. Once hot, add coated chicken.
- Fry until golden brown and crispy, about 7-10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside on a baking dish or large plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil. Keep the residual oil in the pan.
- On medium high heat, fry diced onion until translucent, about 30-45 seconds.
- Pour in prepared sauce. Allow it to simmer to thicken.
- Once the sauce has thickened, reduce to medium heat. Add in fried chicken. Mix to coat evenly.
- Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
I love the sweet and spicy in this dish. The chicken is just perfectly crisp too, definitely a winner at my house!
James McCloskey
Tried this for the first time, looked delicious and tasted fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, James! So happy you enjoyed it!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
I always love your homemade sauces and that was a great tip for using chicken thighs... bring on the flavor!
Charmaine
Made this recently with a few changes (substituted gochuchang for another chinese spicy paste) and it was delicious. Thank you!! 🙂
christieathome
I am so glad you enjoyed it Charmaine! Thanks for making my recipe!
mavee125
I love the sweetness and spiciness of this Gochujang chicken recipe! It is so good, so delicious, and very flavorful! My new fave dish! Glad Karman Foods has got the gochujang paste that I really want. It was the best dish! Will surely make another one for the weekend.
christieathome
I am truly so happy to read this wonderful comment! Thank you so much for making my recipe and glad you enjoyed it 🙂
WWhite
Looks like a great recipe. If I use chicken breasts, which aren't as flavorful as thighs, are there any changes you would recommend in the ingredient amounts?
christieathome
Thank you so much! I've had a few people sub with chicken breast and it worked out well for them. I would only advise not to fry the meat for too long since breast dries out faster than thigh. Hope this helps! - Christie
Christine Johnston
Made this a couple of times now....just gorgeous!! I had some pomegranate seeds leftover and added them to our brown rice...I added store bought kimchi to the meal. Also added teaspoon of chipotle dried flakes.. . Fabulous meal.......my guess is it cost about no more than around £3.00 per portion😍
christieathome
Amazing! I love the addition of pomegranate seeds to your brown rice! What an incredible sounding feast! Thank you for making my recipe and sharing these kind words with me! 🙂
Erin
I finally found gochujang at a local grocery here in northern Alberta after searching for it for another recipe. I had lots leftover and was glad to find this recipe, too! It was delicious and presented beautifully. We served over rice with thin-sliced carrots and peppers. Was a hit with everyone!
christieathome
Thank you so much for these kind words and for making my recipe, Erin! I'm so glad you enjoyed the dish 🙂 Have a lovely day!
K Beitel
Easy and super delicious, will definitely be making this again. I used chicken breasts and added a chopped carrot. I stir-fried the carrot in the wok as a first step before the chicken, transferred it to a plate, then added it back I transferred fried chicken to the sauce. Thank you for this recipe!
christieathome
So thrilled to read this! Thank you so much for making my recipe and really happy you enjoyed it with chicken breast and carrots 🙂
Sharon H
I tried this for lunch today, knowing I would have great leftovers! I'm going to take some to my daughter and share it with her for lunch tomorrow. I like spicy with a little heat, but not burning hot so I was cautious when adding the Gochujang. I started with 1/2 tbsp and tasted it after it was all mixed together in the skillet. I added about another scant tsp, and it's pleasantly spicy but not hot. I will make this again and keep increasing the Gochujang until I know I can still handle it! LOL I put mine over brown rice but I don't have any green onions. I will get some though!
christieathome
Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed my recipe! It's always great to start with a little spice to see if it's tolerable and work your way up. Thanks for making my recipe!
Emily
Delish. All of these recipes are so easy to follow and turn out how you expect! Thank you for giving us such a great resource for asian dishes
christieathome
I am so happy to read this Emily, thank you for leaving such a kind review! Have a wonderful day!
Alex D.
Thanks so much for this recipe. It was easy and delicious, as promised! My picky 14 year old devoured it.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Alex! Very happy to read this comment and glad your child enjoyed it!
W
SOOO good and simple! I thought it was lacking something, so I sprinkled on a little ground ginger. Wonderful. I'm making it again tomorrow but loading it with veggies.
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe, W 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it with some grounded ginger.
Valerie
Perfection! The chicken was tender, the sauce wasn’t extremely spicy, but the flavor was amazing!
christieathome
This is music to my ears, Valerie! Thank you so much for making my recipe! I am really glad it turned out well and the flavor was amazing!
Cut I Mariska
Hi Christie, I just made this dish for our early dinner. No fussy to make but it tastes amazing! I added red capsicum in to the dish as I really like capsi. My hubby is a picky eater. But he approved it and he quite liked it! Definitely gonna make it again. Thanks a lot, Christie! Good luck for everything you do 💗
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for such kind wishes!! I truly appreciate that. So glad you and your husband liked it and happy it tasted amazing with red bell peppers!
Christine
I made this last night. It was excellent. I used chicken breasts because that's what I had. I reduced the amount of Gochujang by half and threw in a handful of frozen veggies. I doubled the sauce but it wasn't necessary. This will be in my regular rotation.
christieathome
So happy it worked out excellently, Christine! Thanks so much for making it and happy it'll be apart of the rotation now 🙂
Alex
I made this delicious recipe tonight.. wonderful! My mum and I loved it. I used chicken breast but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Served with steamed rice and roasted broccolini. Will definitely be making again - this is a great recipe that is so simple to prepare. Thank you!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe Alex! So glad it all worked out 🙂
Alex
I made this delicious recipe tonight.. wonderful! My mum and I loved it. I used chicken breast but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Served with steamed rice and roasted broccolini. Will definitely be making again - this is a great recipe that is so simple to prepare. Thank you!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for your kind review, Alex! I am so glad you and your mum enjoyed it so much with chicken breast. Have a lovely day!
Dana Carter
Good flavor, not overpowering heat!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Dana! Happy you enjoyed it 🙂
James McCloskey
Tried this for the first time, looked delicious and tasted fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, James! So happy you enjoyed it!