Gochujang Chicken Thighs
This gochujang chicken thighs recipe is made with gochujang paste and a few simple ingredients for a tender, not-too-spicy, and flavorful Asian chicken dinner. It's so easy, and after the marinade, gochujang chicken can be cooked on a skillet, oven, air fryer, or fire up the grill! This recipe is for about 4 medium chicken thighs.
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Servings: pieces
Calories: 467kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs trim excess skin and fat
Gochujang Marinade
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- 2 ½ tablespoons gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger sliced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
For Basting
- ¼ cup Reserved marinade
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- extra gochujang paste optional
Instructions
Prepare the Marinade
- In a large bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, gochujang, sliced ginger, crushed garlic, and soy sauce until well combined.½ cup pineapple juice, 2 ½ tablespoons gochujang paste, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Marinate the Chicken
- Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and coat thoroughly. Submerge the meat in the gochujang marinade sauce.2 lbs Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight is best.
- Tip: Reserve a few tablespoons of marinade before adding the chicken for the extra basting sauce.
Prepare the Basting Sauce
- Mix the reserved marinade with sesame oil and extra gochujang and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.¼ cup Reserved marinade, 2 teaspoon sesame oil, extra gochujang paste
Cooking the Gochujang Chicken in a Pan
- Heat your pan over medium heat. Be sure the heat is not too high. The thighs will be tender when they are not cooked too fast. Be sure to watch the temperature of the pan.Add oil to the pan. Add the chicken with some marinade sauce, skin side down.Sear skin-side down first until crispy, aromatic, and seared. Do not move the chicken. 15 minutes.
- Baste, then flip. Now cook for 15 minutes and do not move the chicken around. Use a spoon and pour the sauce on top of the chicken so it creates a glazed layer and keeps the chicken moist.Baste a lot, repeatedly to keep a nice glaze forming on top of the chicken.Be sure the heat is medium temp and there is liquids in the pan to keep spooning over the chicken.
- When the chicken is ready, let the thighs rest for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with scallions or chili oil (optional). Enjoy gochujang chicken thighs!
Notes
Additional Cooking Methods Instructions
Air Fryer
Preheat air fryer to 380°F In a skillet over medium-high heat with oil, pre-sear the chicken skin until golden. Place pre-seared chicken skin-side down on parchment paper (if needed) in the air fryer. Baste. Cook for 15 minutes, flip, and baste some more. Then cook another 12-15 minutes Brush with basting sauce during the middle of the cooktime (after first flip) and also baste in the last 2–3 minutes.Gochujang Chicken Thighs Oven
Preheat oven to 400°F In a medium-high heat skillet, sear the skin of the chicken thighs till golden. Arrange the pre-seared chicken on a lined baking sheet, skin side down. Bake 20 minutes. Baste. Flip. Baste. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Baste some more. Cook until the internal temperature reaches around 165°F - 175°F. Broil for 1 minute at the end for caramelization. Watch to avoid any burning.Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Gochujang Chicken Thighs
Amount per Serving
Calories
467
% Daily Value*
Fat
34
g
52
%
Saturated Fat
9
g
56
%
Trans Fat
0.2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
8
g
Monounsaturated Fat
14
g
Cholesterol
189
mg
63
%
Sodium
653
mg
28
%
Potassium
472
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
6
g
2
%
Fiber
0.2
g
1
%
Sugar
3
g
3
%
Protein
33
g
66
%
Vitamin A
152
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
4
mg
5
%
Calcium
27
mg
3
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.