PrintSticky Honey Gochujang Chicken: Easy Weeknight Dinner
I’m Alex, and I’m happy you found this recipe. This Sticky Honey Gochujang Chicken delivers the bold, sweet, and spicy Korean flavor you want, but keeps the process simple enough for any busy weeknight. You will achieve a glossy, flavorful coating on tender chicken pieces.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: Korean Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (like canola or vegetable)
- 1/4 cup gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water (for extra thickening)
- For serving: Cooked white rice, sesame seeds, sliced green onions
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. This helps them brown better. Season lightly with black pepper.
- Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, and black pepper until smooth. This is your sticky gochujang sauce base.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Glaze the Chicken: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the prepared gochujang sauce over the cooked chicken in the skillet. Stir constantly to coat every piece evenly.
- Thicken the Sauce (Optional): If the sauce seems too thin after simmering for 1 minute, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring. Let it simmer for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze that clings to the chicken.
- Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat. Serve the Sticky Honey Gochujang Chicken immediately over fluffy white rice. Garnish generously with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- For an even crispier texture, you can dredge the chicken pieces in a light coating of cornstarch before searing them in step 3.
- If you prefer using chicken thighs, they stay juicier, which is great for this sticky sauce.
- To make this a Gochujang Chicken Bowl, add steamed broccoli or quick-pickled cucumbers on the side.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 850
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 14
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 40
- Cholesterol: 110