This Spicy Korean Chicken is sticky, savory, spicy, sweet and ready in under 30 minutes! Bite sized sauteed chicken smothered in a spicy Korean red sauce made with fiery gochujang, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, garlic and fresh ginger is the ultimate spicy comfort food. Serve over rice for the ultimate easy chicken dinner.

When it comes to easy chicken dinner recipes, I am a fan. Not just an average, every day I like chicken ‘fan’ but more of a rabid, out of control, chicken dinners are served up at least four times a week kind of fan.

Quick chicken dinners are a must have in my house but eating so much chicken and trying to come up with easy chicken recipes can sometimes be a hassle and let’s be honest, you can only serve up baked chicken and veggies so many times before you husbands threatens you with divorce (#realstory).

So to prove to my hubby that I am still the best thing next to sliced bread, I tossed aside my baked chicken dinner idea and instead surprised him with a heaping bowl of Spicy Korean Chicken.

(*drops mike)

WHY THIS IS THE BEST SPICY CHICKEN EVER!

You control the heat in this Korean chili sauce and that’s important!
This is a super easy chicken dinner to bring together in under 30 minutes.
Korean chicken is sticky, savory, spicy and sweet. These are all good things.
I personally make this meal at least once a week .. every week! It’s a true family favorite in my house.
My husband will actually go to the grocery store .. without me asking … if he knows we are out of gochujang. That’s a powerful statement right there! Lol!
This dish is both sweet and spicy with just the right amount of each. The rice fills you up and the green onion adds the perfect bite and crunch to each and every forkful.
You don’t have to plan ahead and marinate your chicken the day before. The gochujang sauce (Korean chili sauce) is powerful, sticky and takes away the need to marinate your chicken for hours before cooking.
This Korean sauce is so good, I even make baked chicken wings with it.

To make this Korean chicken, you will need:

Gochujang – spicy Korean red chili sauce like no other.
Soy sauce – I use regular soy sauce but feel free to substitute low sodium if you prefer.
Rice wine vinegar – this adds an acidic note to the chili sauce that will help cut through the sweet and spicy.
Honey – any honey will do but I usually use clover honey to add perfect sweetness
Sesame Oil – oil made of sesame seeds for a slight nutty flavor.
Ginger – fresh ginger is ideal but you can substitute the fresh ginger with 2 teaspoons of ground ginger, if necessary.
Garlic – add 4-5 minced garlic cloves to your sauce for an extra layer of flavor.
Chicken breasts – cut up into bite size pieces for quick cooking and easy eating.
White rice – may use brown rice or jasmine rice, if preferred.
Green onions – add a great little crunch with every bite.
Toasted sesame seeds – optional but a great garnish and added little bites of crunch and flavor.

HOW DO YOU MAKE STICKY CHICKEN?

Easy! To make this Spicy Korean Chicken, start by cutting your chicken breasts up into bite size pieces.

Add olive oil to a large skillet and warm over medium-high heat. Add your chicken and cook for 7-8 minutes or until your chicken is no longer pink.

While your chicken is cooking, add the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger to a small sauce pan and bring to a low boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently so that the sauce doesn’t stick. Let sauce low boil for 5-10 minutes to allow the sauce time to reduce a bit.

Also while your chicken is cooking, add water to a large pot and cook your rice following the manufacturers instructions.

Once your chicken is cooked, add the gochujang sauce (Korean chili sauce) to your chicken skillet and stir well to combine. Let your Korean chicken cook for another 2-3 minutes and then serve over rice.

Sprinkle with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

PRO TIPS FOR PERFECT KOREAN CHICKEN

You control the heat in this Korean chili sauce. This recipe calls for 2-5 tablespoons of gochujang and that’s spicy!!! I actually use 5 when I make it and it’s painful but so delicious. Plan accordingly, if you are on the fence with spicy, start with 3 tablespoons and go from there.
Be sure to let your sauce reduce so that it gets a bit sticky. You want the chili sauce to stick to your chicken, not run off in a watery mess.
You can substitute the fresh ginger with 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger, if necessary.
If you want to marinate your chicken and make this ahead of time, add your chili sauce ingredients to a large zip top bag and add your chicken right in with it. Marinate for up to 8 hours. Remove your chicken to a hot skillet while pouring your used marinade in a small saucepan. Boil your sauce for 10 minutes (safety first!) then add your sauce back with your chicken after your chicken is fully cooked.
DON’T substitute the gochujang for any other chili sauce.. it won’t be the same!

WHAT IS GOCHUJANG?

Korean chicken is a dream come true if you like spicy foods and better yet, spicy chicken. The secret to spicy Korean chicken is a little firecracker of a condiment found in the ethnic aisle of your local grocery store called gochujang sauce.

This concentrated dark red sauce is so flavorful.. a little bit sweet and a whole lot spicy.

So when you combine gochujang sauce with a few of the pantry items you already have on hand and then pour that over chicken, you have the perfect easy chicken dinner that is anything but boring ol’ hum drum chicken.

Can’t find gochujang? No worries .. if you are unable to find gochujang or if your grocery store doesn’t carry it, simply make a paste of 1 tablespoon red chili pepper flakes moistened with your favorite soy sauce with a bit of added sugar.

It won’t be the same but it will give you the right flavor profile.

DO I NEED TO USE FRESH GINGER?

I am a reach for my spice rack kind of girl but even I will grab fresh ginger for this easy Korean chicken dish.

The acidity and sweetness that fresh ginger brings to Asian inspired recipes are dimensions that you just won’t achieve using powdered ginger from the cupboard.

Simply peel the outer casing off the fresh ginger and then grate your ginger using a hand grater or even a cheese grater.

That being said, you can substitute the fresh ginger with 2 teaspoons of powdered ginger, if necessary.

MORE EASY CHICKEN RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE

Sticky Chicken Rice Bowl – the perfect combination of tender rice and baked chicken bites covered in a thick sticky sauce and it is sure to be your new favorite sweet and spicy chicken recipe.
Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos – made with fresh roasted corn, cilantro, lime, seasoned chicken and a creamy chipotle sauce, these will have you begging for more!
Chili Lime Chicken Tacos – tender grilled chicken marinated in bright citrus flavors with a kick of spicy heat.
Date Night Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta – the perfect romantic dinner of tender al dente pasta, spicy Cajun chicken, crispy pancetta all brought together in an easy sun-dried tomato pesto sauce.

Enjoy!

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