These Korean Gochujang Chicken Thighs are so easy to make on the grill or on the stovetop. These chicken thighs come together with only a few ingredients and are packed with flavour.
A while back, I reshot my Korean chicken meal prep and had some questions about the pear. So, I tweaked the recipe to use pear juice instead of grated pear. However, I still had some questions about not being able to find pear juice so I’ve adapted this gochujang chicken recipe to not use pear juice. It’s just as delicious with some tweaks and the marinade tastes similar to my Korean fried chicken recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Korean Chicken Thigh Recipe
- It’s so easy to make. All you have to do is mix the ingredients together, set aside to marinate, then throw the gochujang chicken onto the grill or grill pan.
- Don’t have a grill pan? This Korean chicken thighs recipe can be seared in a regular cast iron pan as well.
- This gochujang chicken recipe pairs well with pretty much everything. I served my gochujang chicken with seasoned spinach, cucumbers, potato salad, and carrots, but you can serve it with whatever you’d like!
Ingredients You’ll Need
gochujang (고추장) — aka hot pepper paste. Can’t skip the gochujang for the gochujang sauce. Please do not substitute this ingredient. Keep in mind that gochujang comes in different levels of spiciness. You can get the super spicy one or mild one, depending on your preference. The Korean brands that are sold at my local Korean supermarket have a little scale at the bottom of the label that shows just how spicy the gochujang is. Also, make sure you are buying the paste in the tub and not the squeeze bottles, as the consistency is different. This may take a little trial and error if you’re not familiar with gochujang, so I highly recommend buying the tiny tub to give it a try before committing to the larger tubs.
gochugaru (고추가루) — aka Korean chili/hot pepper powder. It is a Korean chili powder or flakes, made from dried Korean red chili peppers. When buying gochugaru at the store, I prefer the version in a bottle that has large visible flakes or is bright red. Some of the bagged versions that I’ve purchased have a more dull red coloring, and I find it doesn’t taste as good.
brown sugar — I use light brown sugar, but you can use regular or dark brown sugar as well. Using brown sugar will help balance out the flavors of this sweet and spicy chicken thighs recipe. You could use regular white sugar, but brown sugar provides a more caramel-like flavor that I personally really enjoy.
soy sauce — use low sodium soy sauce when you can, as there’s already salt added to the marinade.
sesame oil — I use pure sesame oil.
seasoning — I use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
chicken thighs — I use boneless, skinless thighs. Bone in, skin on chicken thighs will take longer to cook if you choose to use it. If you want to use chicken breasts instead, go for it!
How to Make Korean Chicken Thighs
- Combine the gochujang, gochugaru, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and seasonings to a small bowl and mix to combine.
- In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add the chicken thighs and the marinade. Toss well to combine until all the thighs are coated. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the grill to 400ºF or oil a stovetop grill pan and place over medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken thighs, smooth-side down.
- Cook the chicken thighs smooth side down for 4 to 5 minutes on one side.
- Flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Cook time will vary a bit depending on the size of your chicken thighs so use an instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- When done, remove the chicken thighs from the grill/pan and transfer them to a plate. Cover the gochujang chicken with aluminum foil to let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If the chicken thighs are stuck to the grill, give it a few more extra minutes. Similar to pan-searing chicken, the chicken thighs will release on their own once they’re ready to be flipped. If you try to flip the gochujang chicken too early, the exterior will tear as it sticks to the pan.
- The internal temperature of the chicken thighs should reach 165°F (74°C) before taking them off the grill or pan.
- Always let the chicken thighs rest before slicing. This gives the chicken thighs time to redistribute the juices and remain moist. If you slice too early, all the juices will run out of the chicken.
- For an easy weeknight dinner, you can marinate the chicken thighs ahead of time. I’ve personally marinated the chicken for around 8 hours in advance before.
- Chicken thighs can be swapped out for chicken breasts but you’ll have to change the cook time to avoid overcooking it.
- If you have a ton of gochujang that you’d like to use up, you should try my ground beef bowls using gochujang and my sweet and spicy mushrooms that also use gochujang.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked spicy chicken thighs in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. I packed mine with jasmine rice, seasoned spinach, carrots, and cucumbers. I also garnish with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
- Freezer: allow the gochujang chicken thighs to cool before transferring them into an airtight container or bag and storing them in the freezer. They can last for up to 3 months. Make sure to press all the air out of the freezer bag if using.
Gochujang Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru, Korean hot pepper powder
- 2½ tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, low sodium
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 8 to 10 chicken thighs, (boneless, skinless)
Equipment
- grill
- Grill pan or cast iron skillet
Instructions
- Combine the gochujang, gochugaru, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and seasonings to a small bowl and mix to combine.
- In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, add the chicken thighs and the marinade. Toss well to combine until all the thighs are coated. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Heat the grill to 400ºF or oil a stovetop grill pan and place over medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken thighs, smooth-side down.
- Cook the chicken thighs smooth side down for 4 to 5 minutes on one side.
- Flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. Cook time will vary a bit depending on the size of your chicken thighs so use an instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- When done, remove the chicken thighs from the grill/pan and transfer them to a plate. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil to let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Swap the grill or grill pan for a cast iron skillet if you prefer.
Nutrition Per Serving
More Korean Recipes To Try
- Air Fryer Korean Fried Chicken
- Mayak Eggs
- Silken Tofu Recipe
- Korean Potato Salad (Gamja Salad)
- Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice
- Bulgogi
- Spicy Pork Stir Fry (Jeyuk Bokkeum)
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Nancy says
Delicious! My son made these for us on his Spring Break and I have made it 3 times more since then!
Carmy says
So happy to hear!! :)
Joan says
Amazing
Sarah says
My family and I loved this recipe! Easy to make and truly delicious.
Geoff says
Oh my. I grilled the chicken thighs. So freaking good. Can’t wait to make it again for friends and family My wife rated it 6/5 stars. I did not have the Korean hot pepper powder so I used 1/8 tsp cayenne and 1/8 smoked paprika.
Carmy says
I am so happy to hear everyone enjoyed the recipe!! :)
Masako says
Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe! I’ve made it a bunch of times – it is absolutely delicious, and easy!
Melanie says
This was so easy to put together from my pantry, and it has just the right hint of spiciness! I put the thighs on a rack and baked them in a 425 degree oven for 35 minutes and they are perfect!!
Carmy says
So glad you enjoyed the gochujang chicken thighs recipe!!
Elliott Donald says
This is one of our favorites…. and gochujang is basically our all purpose condiment… What I’d like to do is make a bunch of the marinade and have it ready in jar to support short notice Gochujang Chicken Dinner. Any thoughts on how long it would keep if I made a lot of marinade in advance?
Carmy says
I would personally not keep it longer than a week but I err on the side of caution :)
jasmine says
i ended up baking my chicken thighs, and i thought that the marinade was delicious!! so easy too
Carmy says
So happy you enjoyed!