Gochujang chicken
Crisp-edged chicken bites in a sticky, sweet and spicy Korean chile glaze, over rice with quick-pickled cucumbers to cool things down.
- 40 min total
- 30 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.16 a serving
- 590 calories
- Good the next day
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1¼ lb chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
From your pantry
- 2¼ cups water
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar, divided
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt, divided
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 590 calories, 39 g protein, 77 g carbs and 12 g fat, and costs about $2.16 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No cucumbers? English cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
- No chicken breasts? Boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins work.
- No honey? Maple syrup works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Put the rice and water in a medium and bring it over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
once, cover, turn the heat to low and cook 18 minutes, then take it off the heat with the lid on.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Low heatTimer: 18 min
the cucumber with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, the sugar and ¼ teaspoon of salt, and set it aside to pickle.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
the chicken with the cornstarch and the rest of the salt, and wash your hands and board.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, the rest of the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water together.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Heat the oil in a large over medium-high. Cook the chicken in one layer 3 minutes without moving it, then turn and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until the biggest piece reads 165°F.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium-high heatTimer: 6 min 30 sec
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Turn the heat to low, pour in the sauce, and for 1 minute, until the chicken is sticky and .
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Glaze. A glaze is a thin, glossy coating, often sweet, brushed or spooned over food near the end. It adds shine and flavor, and because it has sugar, it can burn quickly.
How you’ll know: The food looks shiny and evenly coated, sticky at the edges but not blackened.
Low heatTimer: 1 min
Dolly’s tip: The honey in the sauce burns fast over high heat, so keep it low once it goes in.Serve over the rice with the pickled cucumbers, green onions and sesame seeds.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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