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Korean Gochujang Glazed Chicken Skillet

Crispy-skinned chicken thighs glazed in a bloomed gochujang-pear sauce, finished with a butter swirl for a glossy, restaurant-style lacquer.

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.75 lbs / 800g)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
  • 1/3 cup grated Asian pear or Honeycrisp apple, with juice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar (optional)
  • 1/3 cup chicken stock or water
  • 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the grated pear, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and brown sugar; set aside. Keep the gochujang separate for now.
  3. Place the chicken skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet, then set the heat to medium. Let the fat render slowly for 8-10 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip and sear the other side for 3-4 minutes, then transfer the chicken to a plate.
  4. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat. Add the gochujang directly to the hot fat and stir constantly for 30-45 seconds, just until it darkens slightly and smells toasted, not burnt.
  5. Pour in the pear mixture and chicken stock, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer.
  6. Nestle the chicken back in, skin-side up, along with any juices. Simmer uncovered for 8-10 minutes, spooning the sauce over the chicken every couple of minutes, until it reduces to a syrupy glaze and the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
  7. Turn off the heat and drop in the cold butter cubes, swirling the pan until the sauce turns glossy and emulsified.
  8. Scatter with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately over steamed rice.

Notes

Grate the pear on the largest holes of a box grater and use it juice and all — its enzymes tenderize the chicken and its natural sugars caramelize more gently than white sugar, so the glaze reads sweet-hot instead of just sweet. No Asian pear? A Honeycrisp or Fuji apple works almost as well. If you only have bone-in thighs, sear skin-side down 12-14 minutes to render properly and add 5 minutes to the final simmer. For more heat, stir 1/2 teaspoon gochugaru into the glaze with the gochujang. Leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated and reheat well in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the glaze.

  • Author: Ella Whitley
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Method: Skillet
  • Cuisine: Korean