Air Fried Gochujang Chicken

Yield: 5 servings | Per serving: 259 calories | 39g protein | 8g fat | 3g carbs

This Korean air fried gochujang chicken recipe is one of my go-to’s for meal prepping - it’s super simple to prepare and you can just throw it in the air fryer. The air fryer ensures the gochujang chicken cooks to perfection without the need for deep frying, creating a lighter, yet equally flavorful alternative. Whether you’re craving a quick weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleasing appetizer, this dish delivers a satisfying punch of umami and spice with every bite. ✌️

Gochujang chicken with white sauce and lettuce

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WHAT IS GOCHUJANG CHICKEN?
INGREDIENTS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
RECIPE

WHAT IS GOCHUJANG CHICKEN?

Gochujang is a type of Korean red chili paste that is used in various marinades, sauces, soups, and more in Korean cuisine. It's spicy, salty, and has the perfect amount of sweetness to it. For this recipe, a spicy-sweet marinade for the chicken is made from gochujang as the base. The gochujang chicken comes out juicy with a nice crisp on the outside. You can eat it as a wrap, with rice, or as a salad - totally up to you!

INGREDIENTS

Skinless chicken thighs: I used "skinless" chicken thighs since there is less fat and therefore fewer calories.

Gochujang paste: Of course, this will the base of the gochujang chicken recipe. You can find this in any Korean/ Asian grocery store or the "Asian" part of an American grocery isle. Gochujang paste can also be found on Amazon!

Hot water: This will help loosen the thick gochujang paste so that it can be more of a marinade sauce.

Zero calorie sweetener: For this recipe, I used Splenda but you could use any zero calorie sweetner of your choice.

Black pepper: Trust me, this won't make it too much spicier, but it will help with seasoning the chicken thighs.

Spray oil: I like to use spray oils for my recipes since it's 0 calories per serving versus other oils so you can manage oil intake with moderation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why use skinless chicken thighs instead?

There are fewer calories with skinless chicken thighs versus with skin. You save around 70 calories (depending on the size of the skin). Skinless chicken thighs are generally around 140 calories for 22 grams of protein.

What brand of gochujang paste should I use?

There are so many gochujang paste brands that exist that it could actually be overwhelming to choose one. Honestly, any brand will do, but I prefer the O'food brand.

How should I store it?

If already cooked, it could last in the fridge for 1-2 weeks in a container. If you want to meal prep a larger quantity, store the marinated gochujang chicken uncooked in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag in the freezer.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

In a bowl, add in gochujang paste. There’s a lot of different brands of gochujang paste, but this is the one I used in this recipe.

STEP 2

Then, add zero calorie sweetener and hot water, and mix all together.

STEP 3

Place skinless chicken thighs in the mixing bowl and mix until completely coated in the gochujang sauce.

STEP 4

Lightly spray the air fryer with some oil so that it doesn't stick to the tray. Then place the marinated gochujang chicken in the air fryer and spray some more oil on top.