This Korean Sticky Chicken Recipe is absolutely loaded with savory-sweet-heat! Honey and Gochugaru create a peppery glaze that is out of this world. This may end up being your new favorite Korean chicken recipe. Ready in 20 minutes from start to finish!
Korean Sticky Chicken Recipe
Sometimes cooking can be such a breeze.
You know, like on those occasions when everything just comes together from an ingredients, flavor and timing perspective.
You put a 20 minute podcast on your phone, pour a glass of wine and everything just sorta flows. Before you know it, dinner is on the table – and smiling faces are devouring the fruits of your easy labor.
Other times, unfortunately, getting dinner on the table can be more of a hard fought slog.
I’m sure you’ll agree with me that there’s nothing more disheartening after a long day at work than to attempt a so-called “easy” recipe you found online – only to find that there are a bunch of time consuming prep steps to accomplish.
And that’s before you ever even get to the cooking part.
Umm… That ain’t easy!
Luckily, it turns out that today’s recipe totally belongs in the ‘easy’ column!
I have one of the easiest and flavor packed Korean chicken recipes of all time.
Yep, this Korean sticky chicken recipe is simple to make, but tastes anything but.
Loaded with savory and sweet heat – and ready in about 20 minutes from start to finish – this may just end up making steady appearances in your weeknight dinner rotation!
A Super Easy Korean Chicken Recipe
Seriously, when it comes to easy chicken recipes, this is the pinnacle.
Not only is dinner ready in under 15 minutes, the outsized, deep flavors you get on the plate make it seem like you must have been working in the kitchen for a loooong time.
Also, there’s no marinating necessary to get the bold flavors infused into the chicken!
Aside from the aggressive Korean spices used to build the towering, savory-sweet-heat, there’s a secret method to infusing a TON of flavor into the meat in this simple chicken breast recipe.
More on that later 🙂
But I’ll never forget the look on Ben’s face the first time he took a bite of this Korean sticky chicken.
I don’t want to toot my own horn, but that look said that he was definitely impressed with what he was tasting.
After he swallowed that first bite, he said, “Well, that’s magic.”
He also assumed it had taken me hours in the kitchen. When I finished telling him the short list of steps, he waited a few beats as if there would be more.
Then, he went on to tell me that – before we met, when he would cook for himself – he used to make super simple meals for himself. “But it was basically just stuff that would keep you alive. I never had the confidence to attempt much in the flavor department,” he said.
Furthermore, he said he wished he had known about this Korean chicken recipe back in the day when he was doing his… uh, survival cooking.
I took that as high praise indeed!
Hot, Sweet and Savory
I have always loved Korean fried chicken!
Also known affectionately as KFC, Korean fried chicken tends to have the whole flavor game on wrap!
Usually running the gamut from savory to spicy to sweet, this magical bird tends to be mega crispy because of the double fry.
You see, frying twice can send the crispiness of the skin and flaky breading to sky high levels of perfection.
However, as with my oven baked Korean chicken wings, I try to keep the deep frying to a bare minimum in my home kitchen for two basic reasons.
Deep frying renders delicious outcomes, but tends to be super unhealthy.
I’m (mildly) terrified of having huge pots filled with boiling oil in my kitchen. One wrong step, or a loose pot handle and… ugh. Cold shivers.
Therefore, making this Korean sticky chicken recipe was an attempt at capturing the essence of Korean fried chicken’s flavor – while keeping it super easy to prepare and way healthier.
Best part: the flavor is so assertive that it doesn’t feel like a healthier alternative at all!
This Korean sticky chicken over rice is comfort food: level ten!
Give it a bash!
A little earlier, I mentioned that there was a secret method to infusing a ton of flavor into this chicken breast recipe in a super short amount of time.
Great news…
…I’m gonna tell you about it now!
Instead of a long soak in a marinade to achieve deep flavor, give it a bash!
Seriously! Just lay your boneless chicken pieces on a piece of parchment paper on a solid surface.
Then sprinkle your gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes) on top of the meat.
Cover with another piece of parchment paper and pound a few times with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer.
Your kitchen will sound like a vintage episode of Batman for a few seconds: POW! BAM! BOOM!
However, your chicken will not only be tenderized, it’ll have the spices locked inside. Embedded if you will!
Added bonus: when you add your sticky bubbling honey and soy sauce glaze, the chicken breast will be porous enough to really soak in the flavors.
I saw this simple concept at work while watching a Jamie Oliver cooking video a while back. It looked so easy – and I totally related to his efforts to portray home cooking as easy and super fun.
Therefore, I wanted to incorporate this fun technique into one of my own recipes to share with you, friends.
Aside from successfully locking the flavors in, any dinner prep where you get a bit of a cathartic exercise buzz isn’t a bad thing by any means!
Just a word of advice: don’t go overboard with the pounding. The goal is spice-embedded and tenderized chicken breast – not ground chicken, ha!
How is This Different From Korean Chicken Bulgogi?
Another somewhat similar Korean chicken recipe that plays with the sweet and savory flavor profile is dak bulgogi.
While bulgogi is actually a marinated beef dish, dak bulgogi is a variation with sliced chicken. Chicken bulgogi, fresh off the grill, is a true culinary delight! A thing to behold.
However, the main difference between chicken bulgogi and this Korean sticky chicken recipe from a cooking perspective is that bulgogi is always going to require a long marinade to infuse flavor into the meat.
We’re skipping that step and speeding up the process by wielding our sturdy rolling pins though, right!?
Also, chicken bulgogi is traditionally grilled and then eaten in lettuce wraps, dipped in ssamjang.
This Korean sticky chicken recipe is pan sauteed and then eaten over rice with sesame seeds and fresh scallions.
There is also a decent amount of heat imparted by use of the gochugaru in this korean spicy chicken recipe.
Verdict: another similar, but different, Korean chicken preparation.
What is gochugaru?
This coarsely ground dried red pepper is something you should get in your home kitchen, STAT!
Gochugaru is one of those integral ingredients that forms much of the architecture of how Korean food tastes.
Without it, many Korean recipes wouldn’t get that trademark smoky, spicy flavor profile they are so well known for.
You see, gochugaru is a sun-dried chili pepper, that is ground and used to provide heat in everything from kimchi to marinades to dipping sauces.
The consistency is kinda like a cross between a powder and chili flake. Split the difference between the two – and you have it!
While bright red in color, this can’t simply be replaced with something similar in appearance like cayenne powder.
While cayenne powder tends to be pretty neutral in taste (just hot), gochugaru has a more nuanced smoky, almost sweet undertone with the heat.
Cayenne would work in a pinch – but give gochugaru a shot when making this Korean sticky chicken in your home kitchen, and I just know you’ll taste the difference!
Gochugaru and honey: a match made in heaven
I’m a big fan of sweet heat!
To deliver an understated and rich sweetness that compliments the fiery elements of the gochugaru, I use honey instead of sugar in this Korean chicken recipe.
With honey, you can go sweet in a flavor profile without going overboard into ‘cloying’ territory. Plus, it creates a sticky glaze that coats the chicken perfectly and flavors the rice below.
The intensity of the korean chili flakes just plays so nicely with the savory notes of the soy sauce and the lovely sweetness from the honey.
They all come together to form a flavor trifecta of sweet, savory and spicy!
My Favorite Korean Spicy Chicken Recipe
This is the perfect recipe to whip up at the end of a long, stressful day – when a eating proper meal may seem like the least of your immediate priorities.
However, as fast and simple as this Korean chicken recipe is to whip up, that first bite will liven up your other senses and maybe just hit the slow motion button on life for a second.
It’s awesome when food can provide, not only nourishment – but enough flavor to prompt us to slow down, look up and savor the moment.
Hey… it’s also nice that you get to exert a little primal energy by swinging the rolling pin too, right!?
One last piece of timing advice: you can totally make rice ahead of time and either refrigerate or freeze it. Pop it in the microwave when you’re finishing up the last, easy steps of this Korean sticky chicken recipe, and dinner will really be on the table in less than 15 minutes!
This is one of my all time favorite Korean inspired recipes.
And I hope it ends up on your dinner table soon!
How about you? What’s a meal you make when you want maximum flavor to come from minimum effort in the kitchen? I’d love to hear about it in the comments section!
Did you like this Korean Sticky Chicken Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
This is a delicious and quick recipe for Korean sticky chicken. A little hot, sweet and savory, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a steamy bowl of white rice! And it only takes 20 minutes to make from start to finish!
1 pound skinless and boneless chicken breasts (sliced into large chunks)
2 tablespoons red pepper/chili flakes (gochugaru)
1 tablespoons grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 stalks scallions (finely chopped)
Instructions
Put the chicken pieces on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle Korean red pepper flake on top. Cover with another piece of parchment paper and pound the chicken with a meat mallet, until each piece is well coated.
In a large pan over medium heat, add oil and when oil is hot, add chicken. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan over medium heat, add soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey and bring to a boil. Let the sauce bubble for 1-2 minutes, until it thickens slightly.
Return chicken to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes, until chicken is coated evenly.
Sprinkle sesame seeds, stir one last time to coat evenly and turn the heat off.
Transfer Korean sticky chicken to a bowl or a plate and top with chopped scallions. Serve immediately with rice.
Notes
This Korean sticky chicken recipe will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
I prefer using Japanese soy sauce in my cooking to other types because it’s milder and has a flavor that easily pairs well with any dish. Kikkoman is the most well known soy sauce but I prefer using Yamasa for its slightly less salty taste. Plus, it’s the brand that my mother has been using for years - and I trust her palate almost more than my own!
This was very easy and quick.Even my husband, who isn’t very fo d of spicy food, liked it (having the rice was a must for him!). The success didn’t seem very sticky after adding the chicken back to the pan, so I added more honey to make it coat the chicken better. I will definitely make this again!
This was a super delicious and super easy weeknight meal! I doubled the sauce, but couldn’t get it to thicken up despite cooking it and letting it bubble for almost twice the time in the recipe. Any idea why it wouldn’t thicken up? The flavor was still so good, but this one little detail is nagging me!
Hi Sara! The sauce doesn’t get super thick. It thickens slightly because of sugar in the honey but if you would like to make it gooey like Chinese food, adding a little cornstarch (half a teaspoon) mixed with cold water (2 tablespoons) would give a thicker and silky texture 🙂
Absolutely delicious! The chicken comes out juicy and is super flavorful. Goes great with an Asian-style salad. One thing to remember is make sure the pan cools down before you add the soy sauce, otherwise it will burn.
So tasty! Tried the original recipe and a second time with some gojuchang stirred into the sauce, both were absolutely delicious. My husband requests it once a week. Thank you for such a wonderful and easy recipe!
Making it for me and my f once in a while – and it is unending pleasure for both of us, tastes delicious, hot, spicy, sweet and perfectly balanced. I do add some white radish salad on aside to make it complete dinner for us both, and I don’t think we can ever get bored with it. One thing for sure – there is no other red chilli pepper taste than original gochugaru, tried with polish similar spicies, not s single one tastes so good, so it is worth to supply yourself with it 🙂
Super recipe! Really enjoyed it, but will have to work hard to get it down to 15 mins
Pak Choi in garlic and oyster sauce also work well as a side.
Thanks!
Excellent! Loved the layers of flavor and my family asked me to make it again soon. I too, doubled the sauce to use on the rice and drag the chicken thru while eating. Thank you for this recipe! Very easy and fast to make. I bought the Korean got pepper flakes yum.
This was really, really good! I had the Gochujang paste instead of the flakes, but it still came out great. I marinated the chicken in the paste overnight after whacking it with the mallet a few times. I did double the sauce recipe, as we’re ALL about the sauce up in here, and it was SO yummy! We are also fans of that sweet/savory flavor, and this did not disappoint!
I’ve been saving this recipe for a while and finally made it. We used a little less red pepper flakes and it was still super spicy. We loved how easy this was and how tasty it is for dinner.
I made this sticky chicken a couple of days ago and it was very delicious. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and just cooked it longer. The sauce got thicker after cooking for more than 25 minutes with the chicken . This dish tasted great a couple of days later and the rice served with the sauce is even better days later. This is s great make ahead dish if serving for a crowd, too. Thanks for the recipe
I made this for my family tonight only I cut down the spicy a little for my kids. I also replaced rice with cauliflower/sweet potato rice. It was perfect. Thanks!
Ever since I have tried this recipe, I have made this chicken at least once a week! For the past two potlucks, this was my dish! I have never been able to make Asian dishes very well, but this dish gives me hope! So yummy and easy. Love it to bits! I even tried it with different soy sauces and even added sesame oil (pretty yummy too!). Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
That’s wonderful Tiffany! This recipe is really versatile so I’m glad you are trying your own twist! You should try the sauce with tofu, it’s really yummy too! 🙂
Easy, delicious and genius technique by pounding rather than marinating. Made pretty much as written but can think of a few easy tweaks I might try in the future. This is a keeper!
Just made this, had to sub Japanese togarashi, but what a great recipe! I We love it. Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes (and maybe have a 2nd helping of Korean Sticky chicken)!
Hi Dave, you can use pork for this recipe, it should taste just as good. Gochugaru is a Korean spice that’s a blend of red pepper flakes. It’s very smoky and has a distinct flavor that’s hard to match. Here are some substitutes you can use if you cannot find it, aleppo peppers being the closest: http://chewtheworld.com/gochugaru-substitute/
I just made this and sadly, it wasnt sticky! Compared to a restaurant quality sticky chicken, it failed and I’m so so sad! The sauce did thicken p and I’m wondering why it changed… any recommendations?
Hi Catharine, this recipe isn’t the breaded sticky chicken recipe you get from the restaurant. One easy way to make it more ‘sticky’ is to dust your chicken in cornstarch before adding it to the sauce. This will automatically thicken the sauce and make it stickier. You will probably need to double up on the sauce though since cornstarch suck up any liquid and makes it glutinous. I hope this helps!
So glad I found this recipe. We just had a baby and I need fast and easy meals that don’t compromise on flavor. I confess I messed with spices a little. I did 1/2 tsp of garlic, 1 T crushed red pepper, 1/2T cayenne pepper, and 1/2 T paprika.
I also added 1 tsp of fresh minced garlic to the sauce.
Hi Leah, you can either rub or pound the chili flakes on the chicken. I took out the pounding because it made too much of a mess in my kitchen – the chili flakes went flying everywhere so I recommend rubbing them in instead 🙂
My daughter is vegetarian. Our local Asian store sells fried tofu that is frozen in a bag for like 1.89!!! I used that instead and it was fabulous. I will make the chicken version some day for myself, but easy to make vegetarian for those who like.
Hi Kim! I think that could work since gochugaru is basically spicy peppers. Or you could mix a little paprika with cayenne pepper, that might work too 🙂 Keep me posted!
Hi Rick, it could be the temperature at which the sauce is cooking – I have gas burners as well which conduct more heat and faster, what about yours? Did you try cooking it for longer than 2 minutes? It’s also possible that the honey could have been thinner than usual. If this happens again, you can try adding a little more honey and see if this helps.
Hi Robyn, I’m so sorry to hear the directions didn’t work for your recipe. Can you tell me if the sauce was bubbling when you added the chicken and how long it was left cooking in the sauce for? I’d love to help, this way I could try it at home and see what the problem could be for others since we never have that issue. I’m wondering if it could be the heat level on the burner that’s causing since we all have different ones. Thank you Robyn!
Caroline Caron-Phelps is a Japanese/French Canadian recipe creator, food blogger, and photographer. She showcases delicious, authentic Asian recipes, especially Japanese, vegan, and vegetarian, with beautiful photography, easy-to-follow instructions, videos, and practical recipe variations. Caroline has been featured on Bon Appetit, Shape Magazine, Self, Today Show, and more.
This was very easy and quick.Even my husband, who isn’t very fo d of spicy food, liked it (having the rice was a must for him!). The success didn’t seem very sticky after adding the chicken back to the pan, so I added more honey to make it coat the chicken better. I will definitely make this again!
★★★★★
This was a super delicious and super easy weeknight meal! I doubled the sauce, but couldn’t get it to thicken up despite cooking it and letting it bubble for almost twice the time in the recipe. Any idea why it wouldn’t thicken up? The flavor was still so good, but this one little detail is nagging me!
Hi Sara! The sauce doesn’t get super thick. It thickens slightly because of sugar in the honey but if you would like to make it gooey like Chinese food, adding a little cornstarch (half a teaspoon) mixed with cold water (2 tablespoons) would give a thicker and silky texture 🙂
Absolutely delicious! The chicken comes out juicy and is super flavorful. Goes great with an Asian-style salad. One thing to remember is make sure the pan cools down before you add the soy sauce, otherwise it will burn.
★★★★★
So tasty! Tried the original recipe and a second time with some gojuchang stirred into the sauce, both were absolutely delicious. My husband requests it once a week. Thank you for such a wonderful and easy recipe!
★★★★★
Making it for me and my f once in a while – and it is unending pleasure for both of us, tastes delicious, hot, spicy, sweet and perfectly balanced. I do add some white radish salad on aside to make it complete dinner for us both, and I don’t think we can ever get bored with it. One thing for sure – there is no other red chilli pepper taste than original gochugaru, tried with polish similar spicies, not s single one tastes so good, so it is worth to supply yourself with it 🙂
Thank you so much Luke for sharing this! A white radish salad sounds sooo good to pair with this dish! What dressing do you use?
Very easy and delicious korean chicken recipe and my entire family loves your recipes.
★★★★★
Thank you so much! 🙂
Great, quick recipe! It was very flavorful despite not having a lot of ingredients. I really enjoyed it and would definitely make it again!
★★★★★
looks delicious. thanks for the recipe. I will definitely try this next time.
★★★★★
Super recipe! Really enjoyed it, but will have to work hard to get it down to 15 mins
Pak Choi in garlic and oyster sauce also work well as a side.
Thanks!
★★★★★
Excellent! Loved the layers of flavor and my family asked me to make it again soon. I too, doubled the sauce to use on the rice and drag the chicken thru while eating. Thank you for this recipe! Very easy and fast to make. I bought the Korean got pepper flakes yum.
★★★★★
This was really, really good! I had the Gochujang paste instead of the flakes, but it still came out great. I marinated the chicken in the paste overnight after whacking it with the mallet a few times. I did double the sauce recipe, as we’re ALL about the sauce up in here, and it was SO yummy! We are also fans of that sweet/savory flavor, and this did not disappoint!
★★★★★
Thank you Sandy, so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
I’ve been saving this recipe for a while and finally made it. We used a little less red pepper flakes and it was still super spicy. We loved how easy this was and how tasty it is for dinner.
★★★★★
I made this sticky chicken a couple of days ago and it was very delicious. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and just cooked it longer. The sauce got thicker after cooking for more than 25 minutes with the chicken . This dish tasted great a couple of days later and the rice served with the sauce is even better days later. This is s great make ahead dish if serving for a crowd, too. Thanks for the recipe
I made this for my family tonight only I cut down the spicy a little for my kids. I also replaced rice with cauliflower/sweet potato rice. It was perfect. Thanks!
★★★★★
I am making this with shrimp (16-20 ) count. Let you know later how it was.
Well? How did it turn out, Glenn?
Ever since I have tried this recipe, I have made this chicken at least once a week! For the past two potlucks, this was my dish! I have never been able to make Asian dishes very well, but this dish gives me hope! So yummy and easy. Love it to bits! I even tried it with different soy sauces and even added sesame oil (pretty yummy too!). Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
That’s wonderful Tiffany! This recipe is really versatile so I’m glad you are trying your own twist! You should try the sauce with tofu, it’s really yummy too! 🙂
Easy, delicious and genius technique by pounding rather than marinating. Made pretty much as written but can think of a few easy tweaks I might try in the future. This is a keeper!
★★★★★
Fast, healthy and delicious. Did I say fast. In our weeknight lineup.
★★★★★
Going to make this for New year’s
Just made this, had to sub Japanese togarashi, but what a great recipe! I We love it. Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes (and maybe have a 2nd helping of Korean Sticky chicken)!
So is the (gochugaru) a combination of cayenne and paprika?
any reason this wouldn’t work with Pork?
Thanks,
Hi Dave, you can use pork for this recipe, it should taste just as good. Gochugaru is a Korean spice that’s a blend of red pepper flakes. It’s very smoky and has a distinct flavor that’s hard to match. Here are some substitutes you can use if you cannot find it, aleppo peppers being the closest: http://chewtheworld.com/gochugaru-substitute/
Hi, great recipe. Can I use mild chilli powder or paprika instead of red pepper?
Hi Anoop! you could try with chili powder but I’m not sure about paprika as it may be too sweet 🙂
I just made this and sadly, it wasnt sticky! Compared to a restaurant quality sticky chicken, it failed and I’m so so sad! The sauce did thicken p and I’m wondering why it changed… any recommendations?
Hi Catharine, this recipe isn’t the breaded sticky chicken recipe you get from the restaurant. One easy way to make it more ‘sticky’ is to dust your chicken in cornstarch before adding it to the sauce. This will automatically thicken the sauce and make it stickier. You will probably need to double up on the sauce though since cornstarch suck up any liquid and makes it glutinous. I hope this helps!
I had to cook mine down longer and it worked well. My chicken was slightly dry due to extra cook time but still turned out good.
The only suggestion would be doubling the sauce. fantastic recipe
★★★★★
So glad I found this recipe. We just had a baby and I need fast and easy meals that don’t compromise on flavor. I confess I messed with spices a little. I did 1/2 tsp of garlic, 1 T crushed red pepper, 1/2T cayenne pepper, and 1/2 T paprika.
I also added 1 tsp of fresh minced garlic to the sauce.
We loved it!!!
This was so good!!! I didn’t change a thing. My husband said it’s one of the best things I’ve ever cooked. Thank you!
★★★★★
That’s great Megan, thank you!
Does the chicken need to be pounded. I see a picture with a hammer but it didn’t mention this step in the instructions
Hi Leah, you can either rub or pound the chili flakes on the chicken. I took out the pounding because it made too much of a mess in my kitchen – the chili flakes went flying everywhere so I recommend rubbing them in instead 🙂
This has become a staple recipe in my family, tons of flavor, thank you SO much for sharing!
★★★★★
You’re welcome Tara, I’m so happy you love it!
Easy to make and great tasting too. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Its AWESOME !!!
★★★★★
You’re welcome Analisa! 🙂
My daughter is vegetarian. Our local Asian store sells fried tofu that is frozen in a bag for like 1.89!!! I used that instead and it was fabulous. I will make the chicken version some day for myself, but easy to make vegetarian for those who like.
★★★★★
Hi Brenda,
What a great idea to use fried tofu instead of meat. We eat a loss less meat these days so I will try your suggestion, thanks!
Any way I can substitute the gochugaru for crushed red pepper if I grind it?
Hi Kim! I think that could work since gochugaru is basically spicy peppers. Or you could mix a little paprika with cayenne pepper, that might work too 🙂 Keep me posted!
I did cayenne pepper and spicy paprika. Was amazing
I made this tonight, It had great flavor but my chicken never achieved a glaze on it? Has anyone dealt with this?
Hi Rick, it could be the temperature at which the sauce is cooking – I have gas burners as well which conduct more heat and faster, what about yours? Did you try cooking it for longer than 2 minutes? It’s also possible that the honey could have been thinner than usual. If this happens again, you can try adding a little more honey and see if this helps.
Omg mine didn’t turn into a glaze either.
My boyfriend said it was like bland chicken covered in sauce! I’m soo upset..
Hi Robyn, I’m so sorry to hear the directions didn’t work for your recipe. Can you tell me if the sauce was bubbling when you added the chicken and how long it was left cooking in the sauce for? I’d love to help, this way I could try it at home and see what the problem could be for others since we never have that issue. I’m wondering if it could be the heat level on the burner that’s causing since we all have different ones. Thank you Robyn!
My not-so-adventurous husband LOVED this! It’s going into the rotation!
★★★★★
Oh heavens! This was amazing! I made it with tilapia instead of chicken, and coconut oil. Thank you for giving us a new go-to recipe!!
★★★★★
So happy to hear that! Did you pound the fish?
No, I decided to rub the spice in firmly.
Thank u… this is good