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Braised Garlic Gochujang Chicken Legs
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This easy braised garlic gochujang chicken recipe is made with a spicy, flavorful gochujang sauce cooked with chicken. Use this sauce over pork chops or shrimp as well. Braising refers to the method of cooking in a tightly covered Dutch oven with a little liquid in the oven or it can be done on the stovetop at a low temperature over a long period of time. This method of cooking is great for tougher cuts of meat as it transforms the meat, allowing the muscles to break down, leaving it incredibly tender. Love tender braised chicken? Check out this braised lemongrass chicken thighs recipe next!
How to Prepare Braised Garlic Gochujang Chicken Ahead of Time
Make the braise a day in advance! The flavors actually improve as they sit. You can fully cook the chicken, let it cool to room temperature, and store it in an airtight container with the sauce. To reheat it, add back to a pot and add a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Reheat over medium-low heat until heated through.
Key Ingredients used in this recipe
- Chicken – I use a combination of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs as well as skin-on chicken drumsticks in this recipe. Other cuts of meat can be substituted in for this recipe. Try using chicken breasts, just thighs or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. A braise is a good way to break down tougher cuts of meat (which also tend to be cheaper). As a result it transforms them into a tender and succulent entrée.
- Chicken stock – In a pinch the chicken stock can be substituted with water though it takes away some of the flavor.
- Gochujang – This Korean fermented chili paste adds umami flavor and some spice to this chicken. I prefer to look for brands that don’t include corn syrup.
- Soy sauce – I use reduced sodium soy sauce so that I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Rice vinegar – Rice vinegar is made through the process of fermenting rice. It has a much more mellow, less acidic flavor than other vinegars.
- Honey – The honey adds a natural sweetness to offset the salty, savory flavors of the rice vinegar, soy sauce and gochujang to create a balanced sauce.
- Green onions – I garnish the braised chicken with thinly sliced green onions to add a bit of color and fresh mellow onion flavor.
- Garlic – I always use fresh cloves of garlic, the pre-minced jars of garlic don’t taste the same. It loses a lot of the powerful garlic flavor when it’s jarred. This is because it has been soaked in water for a long period of time. Peeling garlic only takes a bit.
- Sesame seeds – like the flavor of toasted sesame seeds over un-toasted. They are more of a garnish than used to flavor the recipe.
- Cilantro – This herb has a complex citrusy flavor that adds both color and flavor as a garnish to the gochujang chicken.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
special equipment
Dutch ovens are the best for braising. They can go from stovetop to oven and both retain heat and distribute it evenly. The heavy, tight fitting lid keeps the steam and liquid in while the ingredients slowly cook. If you’re looking to start braising I’d recommend one of these Dutch ovens:
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- 7-quart Staub Dutch Oven
- Le Creuset (both are more of an investment purchase)
- Lodge (a much more affordable option)
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How to make braised gochujang chicken
- Sear the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then season all over with salt. Heat a large 7-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Working in batches, sear the chicken on all sides.
- Make the garlic gochujang sauce. In a small bowl whisk together the chicken stock, Gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey then add to the pot with the chicken.
- Bring to a boil. Add the whites of the green onions and the garlic head and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Cover & braise the chicken. Next, cover the pot and lower heat to medium low, simmering until the chicken is fork tender, about 1 hour.
- Reduce the sauce. Use tongs to remove the chicken to a large plate and set aside. Continue to simmer the sauce until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Then add the chicken back in, using tongs to coat the chicken in the sauce.
- Serve. Return the chicken to the pot and garnish with the sesame seeds, remaining green onion and cilantro. Serve the chicken over rice.
How to Store Garlic Gochujang Braised Chicken
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
- Freezer: For longer storage, place cooled chicken and sauce in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste that adds some sweet and savory heat to any dish. Mixed with soy sauce, rice vinegar and a bit of chicken stock, it becomes the braising liquid for the chicken, which is then spooned over the meat as a flavorful sauce.
These days it can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. I like to keep my fridge stocked with gochujang. Since it’s fermented it lasts for a fairly long time.
Yes! I use a combination of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs as well as skin-on chicken drumsticks in this recipe. Other cuts of meat can be substituted in for this recipe. Try using chicken breasts, just thighs or boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Searing the chicken first adds caramelized flavor and a richer, deeper braising liquid. This step gives the sauce a flavorful base before it simmers.
Yes! I recommend removing the chicken when it’s done cooking and reducing the sauce until it’s slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon so it perfectly clings to the chicken.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this braised garlic gochujang chicken recipe, give these a try:
Made this dish? Be sure to rate the recipe and drop a comment below! Your feedback means everything (and helps others find it too)!
Braised Garlic Gochujang Chicken Legs
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Ingredients:
- 2 pounds bone in, skin on chicken thighs
- 1½ pound chicken drumsticks
- Kosher salt, as needed
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup Gochujang
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 green onions, whites and greens separated
- 1 head garlic, top ¼” sliced off
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
Instructions:
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels then season all over with salt. Heat a large 7-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, add the vegetable oil and heat through. Working in batches, sear the chicken on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
- In a small bowl whisk together the chicken stock, Gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey then add to the pot with the chicken.
- Add the whites of the green onions and the head of garlic and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
- Cover the pot and lower heat to medium low, simmering until the chicken is fork tender, about 1 hour.
- Use tongs to remove the chicken to a large plate and set aside. Continue to simmer the sauce until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes then add the chicken back in, using tongs to coat the chicken in the sauce.
- Return the chicken to the pot and garnish with the sesame seeds, remaining green onion and cilantro. Serve the chicken over rice.
Nutrition:
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Looks amazing, and anything with cilantro can’t go wrong 😀
Thank you!! I agree!!
Love everything that includes lots of garlic. But this one is gorgeous! I’m also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours. Also, I’m training with SportMe <a href="https://apps.apple.com/bm/app/sportme-cross-trainer-coach/id1482627406">home workout</a> app, and I managed to get rid of some pounds. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!
I’m excited to make this tonight, just wondering if there are any instructions for the garlic besides removing the top of the head?
No, you just add the garlic to the pot – it’s meant to infuse the broth with flavor and then you can just discard when you’re done cooking the chicken (it will soften but the cloves will still be encased in the paper) or leave it in the broth and spoon the broth from around it. If you prefer you can chop all the cloves of garlic, this is just easier because you get the flavor without having to do as much work! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Any suggestions on to make this in the slow cooker ? I don’t have a Dutch oven but really want to make it this week it sounds amazing!
I recommend searing the chicken in a pan first as directed then add to your slow cooker with the sauce/ garlic etc and cook on high for 2-3 hours or on the low setting for 4-5 hours to replicate the braise of the chicken! Hope you enjoy!
I made this the other night for my husband and I. Not only was it easy, but it was absolutely
delicious! I’m not a fan of drumsticks so I just used chicken thighs. We ate the whole batch in one sitting.
So happy to hear it was a hit! Thank you so much for sharing Anna!!
Delicious! I didn’t have enough Gochujang. I had about 1/4 cup. This dish turned out amazing. I’m always trying to find easy recipes that I can do in the kitchen with bone-in chicken during the cold months you don’t want to BBQ. This one is a keeper. I added sheet pan veggies, squash, mushrooms & red onions instead of doing rice. Perfection!!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit Pamela! Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! Great notes about serving with roasted veggies – such a good pairing!
If you love braised chicken, you should definitely try this recipe! You can find my version on my profile. It’s a must-try!
Thank you for the recipe! I had a tub of Gochujang and a big pack of legs.
I don’t really like legs and got tired of eating them barbecued or in adobo, so this is my new way of cooking them.
Tender, juicy, and flavorful. ✨