Gochujang chicken bites
Crisp cornstarch-coated chicken thigh bites tossed in a sticky, sweet-spicy gochujang and honey glaze with sesame and scallions. Great with rice or toothpicks.
- Prep
- 7 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Serves
- 3
- Per serve
- 540 kcal
Ingredients
Method
Stir together the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic and sesame oil in a small bowl. That's your glaze.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then toss with the salt. Add the cornstarch and toss until every piece is evenly coated, shaking off the excess.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers and a pinch of cornstarch sizzles on contact. Add the chicken in a single layer (fry in 2 batches if it's crowded) and leave it alone until golden underneath.
Turn the pieces and keep frying, turning now and then, until crisp and golden all over and cooked through with no pink in the middle (165°F on an instant-read thermometer).
Take the pan off the heat and carefully spoon out all but about 1 tsp of the oil. Return to low heat, pour in the glaze and toss for about a minute until it bubbles, thickens and coats the chicken in a sticky layer.
Pile onto a plate or into a bowl and scatter with the scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with toothpicks, or over rice for dinner.
Tips
- Glaze at the last minute and over low heat: the honey and gochujang burn quickly, and the coating stays crispier if it's tossed just before serving.
- For dinner, serve with steamed rice and cucumber slices. Two 8.8-ounce microwave rice pouches heat in the time it takes to glaze.
- Gochujang and soy sauce usually contain wheat. Use gluten-free gochujang and tamari for a gluten-free version.
