Korean Braised Chicken Thighs
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Korean Braised Chicken Thighs use the most flavorful and budget-friendly part of the chicken for a dish you’ll crave again and again! Perfect with Gochujang Eggplant on the side!
“This was FABULOUS!!!! Going to make it again very soon. … The sauce is soooooo good.”
I am crazy in love with Korean flavors ever since I published my Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs recipe. Those short ribs have the amazing flavors of ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and gochujang.
What is gochujang?
This ingredient is referred to as the “new” Sriracha. I call it umami in a jar! It’s a savory, spicy, slightly sweet, fermented Korean condiment made from red chiles, rice, soybeans and salt. When gochujang first hit the scene, I had a difficult time finding it. I see it almost everywhere, including the international aisle at my local grocery store.
How to make Korean Braised Chicken Thighs:
The best thing about Korean Braised Chicken Thighs is you get a ton of flavor in less time than from braising beef short ribs. Yay!
And, if you keep a well-stocked Asian pantry full of ingredients such as soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, you’ll be able to create any Asian-inspired dish on the fly rather than doing take-out.
- Start with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs.
- Brown in oil in a cast-iron skillet until the skin is nicely browned then move it off to the side onto a plate.
- Cook some onion…
- Add the chicken thighs back to the pan…
- Then add the amazing sauce combination of chicken broth, soy sauce, gochujang, sesame oil, mirin, ginger, garlic….
- Simmer, turning a few times until thoroughly cooked through then….
- Mmmwaahhhh!
- There’s some amazing sauce happening around these Korean Braised Chicken Thighs!
- Garnish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallion…
- Serve with brown rice…
Tender, intensely flavorful Korean Braised Chicken Thighs! Meet your new favorite dinner! You’ll never crave take-out again!
Love Korean food? Be sure to try my:
- Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs
- Vegan Korean Tofu Lettuce Wraps with Tahini Gochujang Sauce and Spicy Slaw
- Tuna Kimchi Cakes with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce
- Homemade Kimchi
For more great bone-in chicken thigh recipes, check out: 30 Best Bone-In Chicken Thigh Recipes.
Korean Braised Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup gochujang
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons canola, oil or as needed
- 4 chicken thighs, on the bone with the skin
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Thinly sliced scallion, for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk together first 7 ingredients: Garlic, ginger, chicken broth, soy sauce, gochujang, mirin and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a cast iron or other heavy skillet until shimmering. Season chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
- Place chicken thighs in skillet, skin side down and cook 4-5 minutes or until skin is nicely browned. Transfer to a plate.
- Refresh the oil if needed. Add the onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5-6 minutes or until softened.
- Return chicken thighs to skillet along with sauce combination. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 25-30 minutes or until chicken thighs are thoroughly cooked through and tender. Turn the chicken 2-3 times to ensure even cooking.
- Using a ladle, transfer 1/2 cup of the liquid to a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch. Pour into the skillet and continue simmering for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.
- Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallion and cooked brown rice.
Notes
- Can also be made with boneless skinless chicken breasts which won’t take very long to cook or chicken leg quarters. Increase the cooking time for larger cuts of chicken.
- When mixing up the cornstarch slurry, use the bowl you used to combine the sauce.
- Reheat covered in a 350-degree oven until 165 degrees in the thickest part.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat covered in a 350-degree oven until 165 degrees in the thickest part.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This is the second time I’ve tried this recipe. Fabulous. The secret is to rapidly bubble the sauce on the chicken for as long as necessary to reduce it and thicken it. I let it boil for 45 minutes. Delicious!! I used rice wine with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in place of mirin. My chicken thighs did not have skin, so I didn’t sear them to begin with. Still delicious. I began with onions and then added the thighs to cook on both sides for a while. Then added the sauce. I served with leftover basmati rice and freshly roasted parsnips and carrots.
Hi, Penny, Thanks so much, and so happy you love this recipe!! Love how you detailed your process, too. Appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
We were having the Asian chopped salad that comes in a bag at the grocery store and wanted an Asian inspired chicken to go with it. This sounded great so we tried it and let me tell you it did not disappoint. Amazing flavor and with the chopped salad was a whole meal. This will be added to our meal rotation since it is a new favorite.
Hi, Lanna, Thanks so very much and so happy you love this recipe! Love the idea of pairing this with an Asian-style salad or slaw. Thanks again and appreciate you taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
Would not make again. You could not taste ginger with the heavy gochujang. It could be a good recipe but lacks depth of spice. The spice is judt spicey. No garlic notes, or other dpice.
Thanks for your feedback. Gochujang intensity varies by brand, and flavor balance is very personal. This recipe has been well-tested and has received positive feedback from many readers; I appreciate you trying it.
How did you get that beautiful, shiny, dark reddish brown color? Mine came out an orange gloop which looked far less appetizing. I used Trader Joe’s gochujang.
Hi, Jess, Thanks so much for your question. Wow, not sure. I don’t know what the color of Trader Joe’s gochujang is, but I just checked the container in my refrigerator (bought at Kroger) and it’s a pretty deep red/brown color. I would think the soy sauce would deepen the color. Sorry that happened, but I hope it tasted good anyway.
This was so easy and so delicious! We topped it with some chopped peanuts, cilantro, and green onions, fantastic! Yummy! I wish I could post a photo
Hi, Chris, Thanks so much and happy you enjoyed! Love those toppings! Appreciate you trying the recipe and taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
This was FABULOUS!!!! Going to make it again very soon. And double the recipe so I have more leftovers. Add some baby Bella mushrooms and some veggies as well. The sauce is soooooo good.
Hi, Becky, Thanks so very much and happy you love this recipe! It does make great leftovers. Appreciate you giving the recipe a try and taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
This was great.
Use skinless thighs but followed the rest of the recipe exactly.
Served it with an onion pancake from trader joes,rice and peas.
Hi, Mark, Thanks so very much and happy you enjoyed! Skinless thighs are a great option. Appreciate your trying the recipe and taking the time to come back and comment and rate.
Are you able to braise this in the oven with the top on for the cook time? Like with more traditional braising?
Hi, Zak, Thanks for your question. Yes, I don’t see a problem with that. I would suggest: Oven at 350 degrees. Brown, add the sauce ingredients, bring it to a simmer, cover it securely and let it cook for about 35-40 minutes or so. Check the temperature and cook more if necessary. Take some of the cooking liquid, add the cornstarch and thicken as directed. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!
This turned out really good!! I stirred in some tteboki near the end of the simmer and served with kimchi and steamed rice. I added a heaping tablespoon of Korean hot pepper flakes too to bump up the spice level. Delicious!
Hi, Renee, Thanks so much and happy you enjoyed! I had to look up what tteboki was, so thank you for teaching me something new! Appreciate your trying the recipe and taking the time to rate and leave such a nice comment. Be sure to try my Korean short ribs!