Korean Braised Chicken Thighs

4.52 from 99 votes

Total Time: 1 hr

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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!

Photo of Korean Braised Chicken Thighs in white bowls with rice garnished with scallion and sesame seeds.

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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.
Photo of browned chicken thighs in cast iron skillet.
  • 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!
Photo of Korean Braised Chicken Thighs in cast iron skillet.
  • There’s some amazing sauce happening around these Korean Braised Chicken Thighs!
Photo of Korean Braised Chicken Thighs in cast iron skillet before being garnished.
  • Garnish with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallion…
Photo of Korean Braised Chicken Thighs in cast iron skillet garnished with scallion and sesame seeds.
  • Serve with brown rice…
Photo of two servings of Korean Braised Chicken Thighs in white bowls on gray background.

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:

For more great bone-in chicken thigh recipes, check out: 30 Best Bone-In Chicken Thigh Recipes.

4.52 from 99 votes

Korean Braised Chicken Thighs

Korean Braised Chicken Thighs use the most flavorful and budget-friendly part of the chicken for a dish you’ll crave again and again!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
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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

SUBSTITUTIONS:
  • 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.
TIP:
  • When mixing up the cornstarch slurry, use the bowl you used to combine the sauce.
REHEATING LEFTOVERS:
  • Reheat covered in a 350-degree oven until 165 degrees in the thickest part.
FREEZER-FRIENDLY:
  • 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

Serving: 1Calories: 514kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 34gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 1484mgFiber: 2gSugar: 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Carol

Carol is a personal chef with 22 years of experience cooking food people want to eat! Here, you'll find expert techniques, time-saving tips, and flavor-packed dishes you'll be proud to serve family and friends.

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4.52 from 99 votes (86 ratings without comment)

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46 Comments

  1. Joan O'Dell says:

    Hi Carol
    I was looking for seafood stuffed chicken breasts when I came across your website. I used the recipe you had and they were delicious. I was so pleased to find your website because you have some great recipes that I want to try. I make supper for my son, daughter-in-law and grandson every Monday and Friday so I like to have new recipes to try. Tomorrow I am going to make the Korean Braised Chicken Thighs. I live in a small town on Vancouver Island and I have looked at all the grocery stores that are near me but none of them have gochujang. Is there something I can substitute for it? I will keep looking for it or perhaps I will have to order it through Amazon. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes.

    1. Carol says:

      Hi, Joan, Thanks so much and I’m so very glad you found me, too! A food blogger friend of mine just happened to post a recipe to make your own: Here it is: Gochujang Sauce. Hope that works for you and can find those ingredients. You can also order it on Amazon. Thanks again and so glad you enjoyed the Crab-Stuffed Chicken Breasts!

  2. Curious says:

    Do you cover it while it’s simmering? I’m guessing not, to let the sauce reduce? It’ll affect the cooking time so it’s good to know for sure.

    1. Carol says:

      Hi, Curious, Thanks so much for your question. I don’t cover it for that reason. You could cover for 10-15 minutes to speed it up but then uncover and let it reduce. Fortunately, chicken thighs can take the heat and don’t dry out as quickly. Thanks again and hope you enjoy!

  3. Bethany says:

    5 stars
    Too spicy for my Mum’, but it didn’t bother me, I loved it and was practically licking the pan when finished. I will say that one piece of chicken per person isn’t enough, but aside from that, AMAZING!

  4. Michelle LaRue says:

    We made these tonight. They were fabulous. We did marinate the chicken in a combo of soy, canola, sesame oil, Korean pepper flakes, and salt/pepper for a few hours. That was only our variance from the recipe. The entire family including our 15 year picky daughter LOVED them. They will go into rotation from here on out.

    1. Carol says:

      Hi, Michelle, Thanks so very much and so glad everyone enjoyed! Love that your picky daughter even enjoyed it!

  5. Heather W Torrance says:

    My husband made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Thank you!

    1. Carol says:

      Hi, Heather, Thanks so very much and glad you and he enjoyed it! If you love Korean food, be sure to try my Korean short ribs, too. Thanks again!

  6. Lin says:

    I made this last night and it was fabulous! My husband hasn’t stopped talking about it. I had steamed some broccoli and added it toward the end just to get it coated with the sauce and that was good too! This sauce would be so good on shrimp too. Thank you so much!

    1. Carol says:

      Hi, Lin, Wow! Thank you SOOOO very much! You really made my day! So happy you and your husband enjoyed it! Thanks again!

  7. Amanda M. says:

    5 stars
    I love this recipe and have made it a few times! However, I’ve made a few adjustments. Hope you don’t mind. First, I assume you meant 1/4 cup soy sauce [it just says 1/4 soy sauce above]. I personally use half soy sauce, half ponzu. the ponzu makes the dish slightly brighter. Then, I shred carrots and marinate them in a couple of teaspoons rice vinegar and a tablespoon of sesame oil, salt & pepper and place it on top of the chicken and rice once done. I think the carrots help enormously to counterbalance the richness of the sauce and chicken. I also add a pinch of really hot Indian spice [sorry, not sure what’s in it] to the sauce, because I like it hot! Thank you so much for the recipe.

    1. Carol says:

      Thanks so much, Amanda! So glad this has become a favorite of yours! Also, thanks for pointing out the missing information in the recipe; I’ve corrected it. I’m also happy that you tweaked the recipe to make it your own–recipes are a roadmap but how you get to the final destination is up to you. Thanks again!

  8. Karen (Back Road Journal) says:

    I always have gochujang in the fridge and I can see these chicken thighs making an appearance in our kitchen soon. I’ve pinned.

    1. Carol says:

      Thanks, Karen! Gochujang is something I always have in the fridge now, too! It’s sooo good!

  9. Jaime says:

    5 stars
    Made these tonight but finished them in the oven! Delicious! I am a new lover of gochujang sauce!!

    1. Carol says:

      Thanks so much, Jaime! So glad you enjoyed! I know about the gochujang–it is positively addictive! Thanks again!

    2. Deb says:

      Oven: What temperature and for how long?

      1. Carol says:

        Hi, Deb, Thanks so much for your question. I haven’t made this in the oven but would bake at 375 degrees with the onion in a baking dish for at least 30 minutes or until cooked through. Combine the sauce ingredients along with the cornstarch and bring that to a simmer on the stovetop until thickened. Serve that over the chicken. Chicken thighs tend to render off a lot of liquid in the oven so would really dilute the sauce. Hope this helps and let me know how it goes!

  10. Julie Cicero says:

    5 stars
    I made this last night. It was wonderful and so easy to prepare. Keep em coming.