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 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 (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, if needed
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Thinly sliced scallion, for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk together the garlic, ginger, chicken broth, soy sauce, gochujang, mirin, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat the canola oil in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.
- Place the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin-side down. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the skin is nicely browned. Turn and cook for 2-3 minutes on the second side. Transfer to a plate. Reserve the oil/fat in the pan.
- Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 5-6 minutes or until softened.
- Return the chicken thighs to the skillet and pour the gochujang sauce around them. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, turning the chicken 2 or 3 times so it cooks evenly. Cook until the chicken is tender and registers at least 165°F in the thickest part without touching the bone.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, transfer 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to a small bowl. Whisk in 2 teaspoons of cornstarch until smooth, then stir the mixture back into the skillet. Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
- Serve with brown rice, garnished with sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions.
Notes
- You can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts (which cook quickly) or chicken leg quarters. Increase the cooking time for larger chicken cuts.
- When mixing up the cornstarch slurry, use the bowl you used to combine the sauce.
- With only 1 cup broth plus the other sauce ingredients, you may find that natural reduction gives you a better, more intensely flavored sauce than thickening it.
- 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 the thickest part reaches 165 degrees.
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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
Hi, Michelle, Thanks so very much and so glad everyone enjoyed! Love that your picky daughter even enjoyed it!
My husband made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Thank you!
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!
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!
Hi, Lin, Wow! Thank you SOOOO very much! You really made my day! So happy you and your husband enjoyed it! Thanks again!
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.
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!
I always have gochujang in the fridge and I can see these chicken thighs making an appearance in our kitchen soon. I’ve pinned.
Thanks, Karen! Gochujang is something I always have in the fridge now, too! It’s sooo good!
Made these tonight but finished them in the oven! Delicious! I am a new lover of gochujang sauce!!
Thanks so much, Jaime! So glad you enjoyed! I know about the gochujang–it is positively addictive! Thanks again!
Oven: What temperature and for how long?
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!
I made this last night. It was wonderful and so easy to prepare. Keep em coming.