Stop Deep Frying! The EASIEST Korean Spicy Chicken! Gcova Chicken

Hello from Seoul. Korean spicy chicken is literally everyone's favorite. But if you think you can just throw in some gochujang and call it Korean spicy chicken, you're totally wrong. The real secret is in the perfect balance of flavors. Welcome to the only spicy chicken recipe you will ever need. Today we're gonna be making Korean spicy chicken, one of the most iconic chicken dishes in Korea. In this country that's basically a kingdom of fried chicken, this dish sits at the very top even though it's not fried at all. So if you're getting a bit bored with regular Korean fried chicken or you just don't feel like deep frying at home, please give this a try. I'm sure you will absolutely love it. For this, you'll want some chicken, rice cakes, green onions, garlic, ginger, and chili peppers. So simple, right? For chicken, I'm gonna be using chicken thighs. As you already know, I'm very flexible about the cuts, but not for this recipe. The fat from the thighs is what truly defines the flavor of the spicy sauce, so I highly recommend sticking with chicken thighs. Alright, enough talking. Let's get straight into it. First, take one green onion and cut it into one-inch pieces. I'm using this big green onion called daepa in Korean, but if it's hard to find where you live, then regular green onions will work just fine, so don't worry about it. Next, smash three cloves of garlic and finely chop them, and then grate a small knob of ginger. About half a teaspoon could be enough. This time, take two chili peppers and thinly slice them. I'm using Cheongyang chili peppers, the iconic spicy chili of Korea. What? You can't find these bad boys? Don't worry about it. Serrano or jalapeno will be great substitutes. Now, let's make the sauce. In a small container, add two and a half tablespoons of Korean chili pepper flakes, three tablespoons of sugar, two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of oyster sauce, three tablespoons of corn syrup or honey, two tablespoons of mirin, one tablespoon of ketchup, one tablespoon of chicken bouillon powder, two tablespoons of water, a few shakes of black pepper, garlic, and ginger, and give it a good mix. It might seem like a lot of ingredients, but this combo will get you at least 90% of that authentic restaurant flavor, so please give it a shot. You won't regret it. And here's one more pro tip. If you let this sauce sit in the fridge overnight, it will taste even better. You're welcome. And just so you know, this sauce contains quite a lot of sugar. That's why we use those spicy chili peppers to balance out the sweetness with heat. If you use two spicy chili peppers or extra spicy chili flakes, it won't be too sweet. So if you're planning to make it less spicy, I recommend using less sugar than the recipe. By the way, we have all the instructions and a list of ingredients on our blog, erinandclaire.com, so please visit here if you need a written recipe. All right, everything is all set. Let's get cooking. In a large wok or pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Once it gets nice and hot, add 1 1⁄2 pounds of chicken thighs and sear them for about 6 to 7 minutes or until the bottom turns golden brown. Here, if you see too much fat rendering out, feel free to get rid of it with some paper towels. If there's too much fat in the pan, the chicken will end up steaming instead of searing. By the way, starting from a cold pan is also a great option. Since we're gonna cook the chicken in the sauce anyway, as long as you get a good sear in the end, it will turn out fantastic. Plus, chicken thighs are very forgiving, so you don't really have to worry about overcooking them. So if you hate oil splattering everywhere, start with a cold pan. It will make the cleanup so much easier. What? You wanna know this kind of tip more and more? I'm so glad you brought that up because everything you need is in these two books. Trust me. With these bad boys, Simply Korean and Beyond Korean, you can cook 200 East Asian dishes like Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and even Korean fusion dishes like a pro. So don't forget to check them out. The link is in the description. Once the bottom turns beautifully golden brown and crispy, grab your tongs and scissors and cut them into big bite-size pieces. Since you don't have to prep raw chicken on a cutting board, it's so much easier, right? There's literally no reason not to try this at home. Once that's done, stir-fry the chicken for about 2 minutes. And this is totally optional, but if you wanna take this dish to the next level, use a blowtorch to add a nice smoky flavor. Trust me, you'll make a huge difference in taste. When the chicken is about 80% cooked, add the green onions and some Korean rice cakes that's about 10 to 15 pieces and stir-fry them for about 1 minute. Those charred green onions will not only add another layer of aroma, but they will also soak up the chicken fat and sauce, taking this dish to a whole new level. Once your kitchen is filled with the amazing aroma, add the sauce and give it a good stir over high heat for about 2 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and perfectly coats every single piece of chicken. Here, if you wanna add an extra kick of smokiness, give it one last blast with a blowtorch. Couldn't be any easier, right? Alright, looks like it's done. Let's plate this up. Put some rice on a serving plate and add a generous amount of your Korean spicy chicken. For information, this dish is the ultimate partner for rice, so don't forget to serve them together. Last but not least, finish it off with some green onions and sesame seeds. How does it look? Absolutely stunning, right? You wanna know how it tastes? Alright, let's go to our taste tester. We don't have much time. Let's give it a try. Cheers. Oh my god, this is so good. More bite. Mmm. Anyways, you can also serve it with some beer. By the way, if you ask me the level of spiciness, it's definitely way spicier than Korean fried chicken. Hope you guys try. Bye. Today, I showed you how to make Korean spicy chicken, one of the best chicken dishes in Korea. How was it? It's simple, quick, and the flavor is just mind-blowing, right? A bowl of rice with this spicy savory chicken is honestly all you need to reach that pure state of happiness. So go around to your kitchen and give this a try. If you do, you will realize this is much easier than you think and that will make it even more satisfying. Alright, this is it for today and I'll see you next time.