Fancy an easy Korean twist for dinner? Then check out this Air Fryer Korean Gochujang Chicken recipe! With a simple Gochujang marinade and a Gochujang sauce for coating, this air fryer chicken recipe is an absolutely lip-smacking treat. It features tantalisingly sweet & savoury flavours and has got a little oomph in there with a subtle touch of heat. Nothing fancy required here – simply serve it with some steamed Japanese/Korean rice and dinner is ready!
Gochujang is fermented spicy paste madeof gochu-garu red chilli peppers, fermented soya beans, glutinous rice, and salt. It is a prominent ingredient in Korean cuisine and is used in cooking soups, stews, stir-fries, marinades, sauces, etc. Flavour-wise, it’s got a distinct sweetness that’s resulted from the fermentation process plus a kick of spice and savoury umami.
Not all Gochujang is halal due to the presence of ethanol. O’Food and Sajo Haepyo are two most popular brands that make halal Gochujang. You can find them your local oriental supermarket or on Amazon (I have linked them above).
How to make Korean Gochujang Chicken with an Air Fryer
Ingredients you need
- Chicken – I used drumsticks, but you can use wings as well or cubed chicken thighs to make popcorn chicken
- Gochujang – I used O’Food halal gochujang. Sajo Haepyo is another brand that’s also halal
- Garlic, Sesame Oil, Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar – for the marinade
- Honey, White Vinegar – for the sauce
- Togarashi – Japanese chilli pepper powder. You can substitute it with chilli powder to add more heat to the dish
- Cornflour, Salt – the coating
- Vegetable Oil – to brush for air-frying
- Scallions – for garnish (optional)
Recipe Notes
Some “golden rules” for cooking in an air fryer:
- Preheat the air fryer before cooking. This ensures the chicken gets cooked straightaway when putting them into the air fryer and prevents the coating from getting soggy.
- Brush oil on both the air fryer basket and the chicken. Want that golden crisp over the chicken? Make sure you don’t skip this step!
- Flip the chicken halfway through and apply more oil. This ensures the chicken is cooked evenly and the oil helps to give it a golden crisp.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. The way air fryer works is through hot air circulation. That’s why it is important to not overcrowd the air fryer so that air can circulate properly around the food and cook it evenly. Cook the chicken in batches if need to.
Looking for more air fryer chicken recipe inspo? Check these out too:
Air Fryer Korean Gochujang Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 500 g Chicken Drumsticks
- 3 tbsp Gochujang
- 1½ tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp White Vinegar
- ½-1 tsp Togarashi Japanese Chilli Pepper
- Scallions (optional) for garnish
- Vegetable Oil / Oil Spray
For the marinade
- 2 tbsp Gochujang
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ½ tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1½ tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Garlic minced
For the coating
- 1 cup Cornflour
- 2 tsp Togarashi Japanese Chilli Pepper
- 1½ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Mix all the marinade ingredients together until combined. Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes or ideally overnight.500 g Chicken Drumsticks, 2 tbsp Gochujang, 1 tbsp Soy Sauce, ½ tbsp Sesame Oil, 1½ tbsp Brown Sugar, 1 tsp Garlic
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C.
- Place cornflour into a shallow bowl and mix with the remaining coating ingredients. Toss the marinated chicken into the seasoned-flour mix until fully coated.1 cup Cornflour, 1½ tsp Salt, 2 tsp Togarashi Japanese Chilli Pepper
- Brush/spray the air fryer basket with oil and place the flour-coated chicken into it. Do not overcrowd the basket and cook in batches if needed.Vegetable Oil / Oil Spray
- Brush/spray the chicken with oil and cook for 10 minutes. Then flip the chicken, brush with more oil, and cook for another 8-10 minutes until cooked through.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce by combining the Gochujang, honey, white vinegar, and Togarashi.3 tbsp Gochujang, 1½ tbsp Honey, 1 tbsp White Vinegar, ½-1 tsp Togarashi Japanese Chilli Pepper
- Toss the cooked air-fried chicken with the sauce until coated. Garnish with chopped scallions if you like. Serve immediately.Scallions (optional)
Notes
- Preheat the air fryer before cooking. This ensures the chicken gets cooked straightaway when putting them into the air fryer and prevents the coating from getting soggy.
- Brush oil on both the air fryer basket and the chicken. Want that golden crisp over the chicken? Make sure you don’t skip this step!
- Flip the chicken halfway through and apply more oil. This ensures the chicken is cooked evenly and the oil helps to give it a golden crisp.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer. This ensures that the hot air can be circulated properly around the food and cook it evenly. Cook the chicken in batches if need to.
