Crispy Air Fryer Gochujang Chicken

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Crispy gochujang chicken served over rice with green onions and sesame seeds, with small bowls of extra garnish behind the plate. — *Photo: Loren Runion*

Why You’ll Love This Gochujang Chicken Recipe

The biggest challenge with Korean gochujang chicken is keeping the coating crispy once the sauce is added. After a few rounds of testing, I found that air frying the chicken first gives it enough crunch to hold up wonderfully against the sticky sauce. The contrast between the crispy coating and the sweet-spicy glaze is what makes this recipe so good.

It comes together quickly with simple ingredients and minimal hands-on cooking. The honey balances the spice from the gochujang, while the tamari, garlic, and ginger add plenty of savory flavor. Serve it over rice, alongside my Korean cucumber salad for something refreshing, and a batch of Korean dumplings to round out the meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Gochujang chicken recipe ingredients laid out and labeled in bowls.

For the Chicken

Cornstarch: Creates a light, crispy coating. Potato starch works just as well and is commonly used for Korean-style fried chicken.
Garlic powder: Adds flavor directly to the coating so the chicken is seasoned from the start.
Sea salt & ground black pepper: Keeps the chicken flavorful and balances the sweetness of the sauce.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: Cut into bite-sized pieces. Thighs stay juicy while developing crispy edges in the air fryer.
Cooking spray: Helps the coating brown evenly and crisp up.
Green onions and toasted sesame seeds: Add freshness, color, and texture before serving.

For the Gochujang Sauce

This simple gochujang sauce for chicken combines sweet, savory, and spicy flavors that coat every piece beautifully.

Water: Helps create the base of the sauce.
Tamari sauce: Adds salty umami flavor. Use soy sauce if that’s what you have on hand.
Gochujang: A Korean fermented chili paste that provides heat, sweetness, and savory depth. If you have extra gochujang in the fridge, my gochujang noodles are another easy way to use it up.
Honey: Balances the spice and helps create the sticky glaze.
Ginger: Adds warmth and brightness.
Sesame oil: Gives the sauce its signature nutty flavor.
Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic rounds out the sauce and complements the gochujang.

Recipe Variations

If you don’t have tamari, regular soy sauce works perfectly.
For a milder version, reduce the amount of gochujang slightly and add a little extra honey.
If you enjoy the sweet and spicy flavors in this recipe, be sure to try my air fryer Korean fried chicken next. It has a similar Korean-inspired flavor profile with an extra crispy coating.

How to Make Gochujang Chicken

Chicken pieces tossed in a cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper coating in a large mixing bowl.

Coated chicken pieces arranged in a single layer in an air fryer basket.

Step 1: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Stir together cornstarch, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken pieces and toss until the chicken is completely coated in the starch mixture.

Step 2: Spray the air fryer basket or tray evenly with cooking spray. Place the coated chicken in a single layer, then spray the top with cooking spray. Air fry for 16-18 minutes until crisp and crunchy, flipping and spraying again halfway through. The coating should look golden with crisp edges and the chicken should be cooked through.

Gochujang sauce ingredients mixed together in a small bowl.

Gochujang sauce simmering in a saucepan with garlic and sesame oil until slightly thickened.

Step 3: While the chicken is cooking, whisk together water, tamari sauce, gochujang, honey, and ginger in a small bowl and set aside.

Step 4: Heat sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant. Stir in the whisked sauce mixture, and once it starts to bubble, lower the heat to simmer. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat.

A bowl of cooked chicken tossed in sticky gochujang sauce until evenly coated.

Gochujang chicken served over rice and garnished with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.

Step 5: Add the cooked chicken to the sauce, and toss to coat.

Step 6: Serve warm with rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.

Expert Tips

Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket and avoid overcrowding. If the pieces overlap, they’ll steam instead of getting crispy.
Don’t skip the cooking spray before air frying and again after flipping. It helps the coating brown evenly and develop those crispy edges.
Simmer the sauce just until it lightly coats the back of a spoon. It will continue to thicken as it cools, so there’s no need to overcook it.
For the best texture, toss the chicken with the sauce right before serving. This helps the coating stay crisp while still soaking up all that sweet and spicy flavor.
If you enjoy crispy chicken recipes with sticky sauces, my sweet and sour chicken wings are another family favorite.

Close-up of sticky gochujang chicken over rice with green onions and sesame seeds.

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

The microwave will also work in a pinch, but the chicken won’t be crispy if reheated this way.
Leftovers will keep for about 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat, air fry at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes until warmed through and crispy again.
You can also reheat in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe FAQs

What is gochujang?

Gochujang is a Korean fermented chili paste with a sweet, savory, and spicy flavor. It’s the key ingredient that gives this recipe its signature flavor.

Is gochujang chicken very spicy?

It has a moderate level of heat, but the honey balances the spice nicely. Most people find it flavorful rather than overwhelmingly spicy.

Can I make gochujang chicken without an air fryer?

Yes. Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and crispy. Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, adding more oil as needed.