Crispy Air Fryer Gochujang Chicken

This gochujang chicken is sticky, sweet, and spicy in all the right ways. The air fryer gives the chicken a crispy exterior without deep frying, while the homemade gochujang sauce coats every piece with bold Korean-inspired flavor. It's one of my favorite dinners to make when I'm craving takeout but want something simple and homemade.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: gochujang chicken

Servings: servings

Author: Jean Choi

Ingredients

½ cup cornstarch or potato starch
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
Cooking spray
Green onions and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Gochujang Sauce

1/2 cup water
3 tbsp tamari sauce or soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp gochujang or less if you like less spicy
½ inch ginger grated
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 garlic cloves minced

Instructions

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.
½ cup cornstarch, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp sea salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
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.
Cooking spray
While the chicken is cooking, whisk together water, tamari sauce, gochujang, honey, and ginger in a small bowl and set aside.
1/2 cup water, 3 tbsp tamari sauce, 2 tbsp gochujang, 3 tbsp honey, ½ inch ginger
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.
1 tbsp sesame oil, 4 garlic cloves
Add the cooked chicken to the sauce, and toss to coat.
Serve warm with rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.
Green onions and toasted sesame seeds

Video

Notes

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.
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.
The microwave will also work in a pinch, but the chicken won't be crispy if reheated this way.

Nutrition