I’m always looking for quick and easy dinners, and always hoping that I can find a way to pack flavour in still. Then I remembered I had a big tub of gochujang calling my name!
Chicken skewers seem tedious but they’re actually really easy to make and cook quite quickly as well. You can make the marinade ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for when you’re ready or even marinate the chicken overnight for and even deeper flavour.
Gochujang is a korean chili paste that many stay away from because it can be a bit intimidating. It comes in a fairly large container and makes you wonder what you can really do with it. It’s got a spicy, sweet fermented taste. I would double this marinade and use it for pork tenderloin, ribs whole chicken and beef.
I served these with crispy brown rice and quick pickled cucumbers and radish, for the perfect pairing. Get your grill ready for these delicious Korean Chicken Skewers! Let me know how you like them and tag @choperella! xxxx
Marinade:
2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean Chili Paste)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 scallion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 Chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
4 metal or wooden skewers
Crispy Brown Rice
180g whole grain brown basmati rice
1/2 tsp salt
6 peppercorns
2 tsp sesame oil
Quick pickled Veg:
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup water
2-3 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cucumber sliced diagonally
radishes cut in quarters
Garnish:
Finely chopped green onion
Sliced red chilies
Toasted sesame seeds
Gochujang Chicken Skewers:
- in a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade. Taste for seasoning- it should be spicy, sweet and tangy. Add a bit more rice wine vinegar or even some more honey if you want it sweeter.
- Add the chicken and toss to coat evenly. Cover with cling film and chill for 15 minutes or 30-40 minutes if possible to marinate. Meanwhile, if using wooden skewers, soak them in water to prevent them from burning.
- Skewer the chicken onto the skewers as many as you can tightly fit on each one. Pour remaining marinade into a small pot and bring to a boil to reduce slightly.
- Pre-heat a grill or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add oil and chicken skewers. Turning to char on each side evenly. Brush with remaining marinade to glaze and cook to caramelize slightly.
- Remove from heat, garnish with finely chopped green onion, sliced red chillies and toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve with crispy brown rice, pickled cucumbers/ radishes and butter leaf lettuce. (recipes below)
- Enjoy!
Crispy Brown Rice:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 180g rinsed brown rice, 6 peppercorns and 1/2 tsp coarse salt and cook for 25 minutes.
- Drain and set aside.
- Heat sesame oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Add rice and toss to coat. Cook stirring often to get crispy pieces. Flatten out after 5-6 minutes and turn heat off. Let crisp up as pan cools. Just before serving, stir to combine crispy rice.
Quick Pickled Veg:
- Combine vinegar, water, honey, soy sauce. Toss cucumbers and radishes. Cover with cling film and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
NOTES:
- The marinade should be to your taste. If you like it spicier, add more gochujang / sweet- more honey or brown sugar etc.
Ready in: 1 hour minutes
Course: Dinner, BBQ
Ingredient: Chicken