Gochujang Chicken Thighs with Pickled Cucumber and Gochujang Crispy Potato Salad
Gochujang Chicken Thighs with Pickled Cucumber and Gochujang Crispy Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the Gochujang Chicken Thighs
- 8 skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt, for seasoning, or as needed
- 1/2 cup gochujang, a good amount
For the Pan Sauce
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1/4 cup soju, or sake, or white wine
- 1 cup chicken or kombu dashi stock
- 1/4 cup pickled cucumber juice, reserved from side dish
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Pickled Cucumbers
- 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, a good amount
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, some
- 1 teaspoon salt, some
- 1 tablespoon Korean chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
For the Gochujang Crispy Potato Salad
- 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Kewpie mayo
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 200
- 2
Prepare the pickled cucumbers: Thinly slice cucumbers using a mandoline or knife. Place them in a bowl. Add rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt, then combine thoroughly. Let sit for 15 minutes to release juice.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
While cucumbers are pickling, lightly salt the skin-on chicken thighs.
⏱️ 2 min
- 4
Boil new potatoes until fork-tender. Drain well.
⏱️ 20 min
- 5
Once cucumbers have sat for 15 minutes, reserve the liquid for the pan sauce. Drain the cucumbers. Add Korean chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and thinly sliced spring onions to the drained cucumbers. Combine well and set aside.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Prepare the crispy potatoes: Place the boiled potatoes on a parchment-lined baking tray. Crush them with another tray on top to maximize crispy surface area. Drizzle with olive oil.
⏱️ 5 min
- 7
Place the crushed potatoes in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
⏱️ 30 min•🌡️ 200
- 8
While potatoes are roasting, prepare the gochujang mayo: In a bowl, mix Kewpie mayo, gochujang, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and honey. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
⏱️ 5 min
- 9
Right before cooking the chicken, dab off any excess moisture from the chicken thighs using a paper towel.
⏱️ 2 min
- 10
Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in a cold pan (no oil). Start cooking them on about '8 out of 10' heat to render out plenty of the skin fat. As they brown and unstick, flip them.
⏱️ 10 min
- 11
Paint the browned chicken thighs with a good amount of gochujang. Pop them in the oven (with the potatoes, if space allows, or after potatoes are done) for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 75°C (167°F).
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 75
- 12
Remove the cooked chicken thighs from the pan and place them on a wire rack to rest.
⏱️ 5 min
- 13
Prepare the pan sauce: Strain off about 80% of the rendered fat from the chicken pan, reserving it for other uses. Add finely diced shallots to the pan on low heat and cook until translucent.
⏱️ 5 min
- 14
Grate in fresh ginger and cook for about 1 minute. Grate in garlic and cook until fragrant.
⏱️ 2 min
- 15
Add gochujang to the pan, keeping the heat low to prevent burning the sugar. Deglaze the pan with soju (or sake, or white wine). Cook down until it becomes 'a bit jammy' and a spatula traces through it.
⏱️ 5 min
- 16
Add chicken or kombu dashi stock and reduce it by half. Add the reserved pickled cucumber juice and reduce it by half to concentrate its tang.
⏱️ 5 min
- 17
Turn off the heat and add a piece of butter. Swirl the pan until the butter has melted, creating a luxurious pan sauce.
⏱️ 2 min
- 18
Once the potatoes are roasted, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Drizzle the prepared gochujang mayo over the potatoes and mix to coat. Add sesame seeds and fresh coriander and mix again.
⏱️ 5 min
- 19
To plate: Spoon a layer of the pan sauce onto a serving plate or bowl. Place the gochujang chicken thighs on top of the sauce. Add a portion of the gochujang crispy potato salad and a portion of the pickled cucumbers to the plate.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Gochujang Chicken Thighs with Pickled Cucumber and Gochujang Crispy Potato Salad
For the Gochujang Chicken Thighs
- 8 skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon salt, for seasoning, or as needed
- 1/2 cup gochujang, a good amount
For the Pan Sauce
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1/4 cup soju, or sake, or white wine
- 1 cup chicken or kombu dashi stock
- 1/4 cup pickled cucumber juice, reserved from side dish
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Pickled Cucumbers
- 2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, a good amount
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, some
- 1 teaspoon salt, some
- 1 tablespoon Korean chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
For the Gochujang Crispy Potato Salad
- 1 1/2 pounds new potatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup Kewpie mayo
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F).
⏱️ 15 min•🌡️ 200 - 2
Prepare the pickled cucumbers: Thinly slice cucumbers using a mandoline or knife. Place them in a bowl. Add rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt, then combine thoroughly. Let sit for 15 minutes to release juice.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
While cucumbers are pickling, lightly salt the skin-on chicken thighs.
⏱️ 2 min - 4
Boil new potatoes until fork-tender. Drain well.
⏱️ 20 min - 5
Once cucumbers have sat for 15 minutes, reserve the liquid for the pan sauce. Drain the cucumbers. Add Korean chili flakes, toasted sesame seeds, and thinly sliced spring onions to the drained cucumbers. Combine well and set aside.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Prepare the crispy potatoes: Place the boiled potatoes on a parchment-lined baking tray. Crush them with another tray on top to maximize crispy surface area. Drizzle with olive oil.
⏱️ 5 min - 7
Place the crushed potatoes in the preheated oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
⏱️ 30 min•🌡️ 200 - 8
While potatoes are roasting, prepare the gochujang mayo: In a bowl, mix Kewpie mayo, gochujang, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and honey. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Set aside.
⏱️ 5 min - 9
Right before cooking the chicken, dab off any excess moisture from the chicken thighs using a paper towel.
⏱️ 2 min - 10
Place the chicken thighs skin-side down in a cold pan (no oil). Start cooking them on about '8 out of 10' heat to render out plenty of the skin fat. As they brown and unstick, flip them.
⏱️ 10 min - 11
Paint the browned chicken thighs with a good amount of gochujang. Pop them in the oven (with the potatoes, if space allows, or after potatoes are done) for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 75°C (167°F).
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 75 - 12
Remove the cooked chicken thighs from the pan and place them on a wire rack to rest.
⏱️ 5 min - 13
Prepare the pan sauce: Strain off about 80% of the rendered fat from the chicken pan, reserving it for other uses. Add finely diced shallots to the pan on low heat and cook until translucent.
⏱️ 5 min - 14
Grate in fresh ginger and cook for about 1 minute. Grate in garlic and cook until fragrant.
⏱️ 2 min - 15
Add gochujang to the pan, keeping the heat low to prevent burning the sugar. Deglaze the pan with soju (or sake, or white wine). Cook down until it becomes 'a bit jammy' and a spatula traces through it.
⏱️ 5 min - 16
Add chicken or kombu dashi stock and reduce it by half. Add the reserved pickled cucumber juice and reduce it by half to concentrate its tang.
⏱️ 5 min - 17
Turn off the heat and add a piece of butter. Swirl the pan until the butter has melted, creating a luxurious pan sauce.
⏱️ 2 min - 18
Once the potatoes are roasted, transfer them to a mixing bowl. Drizzle the prepared gochujang mayo over the potatoes and mix to coat. Add sesame seeds and fresh coriander and mix again.
⏱️ 5 min - 19
To plate: Spoon a layer of the pan sauce onto a serving plate or bowl. Place the gochujang chicken thighs on top of the sauce. Add a portion of the gochujang crispy potato salad and a portion of the pickled cucumbers to the plate.
⏱️ 5 min