Smoky Korean Gochujang Chicken

Use this simple method to make the perfect smoky Korean gochujang chicken!

Smoky gochujang chicken has the perfect balance of heat and sweet. It will have you licking your fingers and reaching for more. We tested this recipe using a pellet grill, but you can use any grill or smoker to get the job done! With that said, we recommend using cherry, apple, or any mild fruitwood for this recipe.

What is Gochujang?

Gochujang is a spicy paste used in Korean cuisine. It has a blend of umami and sweet flavors that work well with most meats. Gochujang is made of crushed red chilis, ground rice, salt, and fermented soy beans.

Ingredients for Smoky Korean Gochujang Chicken:

• 1 whole chicken, 3 pounds
• Korean Spice Rub
• Apple cider vinegar
• Brown sugar
• Gochujang paste 
• Soy sauce, or Tamari
• Garlic 
• Fresh ginger, or powdered ginger
• Sesame oil
• A reliable instant-read thermometer

Spatchcock or not to Spatchcock:

1. We’ve tried our gochujang chicken recipe both ways, and honestly, they both turned out delicious. However,weI recommend spatchcocking the chicken if you desire a faster cooking time. If you’d like this gochujang chicken to spend more time hot smoking environment, then keep the chicken whole. 

How do you spatchcock the chicken?

1. Use a sharp knife or a pair of kitchen shears to remove the backbone from the chicken.
2. Turn the chicken breast side up, pulling the back open.
3. Press down firmly on the breast bone until the chicken lays flat.

How to make smoky Korean gochujang chicken:

• Apply Korean Rub evenly to chicken, getting some of the spiced under the breast skin. 
• Place seasoned chicken into a glass dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
• Preheat pellet grill to 275 degrees F. I recommend using cherry or apple wood for this Korean gochujang chicken recipe.
• Remove chicken from the refrigerator and place it on the grill—Cook for 45-60 minutes.
• While the chicken is cooking, simmer gochujang BBQ sauce ingredients over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Stir often, and add more water if the mixture becomes too thick. Reduce heat as needed. Remove sauce from heat, cover, and keep warm.
• Once the chicken reaches 145 degrees F, it’s time to increase the grill temperature and sauce the chicken. Increase pellet grill temperature up to 350 degrees.
• Start applying the sauce in thin layers. Do this 2-3 times or every 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches and internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the breast and 175 degrees in the thigh and leg area.
• Remove chicken from grill and lightly tent with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10-15 before carving.

Smoky Korean Gochujang Chicken

This Gochujang Chicken is spatchcocked and cooked whole. The rich Korean Spice flavors really shine in this recipe. This one of our favorite chicken recipes and can easily be adapted for rotisserie cooking.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: pellet grill recipes, spatchcock chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings: 5 People

Calories: 419kcal

Author: Derrick Riches and Sabrina Baksh

Equipment

• Pellet Grill

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken 3 pounds
• 2 tablespoons Korean Spice Rub

For sauce:

• 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons gochujang paste use more if you want the sauce spicier
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons water to thin out sauce
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated or 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Instructions

• You can keep the chicken whole and smoke it as is or spatchcock the chicken as indicated below.

  How to spatchcock the chicken. To do this, use a sharp knife or better yet a pair of kitchen shears to remove the backbone from the chicken. Turn the chicken breast side up, pulling the back open. Press down firmly on the breast bone until the chicken lays flat.
• Apply Korean Rub evenly to chicken, getting some of the spiced under the breast skin.

  Place seasoned chicken into a glass dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for 2-4 hours.
• Preheat pellet grill to 275 degrees F. I recommend using cherry or apple wood for this recipe.
• Remove chicken from the refrigerator and place it on the grill. Cook for 45 minutes.
• While the chicken is cooking, simmer gochujang BBQ sauce ingredients over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Stir often, and add more water if mixture becomes too thick. Reduce heat as needed.

  Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
• Once the chicken reaches 145 degrees F. It's time to increase the grill temperature and sauce the chicken.

  Increase pellet grill temperature up to 350 degrees.
• When chicken reaches and internal temperature of 145 degrees F, start applying the sauce in thin layers, Do this 2-3 times or every 15 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
• Remove chicken from grill and lightly tent with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10-15 before carving.

  Optional: garnish chicken pieces with green onion or toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

• Pellet recommendations: Cherry or Apple

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 382mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 233IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg