Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings (2024)

Perfectly baked chicken wings which have been tossed in a spicy sauce! Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings are completely addictive! These hit all of your taste buds with a little bit of spice, heat, sweet, and salt!

If you’re afraid of spicy food, Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings just might change your mind. Please do not close this page and move on. Just hear me out first. I’m always nervous when it comes to trying new foods, especially if those foods are spicy. I never back down from trying new foods, mind you, but I can’t deny that I’m always a little worrisome.

I blame my mother. She loved food and loved to eat, but she never strayed too far from the foods she grew up eating. Food in our home was traditional, and never ventured outside the comfort foods that many Newfoundlander’s are accustomed too.

I keep trying to push the boundaries with food and I think that my daughter, McKenna, is mostly responsible for that. About a year or two ago, she discovered a love for Korean food, Korean pop culture, and most certainly, K-Pop. (K-Pop is Korean pop music.) She’s in love with BTS, Black Pink, and GOT7. I have no idea what those acronyms mean, but I go along with it and pretend I do!

Toronto has a pocket that is heavily populated and influenced by Korean culture, cuisine, and product. McKenna spends a lot of time there after school with her fellow K-Pop loving friends. They buy K-Pop albums, drink bubble tea, and dine on noodles, rice cakes, and waffle fish.

A YOUTUBER FUELED MY LOVE OF KOREAN CUISINE

Her love of the food has sparked an interest. In an attempt to introduce Korean flavours into some of our mealtime dishes, I found a fantastic YouTuber who has 100s of Korean recipe videos. Go to YouTube and search for Seonkyoung Longest. I’m in love and obsessed with her. She has taught me how to incorporate Korean seasonings and flavours into some of my recipes.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Chicken Wings– This recipe is for 2 pounds of chicken wings. That should yield about 10-12 wings per pound. If you have whole wings, cut them so that the drumette and wingette are separate. I discarded the wing tip.
• Ground Black Pepper & Salt
• Oil– This chicken is deep fried. Use an oil that has little or no flavour. When deep frying, I like to use vegetable or canola oil.
• Garlic– Fresh garlic will result in the best flavour every single time.
• Ginger– Fresh ginger is the way to go. It adds a warming, spicy flavour to recipes.
• Sugar – Sugar sweetens the sauce, and helps to round out the spiciness.
• Vinegar– Use rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
• Soy Sauce– Like I always say, use low sodium soy sauce to prevent the dish from being too salty.
• Gochujang– A spicy paste used in Korean cooking, made from red chili peppers, fermented soybeans, rice, and salt. You can find both of these in many big chain grocery stores and most certainly in Asian markets. Gochugaru and gochujang are both also available onAmazon.
• Sesame Seeds – Toast your sesame seeds for even more flavour!

HOW TO TOAST SESAME SEEDS

If you are not familiar with toasted sesame seeds, then please try it just once. You will probably never revert to using untoasted sesame seeds again! I have tried using non-stick frying pans for toasting, but nothing works as well as a stainless steel pan. You could use a cast iron pan, but since they get very hot and retain heat so well, it’s easier to burn the seeds.

See the frying pan in thispicture? That’s the exact one that I use all the time. I’m not suggesting you run out and buy this same cookware set, but I wanted you to see the pan – remember, do not use non-stick if possible. You’ll get better results with plain stainless steel.

So, unlike most cooking where you’re required to preheat first, you don’t want to apply that same rule to toasting seeds. Add the seeds to a cold pan. Place the pan on the burner and turn the heat on – no higher than medium and probably even less if using a gas burner.

Keep the seeds moving about. I use a rubber spatula. Once you start to smell that warm and toasty aromatic smell, pay close attention. The seeds will take on a slightly golden colour. Don’t let them get too dark. Once you’re satisfied, immediately remove them from the hot pan and transfer them to a dinner plate where they can be spread out to cool.

HOW TO MAKE KOREAN GOCHUJANG CHICKEN WINGS

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Wash wings in cold water and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Transfer wings to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven.

In the meantime, add the vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger to a skillet. Over medium heat, cook the ginger and garlic for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet with the exception of the sesame seeds. Whisk to combine and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens – about 8-10 minutes.

Once the wings are done, remove from oven and add to the skillet with the sauce. Add the sesame seeds as well. Over high heat, toss the wings with the sauce until the sauce coats the wings. Continue to toss over high heat until the sauce thickens even more the wings begin to char just a bit. Plate and serve immediately.

WHAT IS GOCHUJANG?

Gochujang is one of my new favourite ingredients. Don’t worry; it’s not too spicy at all and you can totally control how much you’re adding to your recipes. So, what is gochujang? It’s basically a savory, sweet, and spicy sauce made from red chilies, soybeans, barley, etc. It’s spicy and sweet all at the same time. Oh, and a little goes a long way!

I’m a weakling when it comes to spicy and heat toleration, so if I can handle two tablespoons of gochujang in this Korean Chicken Wing recipe, then so can you! Gochujang is also very easy to find. It’s at every Asian supermarket, and even some of the larger national grocers.

CAN’T FIND GOCHUJANG? MAKE A SUBSTITUTION!

If you can’t find it, you can substitute by mixing together 1 tablespoon each of chili powder, ketchup, soy sauce, and sugar. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of dried red chili flakes and whisk together. Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to marry together.

Gochujang cannot be completely replicated in substitute form, but that little recipe will give you a decent substitute without the depth and complexity of the original gochujang flavour. Trust me, Dear Reader, it will still be delicious!

Korean Gochujang Chicken Wings are great for game day or a party appetizer. I like to serve these wings with fried noodles, just like my Easy Spicy Vegetable Noodles. These both go so well together. And, if you’re feeling a little brave and adventurous, go ahead and stir some gochujang right into those noodles too!