This Honey Gochujang Hen recipe will enliven your meal with its daring and savory flavors. I pan-sear the slices of hen breast in order that they keep juicy and tender, then add umami and delicate warmth with candy Korean chili paste.
Korean delicacies could be very common in Japan, and my family adores its daring and savory flavors. That’s why I at all times have a bathtub of Korean fermented chili paste within the fridge to boost my cooking like on this quick and straightforward Honey Gochujang Hen recipe. I’ll present you the way I preserve the lean hen breast tender and juicy whereas including an thrilling mixture of candy, umami, and spicy flavors.
Should you love hen, strive my Baked Hen Katsu, Hen Teriyaki, and Hen Tempura recipes subsequent!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Lean but satisfying – This dish is nutritious and filling with skinless hen breast that’s low in fats but excessive in protein.
- Packs daring taste in each chew – My household loves Korean seasonings, so I used the successful combo of chili paste, honey and garlic on this recipe.
- Fast and straightforward – It’s able to serve in 20 minutes, and cleanup is a breeze because it cooks in only one pan. Even my son can pull this dish collectively on a busy weeknight.
- Funds pleasant – This recipe depends closely on pantry components that you could be have already got readily available. With hen breast as the one recent ingredient, it’s simple on the pockets.
Elements for Honey Gochujang Hen
- Boneless, skinless hen breast
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- Honey
- Mirin
- Soy sauce
- Garlic cloves
- Kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper
- Potato starch – or cornstarch
- Impartial oil
- Toasted white sesame seeds (for garnish)
Discover the printable recipe with measurements under.
Substitutions
- Hen breast: You should utilize hen thighs as a substitute of boneless skinless hen breast. It’s going to take longer to cook dinner, so alter the cooking time accordingly.
- Gochujang: This Korean chili paste consists of crimson chili peppers, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. The warmth stage varies, so use the delicate kind if you happen to favor much less spicy. You’ll find customary gochujang and delicate gochujang on Amazon and at Korean or Asian grocery shops. Some are gluten-free in the event that they don’t include barley malt, so examine the ingredient label.
- Honey: You might use your alternative of sweetener as a substitute of honey. Sweetness helps to counterbalance the spiciness of chili paste, so I don’t suggest leaving it out.
- Mirin: Should you can’t discover it, strive my useful substitution for 1 tablespoon mirin. Merely combine 1 tablespoon sake (or water) + 1 teaspoon sugar. The flavour isn’t the identical, however it’s shut.
- Soy sauce: Use tamari soy sauce for gluten-free.
- Potato starch: Should you don’t have it, use cornstarch as a substitute.
The right way to Make Honey Gochujang Hen
Preparation
Step 1 – Combine the sauce. Mix gochujang, honey, mirin, and soy sauce in a small bowl and put aside. Mince the garlic and put aside.
Step 2 – Prep the hen. Slice it into flat, sq. items and season with salt and pepper. Mud throughout with potato starch.
Cooking
Step 3 – Sear. Fry half the hen in a pan or wok for 3 minutes till a golden brown crust types, then sear the opposite facet for two minutes. Take away to a tray. Repeat with the second batch.
Step 4 – Sauté the garlic. When it turns into aromatic, add the hen again to the pan and toss it with the garlic.
Step 5 – Add the sauce. Stir as you carry the sauce to a simmer. When it bubbles and the hen is effectively coated, flip off the warmth.
Assemble
Step 6 – Plate and serve. Switch to a serving dish; I used the Rinka Flower Salad Plate from JOC Items. Garnish with sesame seeds and luxuriate in.
Nami’s Recipe Suggestions
- Minimize the hen into flat squares – Create thinner items of even thickness with an open floor space. I did this by tilting my knife again and slicing at an angle utilizing the sogigiri Japanese chopping method. This manner, the items will cook dinner evenly and on the similar fee, so nothing overcooks.
- Mud calmly with potato starch – This locks within the juices and seasonings when searing. I shake the whole lot in my favourite stainless prep tray for the right mild coating. Make sure that to mud off any extra that might wreck the hen’s texture.
- Cook dinner the hen in batches – To keep away from crowding the pan, I cook dinner half the hen first, then take away it and cook dinner the remaining half. This helps the hen sear evenly and develop a pleasant crust.
- Sear till almost cooked by – The hen breast will solely cook dinner briefly on the finish when tossing with the sauce, so it must be principally cooked while you’re carried out searing.
- Wipe the pan after searing – I like to scrub off the meals particles and grease with a paper towel earlier than including the sauce. This helps to maintain it easy and shiny.
- Add a splash of water to loosen the sauce – Except you’re utilizing a nonstick pan, the sauce can persist with the skillet. If this occurs, I like so as to add a little bit of water to loosen it. Purpose for a lightweight, shiny sauce that coats the hen evenly.
Variations and Customizations
- Swap the protein. Use this sweet-spicy seasoning on stir-fried shrimp, thin-sliced pork, or tender sliced beef.
- Add greens. For further crunch and fiber, add slivers of candy crimson bell peppers, carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms, or inexperienced cabbage.
- Use extra aromatics. Strive sliced onion, inexperienced onions/scallions, garlic chives (nira in Japanese), and even grated recent ginger.
- Make it vegetarian. Sear cubes of agency tofu or thick mushrooms for a plant-based model.
- Drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Add a pair teaspoons of this flavorful oil towards the tip of cooking so as to add a nutty be aware.
What to Serve with Honey Gochujang Hen
Storage Suggestions
To retailer: I like to recommend transferring the leftovers to an hermetic container. You may retailer it within the fridge for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for a month.
Ceaselessly Requested Questions
We haven’t examined these cooking strategies. Nevertheless, you may strive baking or air frying the hen individually, then basting it with the honey gochujang sauce proper earlier than serving. Please tell us the way it seems!
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To Sear the Hen
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Preheat a wok, frying pan, or saucepan (I used a 10¼” carbon metal pan) over medium warmth. When it is scorching, add 1 Tbsp impartial oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add half the hen in a single layer, leaving house between every bit. Sear the primary facet for about 3 minutes. Nami’s Tip: I cook dinner in two batches to keep away from overcrowding the pan. This helps the hen sear evenly and develop a pleasant crust.
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As soon as the underside develops a golden brown crust after about 3 minutes, flip to sear the opposite facet for 2 minutes. Then, take away the hen to a prep tray or plate. Nami’s Tip: Be sure that the hen is almost cooked by at this stage. You’ll solely cook dinner it briefly on the finish when tossing with the sauce.
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Should you’re utilizing a carbon metal pan like me, add an further 1 Tbsp impartial oil right here (not included within the components listing; you will not want further oil if you happen to’re utilizing a nonstick pan.) Then, add the remaining half of the hen to the pan.
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Sear the second batch on each side for a complete of 5 minutes, flipping over after the primary 3 minutes. Take away from the pan.
To Add the Sauce
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Wipe off the charred meals particles and extra grease from the pan with a paper towel. Then, add the reserved 1 Tbsp impartial oil.
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Add the garlic and sauté it calmly till aromatic and with out burning it. Now, add the hen again into the pan.
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Toss it with the garlic. Then, add the sauce and stir to coat the hen effectively.
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Preserve stirring as you carry the sauce to a simmer and the hen is coated in a shiny sauce. Nami’s Tip: Should you’re utilizing a carbon metal pan like me, preserve 2–4 Tbsp water useful to loosen the sauce if it sticks to the pan, as wanted. Should you’re utilizing a nonstick pan, you in all probability will not want it.Switch it to a serving dish; I used the Rinka Flower Salad Plate from JOC Items. Garnish with ½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds and luxuriate in.
