Introduction

I know a lot of people (aka me) that crave crispy, crunchy chicken occasionally, but most people don’t want to deal with deep frying at home. However, this Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe solves that problem completely. You still get that crunchy and golden chicken coated in an addicting sweet and spicy sauce, but without the mess of frying oil splattering all over your stove. For me, this is one of my favorite air fryer recipes because it’s easy to follow, delicious, and takes less than 30 minutes to make.

How This Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe Gets So Crispy

This Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe is designed to give the most crunchiness while keeping the cooking process simple and limited to air frying. The combination of cornstarch and flour creates a light coating that gets crispy easily in the air fryer without being too dense of heavy. Cornstarch, in this case, is incredibly important because it creates those crispy edges and ridges that cling to the sauce. It’s important to leave enough space between each piece of chicken too, which allows the air to circulate properly and give everything an even crisp instead of being steamed.

Close-up of a piece of Crispy Gochujang Chicken held with chopsticks, showcasing the thick sticky gochujang glaze, crunchy coating, and sesame seed garnish. Perfect for an easy Korean-inspired weeknight dinner.

Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe

The sauce is what makes this Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe so much better. The gochujang, the main star of the dish, brings spice, sweetness, and umami flavor, while the honey balances that spice and helps the sauce reduce into that glossy glaze. As the sauce starts to simmer and bubble, it’ll start to thicken just enough to coat the chicken evenly without the turning the chicken soggy. The result of this combination is a sticky and addictively spicy dish that you won’t be able to stop eating!

Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe Ingredients

Chicken thighs + dredge (cornstarch, flour, salt) – The chicken thighs stay juicy while the coating gets crispy in the air fryer without deep frying.

Neutral oil spray – Helps the coating turn golden and crunchy while allowing the air fryer to cook the chicken evenly.

Gochujang sauce (gochujang, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, water) – A balanced sauces that creates a sweet and spicy glaze with the perfect mix of heat, sweetness, and umami.

Optional garnishes (sesame seeds, scallions) – Add color and freshness that help balance the richness of the sauce.

How to Make Crispy Gochujang Chicken

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, and salt, then add the chicken and coat thoroughly.

Chicken thigh pieces being coated in a mixture of cornstarch, flour, and salt before air frying. This light dredge helps create the crispy texture that makes this Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe so satisfying.

Lightly oil the air fryer basket and place the chicken in a single layer.

Dredged chicken thigh pieces being arranged in a lightly oiled air fryer basket before cooking. Spacing the chicken evenly helps achieve maximum crispiness in this Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe.

Spray the chicken with additional oil and air fry at 400°F until crispy and golden.

Chicken thighs cooking inside an air fryer until golden brown and crispy. Air frying creates crunchy chicken pieces with less oil while keeping the inside tender and juicy.

While the chicken cooks, combine gochujang, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, and water in a pan. Simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly.

Honey being poured into a skillet with gochujang, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil to create a sweet, spicy, and savory glaze for Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe.

Transfer the crispy chicken to a bowl and pour the sauce over. Toss until evenly coated.

Thick homemade gochujang sauce being poured over crispy air-fried chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. The glossy Korean-inspired glaze coats every piece for maximum flavor.

Serve immediately and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions if desired.

Fresh scallions being sprinkled over a bowl of Crispy Gochujang Chicken finished with sesame seeds and sticky gochujang glaze. This final garnish adds freshness, color, and texture to the dish.

What to Serve with Crispy Gochujang Chicken

This Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe pairs super well with a bunch of different side dishes, and here’s a few of my favorites:

Steamed white rice. Helps soak up any of that extra sauce that comes from the chicken.
Cucumber salad. Helps balance the richness of the crispy chicken. I like to place thinly sliced cucumbers with rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Shredded cabbage. Something as simple as shredded cabbage is a perfect pairing to help break up the spice and add some more fiber to the meal!

How to Store Crispy Gochujang Chicken

This Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe is best fresh when the coating still crispy, but the leftovers can still be stored. I personally like to keep the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You also have a couple options for reheating:

Air fryer. Reheat in the air fryer for 5 minutes. I’ve found that the reheat function works best, which is set at 300°F (149°C).
Oven. I prefer to use this method if I don’t have an air fryer at hand. Reheat in the oven at 300°F (149°C).
Microwave. If you microwave for 2 minutes at high heat, you will lose some of the crispiness, but the flavor will still be there!

Crispy Gochujang Chicken Substitutions

This Crispy Gochujang Chicken Recipe is flexible, and you can adjust a few ingredients depending on what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:

Chicken breast. A leaner option compared to chicken thighs that still works well. Just be careful to not overcook it!
Potato starch. Can be used instead of cornstarch and can create an even crispier coating!
Brown sugar. A great substitute for honey that will still give the sauce that sweetness and make it glossy.
Baking in the oven. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake the chicken at a high temperature for the same amount of time, flipping halfway through.