Gochujang-Braised Chicken and Crispy Rice
A flavorful Korean-inspired dish featuring tender braised chicken drumsticks in a spicy-sweet gochujang sauce, served over crispy seasoned rice cakes. The chicken is slowly cooked with aromatics like garlic, ginger, and scallions until fall-off-the-bone tender.
Ingredients
- •1 whole small onion, finely chopped
- •8 cloves garlic cloves, finely grated
- •1 piece (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled, finely grated
- •¼ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
- •¼ cup soy sauce
- •2 tablespoons sugar
- •1 tablespoon mirin
- •1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- •1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more
- •3 cups cooked short-grain rice
- •1 teaspoon ground cumin
- •½ teaspoon garlic powder
- •½ teaspoon mustard powder
- •8 pieces chicken drumsticks, patted dry
- •1 to taste Kosher salt
- •4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- •4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- •6 whole scallions
- •1 portion white and pale-green parts only
- •1 portion cut into 1-inch pieces
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Mix onion, garlic, ginger, gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sesame oil, and 1 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl to combine; set sauce aside.
5 min
- 2.
Toss rice, cumin, garlic powder, and mustard powder in a medium bowl to combine; spread out on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and chill until cold, about 1 hour.
60 min
- 3.
Meanwhile, season chicken generously with salt. Heat butter and vegetable oil in a medium heavy pot over medium. As soon as foaming subsides, add chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add reserved sauce and bring to a simmer; cook until sauce appears to thin out, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover pot, and simmer, turning occasionally, until chicken is very tender, 45-55 minutes.
63 min
- 4.
Divide rice into 4 portions; form into 3/4"-thick disks (moisten hands with water to prevent sticking). Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium. Working in 2 batches, cook rice cakes, turning halfway through, until crisp, puffed, and golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plates.
20 min
- 5.
Add scallions to chicken and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top each cake with 2 chicken legs and a few scallions; spoon plenty of sauce over.
5 min