Easy Grilled Gochujang Chicken

Gochujang chicken drumsticks grilled until caramelized and juicy are finger-licking good. The spicy glaze makes this a guaranteed knock-out.

Grilled gochujang chicken

Ingredients

Full recipe with amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

  • Chicken drumsticks. Thighs or wings can also be used.
  • Gochujang. This Korean chilli paste is fermented so it adds an incredible amount of flavor. There isn’t really a suitable substitute but if you can’t find it use a chilli paste or chilli sauce of your choice.
  • Olive oil.
  • Garlic cloves. 
  • Lemon juice. 
  • Honey. 
  • Soy sauce. Use Tamari or Coconut Aminos if you want to keep this gluten free.
  • Sesame seeds and Spring/Green onion to serve. (optional)

Gochujang marinade for grilled chicken.

How to make Gochujang chicken

  1. Make the marinade: Whisk together gochujang, oil, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice and crushed garlic.
  2. Marinate the chicken: Pour 3/4 of the marinade/glaze over the chicken and rub in, making sure every piece is coated. Set the remaining marinade aside for grilling. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes but up to 24 hours in the fridge.
  3. Grill the chicken: Grill the chicken over medium heat, brushing with the remaining marinade, until golden, caramelized and cooked through.
  4. Serve: Scatter the grilled chicken with sesame seeds and chopped spring/green onion and serve.

How long to grill drumsticks

Chicken drumsticks will take approximately 25-35 minutes, cooked over direct heat on a medium-hot grill or grill pan. When grilling chicken, I prefer closing the lid to allow the accumulated heat to assist with the cooking of the chicken. It’s also helpful to have a cool-zone while grilling chicken to move it to if the chicken browns too quickly for your liking. Chicken is cooked when the interior temperature reaches 73ºC/165ºF or when the meat it opaque down to the bone.

Gochujang marinated chicken.

Grilled chicken recipes

  1. Curried Grilled Chicken Breast
  2. Lemon Rosemary Spatchcock Chicken
  3. Easy grilled chicken thighs
Grilled Gochujang chicken

Easy Grilled Gochujang Chicken

Gochujang chicken drumsticks grilled until caramelized and juicy are finger-licking good. The spicy glaze makes this a guaranteed knock-out.
4.50 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: Gochujang chicken, grilled chicken, Grilled chicken drumsticks
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Marinating time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Calories: 187kcal
Author: Alida Ryder
Servings: 6 - 8

Ingredients

  • 1 kg (2lbs) chicken drumsticks
  • ¾ cup Gochujang
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

  • Whisk together gochujang, oil, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice and crushed garlic. 
  • Pour 3/4 of the marinade/glaze over the chicken and rub in, making sure every piece is coated. Set the remaining marinade aside for grilling.
  • Cover and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes but up to 24 hours in the fridge. 
  • Grill the chicken over medium heat, brushing with the remaining marinade, until golden, caramelized and cooked through. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
  • Scatter the grilled chicken with sesame seeds and chopped spring/green onion and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 61IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg