Instant Pot Korean Chicken with Gochujang

I have an Instant Pot Korean Beef recipe on the blog and I thought it was time to share another Korean favorite, Instant Pot Korean Chicken. What I love about both recipes is that you blend the marinade ingredients, marinate the meat and then pressure cook. They’re so easy and are great make-ahead recipes for when you know you’re going to be busy.

I’ve been making this recipe since I found it in Bon Appetit magazine’s “rsvp” section a few years ago, where a reader requested the recipe for Gochujang Braised Chicken from Oiji in New York City.

The recipe uses a Korean spice called Gochujang which is a thick fermented spicy chile paste.  The paste can be quite spicy but has a sweet component to it.  Some brands are spicier and/or sweeter than others; you can experiment and find one you like the best.

I’ve adapted the recipe for the Instant Pot and am really pleased with the result.  I like to serve it with Instant Pot Fried Rice or Instant Pot Brown Fried Rice.

Tips and Substitutions

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I prefer to blend the ingredients so that the marinade is smooth. You could also mince the ingredients very finely.

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To make Instant Pot Korean chicken wings follow my recipe for Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken Wings, but substitute this Korean chicken marinade for the teriyaki marinade.

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Granulated sugar can be substituted with brown sugar or honey, to taste. You can also add half an Asian pear or Fuji apple to the marinade ingredients.

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Gochujang is an ingredient that you may not have on hand. It’s a sweet and spicy Korean fermented red chili paste.  I prefer Chung Jung One Gochujang.

These days gochujang is available in grocery stores. I’ve used different brands that are available at regular grocery stores including Mother in law’s brand which is available at Whole Foods and at Amazon.

Gochujang paste is thick.  You can also find gochujang sauces, which are the consistency of ketchup and used straight up as a condiment.  Try and get the paste.

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Mirin is another ingredient that you may not have on hand. It’s a Japanese rice wine that adds a sweet and tangy flavor. Many grocery stores sell ‘Aji Mirin’ which is close to Mirin.

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I serve this chicken two ways: it’s really tasty over rice with sauteed vegetables and the sauce drizzled over the top. It also tastes wonderful as a Korean Barbecue Chicken; grill the chicken and serve the sauce on the side for dipping. You could broil the chicken in the oven if you don’t have access to a grill.

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Although bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks are preferred, you can substitute boneless chicken thighs. Pressure cook for 7 to 8 minutes if you’re not grilling, and 6 minutes if you are grilling.

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Since the chicken is first pressure cooked, you’re grilling it just to finish it off and get those grill marks. I usually grill it for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

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Make ahead tip: Pressure cook the chicken and refrigerate chicken and sauce separately. Grill chicken right before you’re ready to serve and heat the sauce to serve on the side.

Instant Pot DUO Pressure Cook

• Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
• Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘9′ (9 minutes). *

* If you’re not planning on grilling the chicken, you can increase pressure cook time to 11 or 12 minutes.

 

Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook

• Close the lid.
• Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 9 minutes (00:09).
• Press ‘Start’.

• Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
• Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
• The display will count down from 9 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’  or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.

 

Release Pressure

• Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR).  The float valve will be in the down position.  This may take 15 to 30 minutes.
• Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.

 

I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!

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