So simple and so good. Chicken thighs and still in-season sweet corn are bathed in a glaze featuring gochujang – the umami-rich and complex Korean condiment made from fermented soybeans – along with butter, soy, ginger and garlic. Gochujang chicken prep takes about 15 minutes and it’s out of the oven a quick 35 minutes later with clean-up all of two minutes. Oh -- and it is budget friendly!
And, with fresh sweet corn still in season, I wanted to tap into something to spice up its natural sweetness – kind of in the same manner as elote street corn. The last-minute broil on the gochujang chicken thighs adds just the right amount of sweet caramelization -- with a touch of fire.
Next time I make this, I'm going to spatchcock a whole chicken and prepare it on a grill alongside the corn. I'll report back!
Gochujang chicken and sweet corn would be great served with a few other faves on The Savory Tart like:
- Cold Asian Sesame Noodles
- Lemony Mediterranean Buttermilk Coleslaw
- Marinated Tomato and Bread Salad with Olives, Oranges and Za'atar
- Heirloom Tomato and Peach Salad with Miso Buttermilk and Herb Dressing
Gochujang
I became familiar with gochujang several years ago and used it successfully in a burger competition as the base for gochujang bacon jam. (look forward to that recipe to come on The Savory Tart…) Gochujang can be found in U.S. grocery stores or Asian grocers. It can range from mild to hot depending on the variety and brand. I like Bibigo, which is broadly available in grocery, Asian grocers, and also available on Amazon.
Ingredients
- chicken thighs
- sweet corn
- butter
- gochujang
- brown sugar
- soy sauce
- unseasoned rice vinegar
- tomato paste
- grated ginger
- garlic
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Heat oven to 425°F.
Combine butter, gochujang, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar tomato paste, ginger, garlic and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk until combined. Remove ¼ cup and reserve.
Add chicken to the bowl
Massage the butter mixture into the chicken. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Place the chicken in a single layer on a large foil-lined baking sheet.
Spread the sweet corn with the remaining ¼ cup of the butter mixture
Arrange round the chicken on the baking sheet.
Transfer baking sheet to the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes.
Turn the chicken over a few times during cooking ending with skin side up. Rotate the corn brushing with drippings. Roast until internal temperature of the chicken is 160 to 165°F.
Remove pan from oven and transfer corn to a bowl. Drizzle corn with pan drippings. Turn on broiler.
Generously brush the top of the chicken thighs with pan drippings and return to the oven under the broiler for a minute or two until caramelized.
Hint: I made the mistake of preparing this on an unlined baking sheet simply because I thought the photos would be better.... three days later the pan is still soaking. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
While brushing the sauce on the corn works, I simply held the corn cob-ettes between my forefinger and thumb and rolled the corn in the sauce to coat.
Substitutions & Variations
- Chicken Thighs - Use four chicken leg quarters instead. if you prefer white meat, cut chicken breasts in half and follow the same instructions. What makes this special is the caramelized chicken skin; you can use chicken tenders or boneless skinless chicken, it will still deliver on flavor.
- Onion - Cut a medium yellow onion into wedges, brush with the basting sauce and add to the sheet pan.
- Gluten Free - Substitute tamari, a gluten free substitute made from fermented soybeans and with a deeper and richer flavor profile than soy sauce. Or use gluten free soy sauce alternatives.
- Make it Spicy - Add two tablespoons of Asian chili crisp to the basting sauce.
Equipment
- large rimmed baking sheet
- aluminum foil or parchment paper
- large bowl
Storage
Store cooked gochujang chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. (Although I highly doubt there will be leftovers...)
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Sheet Pan Gochujang Chicken Thighs and Sweet Corn
Equipment
- large rimmed baking sheet
- aluminum foil (optional)
- large bowl
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup gochujang
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 to 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs about 2 pounds
- 3 to 4 ears of sweet corn husks removed and cut in thirds
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F.
- Combine butter, gochujang, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar tomato paste, ginger, garlic and salt in a large bowl until combined. Remove ¼ cup and reserve.
- Add chicken to the bowl and massage the butter mixture into the chicken. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Place the chicken in a single layer on a large foil-lined baking sheet.
- Spread the sweet corn in the remaining ¼ cup butter mixture and arrange round the chicken on the baking sheet.
- Transfer baking sheet to the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes. Turn the chicken over a few times during cooking ending with skin side up. Rotate the corn brushing with drippings. Roast until internal temperature of the chicken is 160 to 165°F
- Remove pan from oven and transfer corn to a bowl. Drizzle corn with pan drippings. Turn on broiler. Generously brush the top of the chicken thighs with pan drippings and return to the oven under the broiler for a minute or two until caramelized.
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