Korean Style Chili-Garlic BBQ Gochugaru Marinade for Chicken
Jun 16, 2022, Updated Dec 22, 2022
Korean Gochugaru Marinade combines this bright red chile powder: Gochugaru – a medium-spicy coating to drench chicken prior to grilling with additional garlic & ginger. Finger-Licking Good!
If you like your chicken super-flavorful, good & spicy with an eye catching color – this recipe is for you!
Let’s learn about Korean Gochugaru Chiles – and make a chile-laced marinade, let it bath in it overnight (or at least 6 hours) – then grill to perfection!
Gochugaru Chile powder (a key ingredient in kimchi) has a different flavor profile from the chile powder you typically find on Western supermarket shelves. It’s not too fiery-spicy, but it has more of a continuous, long-lasting heat with more fruity, smokey and sweet tones.
These dried chiles vary in size ranging from powder to flakes.
Where as Gochujang is a readymade chili paste (NOT GOCHUGARU!) that is a savory, sweet, and spicy fermented condiment popular in Korean cooking.
I do not care for the commercial Gochujang varieties – too many preservatives and many use corn syrup (or other sugars) for the first ingredient, and most contain gluten (wheat.)
So – I’m using Wonderful Gochugaru Chiles (easily found on Amazon and online) and creating my own marinade with better and flavorful ingredients!
Like it a tad sweet? Add honey to the marinade and baste the chicken at the end ~ the perfect glaze.
In a small food processor or blender add: Gochugaru Chiles, Garlic, Ginger, Onion, Tomato Paste, Rice Wine Vinegar, Sesame Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Palm Sugar, Sea Salt and Filtered Water. Blitz until creamy…done!
I love adding a glaze at the last few minutes of cooking.
Remove 2T. of the marinade and add 1 tablespoon of honey – simply glaze the chicken at the last step.
About Gochugaru:
There are two types of gochugaru that Koreans use: fine powder and flakes.
The finer powder variety is used when you want to achieve a smooth paste.
For kimchi, many mix fine powder and flakes to balance color, texture and taste.
I have used coarsely ground Gochugaru; between a flake and a powder in this marinade.
The spicy taste of many Korean foods largely comes down to one key ingredient: Gochugaru (red chili flakes or red pepper powder). Gochugaru is typically made by drying Korean red chili peppers in the sun, de-seeding them and crushing them into flakes.
Enjoy this special recipe ~ store your Gochugaru chiles in a cool and dry place or in the freezer.
Karen
Korean Style Chili-Garlic BBQ Gochugaru Marinade for Chicken
Equipment
- 1 small food processor or blender for doubled recipe
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons ground Gochujang Chile*
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup onion, peeled and diced
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, (can use lime juice)
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar, or light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon roasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon filtered water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt , (more will be used to sprinkle on chicken)
Instructions
Gochugaru Marinade for Chicken Ingredients:
- Add all ingredients to a small food processor. Run machine until smooth with a little texture, about 1 minute.Can use a blender - but works best with a doubled recipe.
Marinade Chicken & How to Grill:
- The full recipe marinates about 5 pounds of bone-in, cut up chicken.
- Clean and dry chicken. Take out 2 T. of the marinade and SET ASIDE in a small bowl for the glaze.Add marinade and rub it over and under the skin. Add to a large bowl, marinate and cover overnight the refrigerator, or at least 6 hours.
- Preheat your grill, set to moderate heat. Brush the grill with neutral oil. Add the pieces - and let develop a nice dark color, then turn over with tongs. Watch for flare-ups, especially when skin side down. Turn the heat down to low and cook on the second side* until chicken has cooked through and registers 165° in an instant read or meat thermometer.
* Glaze for the Chicken:
- Add 1 tablespoons of honey (I use local raw honey) to the reserved 2 T. of marinade. Brush over the chicken in the final 10 minutes of cooking.
Garnishes:
- Garnish with chopped chives and or thyme. Garnish with thyme branches and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks really good ?
Thank you!! I’m slicing cold leftovers for a salad.
Nice recipe with natural ingredients. I marinaded the chicken overnight and grilled outdoors. A winner recipe! Lots of flavor and heat, but not overpowering. The glaze was a nice topping and was not over cooked but tender.. Gochujang chiles are my favorite dried chiles. Will make again and next day leftovers are a bonus. Ted
Thank you Ted for the review! I love these chiles too – so happy to hear you thought the recipe was a winner! Hope you keep the chilies in a cool place. 😀Karen