Air Fryer Recipe
Gochujang Chicken Skewers
A Korean-inspired, delicious, and easy-to-make Gochujang chicken skewers recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 500g chicken breast or thighs
- 3 tablespoons Gochujang
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Spring onions and sesame seeds for garnish
Method
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces suitable for skewering.
- In a bowl, combine Gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, minced garlic, grated ginger, and rice vinegar to make the marinade.
- Add the chicken pieces to the marinade, coat thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Thread the marinated chicken onto skewers.
- Preheat the air fryer to 200°C.
- Place the skewers in the air fryer basket without overlapping and cook for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through.
- Garnish with chopped spring onions and sesame seeds before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Small chicken pieces cook quickly in the air fryer’s fast convection while the gochujang, honey and soy reduce into a sticky glaze. Thighs stay juicier because their fat and connective tissue tolerate high heat; breast needs tighter timing so the sugars caramelise before the lean meat dries out.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket taking 4–6 short skewers in one layer; in a single-drawer model cook in batches if the skewers touch, while dual-zone fryers may run slightly cooler per drawer, so rotate drawers or add 2–3 minutes and position the thickest pieces towards the outer airflow.
Common pitfalls
- Sauce turning black before the chicken is cooked? The honey and gochujang sugars are scorching; drop to 180°C and cook a few minutes longer, or brush on a little reserved marinade only for the final 3–4 minutes.
- Chicken looks pale and wet at minute 10? The pieces were crowded or too much marinade is dripping into the basket; leave gaps between skewers and scrape off excess marinade before cooking so convection can dry the surface.
- Breast meat feels firm and stringy? The pieces were too small or overcooked; cut breast into even 3cm chunks and start checking at 11–12 minutes, using thighs if you want more tolerance.
- Wooden skewers smoking or catching at the tips? They are too long or too dry for the basket; soak them for 20–30 minutes, trim to fit, or use metal skewers that do not press against the heating element.
Variations & substitutions
- Use boneless thigh instead of breast for a richer result; it may need the upper end of the timing but is less likely to dry out.
- Swap honey for maple syrup or light brown sugar; both brown well, but sugar thickens the marinade more so scrape off excess to avoid burning.
- Add peppers or red onion between chicken pieces; cut them to similar size and expect slightly softer vegetables because the chicken timing drives the cook.
- For a milder version, replace 1 tablespoon gochujang with tomato purée or ketchup; the glaze will be sweeter and less fermented, so a splash more rice vinegar helps balance it.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked skewers chilled for up to 3 days and reheat in the air fryer at 180°C for 4–6 minutes, turning once, until hot through without drying the glaze too much.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
