Grilled Gochujang (Hot Pepper Paste) Chicken Breasts

Like the Grilled Gochujang (Hot Pepper Paste) Pork Ribeye Steaks recipe, I used Korean hot pepper paste (gochujang) and hot pepper powder (gochugaru) in a marinade for grilled chicken breasts. The amount of hot pepper powder can be varied depending upon your tolerance for spiciness. The hot pepper paste actually provides more sweetness to the dish than spice, so there’s no need to use hoisin sauce (my usual sauce used in marinades). Sake is also used in the marinade in place of my usual Shaoxing wine.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 lb.	3 kg.	Chicken breasts (雞胸肉, gai1 hung1 juk6)
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
6 cloves	6 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Korean Hot Pepper Powder (고추가루, Gochugaru)
3 Tbs.	45 ml.	Korean Hot Pepper Paste (고추장, Gochujang)
½ cup	125 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
½ cup	125 ml.	Sake (清酒, ceng1 zau2)
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

 

Equipment

		Garlic press
4 qt.	3.8 L.	Covered bowl
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

 

Korean Hot Pepper Powder
(고추가루, Gochugaru)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken breasts by removing any excess fat and remaining yellow skin. Ideally all the yellow skin was removed during the vendor’s chicken cleaning process, but some always remains and will prevent the marinade from penetrating the skin. Use your fingers and rub any remaining yellow skin from the chicken under cold running water.
2. Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least 24 hours, turning the chicken halfway through the marinating time to make sure the chicken is fully coated, in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, Korean Hot Pepper Powder, Korean Hot Pepper Paste, soy sauce, sake, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
3. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s

   

   Korean Hot Pepper Paste
   (고추장, Gochujang)

   instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the smoking wood (oak or pecan goes well with this dish) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
4. If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will used to brown the chicken and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for smoking the chicken. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill to remove any leftover charred bits from the last use and with a folded paper towel coated in oil, use tongs to lubricate the grill. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
5. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the cool side of the grill and cook the chicken for 30-40 minutes covered. Uncover the grill and then move the chicken, skin side down, to the hot side of the grill to brown the chicken for 2-5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, skin side up, and repeat the procedure. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes. The temperature of your fire and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the chicken.