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Gochujang Chicken Breast Steamed to Perfection

Gochujang chicken breast that is steamed rather than roasted to keep the meat incredibly juicy & moist with a simple Korean-inspired coating.

Steaming is a superb way of cooking that is quick but keeps all of the flavour and moisture in the meat, this chicken breast takes around 15 minutes to cook!

Steamed Korean gochujang chicken breast with broccoli and kimchi.

Steamed Korean Influenced Chicken Breast.

I adore gochujang, it is a Korean chilli paste made from fermented soya beans and glutinous rice.

It has a wonderful earthy spiciness and it is delicious in everything from dishes like my Korean pork belly, Korean influenced chicken wings, Korean salmon and kimchi chicken legs to my gochujang tofu stew and Korean fried chicken burger.

Here I use gochujang to form a spicy coating for a simply steamed chicken breast.

Steaming is a cooking process that is often overlooked when cooking meat, but it is a wonderfully simple and delicious way of cooking.

Sure you do not get the whole maillard reaction going on, but you do get the pure flavour of what you are cooking.

It leaves meat exceptionally juicy and moist and it is also a wonderfully “healthy” way to cook.

Hopefully, this recipe encourages you to give something new a try!

Close up overhead steamed Korean gochujang chicken breast with broccoli and kimchi.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sort of steamer should I use?

You should use what you have at home rather than buying something new!

Probably the best and cheapest option are some bamboo steamers, they are glorious. But you can use a steamer basket or one of those petal steamers that fold up like a flower.

How do I cook this in an Instant Pot?

Place 250ml (1 Cup) of water and the garlic and ginger in the base of the pot ensuring that the water does not come above the base of the steamer basket.

Add the steamer basket with the chicken. Set the Instant Pot to steam and add a lid set with the arm set to seal. Cook for 9 minutes and then quick release the pressure.

Check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer before serving and add another minute or two if required.

I have two Instant Pots (don’t ask) and both give me very different cooking results so be sure to check the temperature.

Can I this with chicken legs?

Not really, the steaming process is not a great technique for bone in chicken in my opinion.

How hot is gochujang paste?

Gochujang comes in “various shades” of hot… I use a very hot version, but I have a fairly high tolerance to chilli on account of cooking with it A LOT, feel free to use a milder version.

Close up steamed Korean gochujang chicken breast with broccoli and kimchi.

Serving Suggestions

I’ve served this steamed gochujang chicken breast with some roasted sesame tenderstem broccoli and kimchi in these pictures.

But it is awesome with a host of dishes, on the veggie front some stir-fried broccoli or asparagus stir fry would be wonderful.

Adding rice will bulk out this dish effortlessly if you wanted to. I would personally add egg fried rice, but plain rice would work well too.

If you can’t get kimchi, or don’t want to use it other pickles with an East Asian influence work well too. I have a pickled daikon recipe and pickled cucumber recipe that are delicious.

Overhead steamed Korean gochujang chicken breast with broccoli and kimchi.

Equipment Used

I only recommend specific brands of equipment if I think that it makes a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Mixing bowl.
  • Weighing scales and or measuring spoons.
  • Sharp kitchen knife.
  • Chopping board.
  • Baking parchment.
  • Scissors.
  • Steaming basket and associated saucepan with a lid if required. You can also cook this in an Instant Pot with a steamer basket.
  • Quick read meat thermometer, this is optional but I swear by them when I am cooking meat!
Korean steamed gochujang chicken breast with roasted tenderstem broccoli and kimchi.
Yield: 2 Servings

Steamed Gochujang Chicken Breast Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Gentle cooking is often associated with slow cooking but this simply steamed gochujang chicken breast in Korean chilli paste cooks in less than 20 minutes and tastes sublime.

Ingredients

  • 2 Skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 50g (3 Tbsp) Gochujang Paste
  • 10g (½ Tbsp) Honey
  • 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
  • ½ Tsp Ginger powder
  • 30g (Thumb Sized Piece) Ginger
  • 4 Garlic Cloves

Instructions

  1. Mix together the gochujang paste, honey, fish sauce and ginger powder in a flat bowl.
  2. Trim the chicken breasts of any sinew and add the chicken breasts, make sure you dry them well first, then set them aside to marinate. You can leave them to marinate for up to 4 hours although you can cook them immediately if you wish.
  3. Roughly chop the ginger (don't bother peeling it) and bash it with a knife to release the juices.
  4. Bash the garlic with the side of a knife to get the oils flowing (again don't bother peeling it).
  5. Add some water to the base of a pan and throw in the garlic and hunger and bring it to a boil with a lid on the pan. The amount of water needed will depend on the type of steamer basket you are using. You must ensure that it does not come up hight than the base of the basket.
  6. Place the chicken breasts on some grease-proof paper and cut around the paper with some scissors so that it is around 1cm (½") larger than the breast.
  7. Add the chicken breasts followed by a lid and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 70°C or 158°F. If you are using a saucepan with a glass or metal lid wrapping some kitchen paper around the lid will stop water droplets from falling on the chicken breast.
  8. Carefully remove and allow to rest for 5-7 minutes, the temperature will continue to rise to over 73°C or 165°F during the resting period.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 292Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 836mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 55g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Laurence

Sunday 9th of October 2022

Hi Brian follow your site repetitively. Just wanted to know can I do this recipe in a steamer? Thanks Laurence

Brian Jones

Saturday 5th of November 2022

Hi Laurence, good to hear from you. Sorry, it has taken a while to respond, I'd take a little time away from parts of my site to deal with a family illness.

This would work fine in a steamer, however, I have no idea about timing as I have never used an electronic steamer, I'd grab a meat thermometer and check the temperature after say 12 minutes and see where you are before resting as per the recipe.

Enjoy

Brian

Nic.

Sunday 15th of November 2020

I used your sauce on chicken & veggie skewers for the grill and we are now obsessed with it. So, so good!

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of November 2020

Glad you like it Nic, it is a fab little glaze that you can use in loads of ways :)

Sue R

Monday 14th of October 2019

Gochujang is amazing. Wouldn't live without it now. I remembered Nigella Lawson singing it's praises so very long ago so when I came across it grabbed some of course. Lovely recipe. Pinning it. My newest spicy addiction is Laoganma’s spicy chili crisp sauce that comes in a jar. Serious eats has a good write up about it.

Brian Jones

Monday 14th of October 2019

Yes, it is a great addition to my already insanely huge collection of spices and sauces. Brand name products are difficult to get my hands on here on rural Hungary, but I'll definitely make a note of that one and take a look for it next time I head to the big city :D

Lisa | Garlic & Zest

Monday 7th of October 2019

Your flavor combinations positively dance! Making for my hubby this week!

Brian Jones

Wednesday 9th of October 2019

Thanks Lisa... Enjoy!

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