Korean Stewed Chicken

Here in the US, we’re blessed with all kinds of fancy kitchen gadgets, food processors, blenders, and joyful items from Williams Sonoma-like places. In many other countries, they don’t have access to these types of things and over the centuries their cultures have adapted to things like cooking without water or in single pots over coals and stuff like that. The concept of making do with what you have and still coming up with a great tasting meal.

I think that’s why I like international dishes so much. They just fit with how I cook – fast, multi-taskable, simple yet tastes good. I throw in my twist on it and make it healthier if it isn’t already or I combine or skip complicated steps. I love Korean food and luckily a lot of their meals are one pot wonders. I did a take on stewed chicken that was a breeze to make. You don’t even have to get your fingers messy pulling the chicken out of the marinade.

Korean Stewed Chicken 

• 1/4 cup gochujang sauce
• 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 12 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cups raw broccoli florets
• 1 cup (180g) uncooked white rice
• 2 green onions, white and green parts minced

Combine the gochujang, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and red pepper in a ziptop plastic baggie. Cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and add to the baggie. Shake gently to combine. Place the bag in the fridge to marinate the chicken for about 30 – 60 minutes. You can also marinate overnight if desired.

Prepare the rice according to package directions. I used my rice steamer which takes 50 minutes, so it was perfect timing while the chicken marinated. Once the chicken is ready, preheat a large pan over medium heat. Add the chicken, marinade and broccoli to the pan along with 1/2 cup of water. Just dump the entire baggie right into the pan.

Bring the mixture to a boil and lower heat slightly. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and cook another 10 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates. Divide the rice evenly into bowls and top with the chicken and broccoli.

Makes 4 servings at approximately 340 calories – 22g protein, 55g carbs, and 4g fat.

Notes

• If you’re looking for other recipes that use gochujang sauce, try Korean Bibimbap or my Vietnamese Banh Mi.  Soup and a sandwich, you can’t be that. I also squeeze some randomly over stir fry or into miso soup for a sweet and spicy taste.
• As always, I used minced garlic from a jar and ginger that comes in the tube to save time and waste. About 6 cloves of fresh garlic can be used instead along with 2 tsp of ground ginger (the spice) if you don’t have fresh.
• If you don’t like broccoli, use a different veggie or veggie mix that you do like – cauliflower, carrots, peppers. You can even try spinach or kale. If you go with a leafy veggie, add it during the last 5 minutes of cooking so you don’t end up with mush.
• Swap the white rice and use brown rice or even noodles if you prefer. I’m on a white rice kick lately for some reason.

This is one of those meals that’s again easily customizable to your macros. Use less rice if you want to cut carbs. More chicken to increase protein per serving. Add more veggies if you want more volume for few extra calories. Make it yours and let me know how it turns out.