Spicy Korean Chicken

Ingredients:

1/3 cup gochujang sauce
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 Tblsp. sesame oil
4 Tblsp. rice vinegar
4 Tblsp. light brown sugar, packed
4 tsp. ground ginger
4 Tblsp. minced garlic
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite sized pieces
2 Tblsp. olive oil
2 Tblsp. cornstarch
4-6 Tblsp. cold water
1/2 cup green onions, thinly chopped

3 Tblsp. sesame seeds, if desired

Optional: 

Thinly sliced onions, red/yellow/orange peppers, carrots, celery, zucchini, etc.

Additional olive oil

Preparation:

1. Combine gochujang sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a bowl to make a marinade.

2. Set aside 1/3 of the marinade if cooking the optional vegetables.

3. Take the remaining marinade and mix the chicken into it, stirring thoroughly to ensure the chicken pieces are fully covered with the marinade. Marinate the chicken for at least an hour in the sauce.

4. If cooking vegetables, heat some olive oil and the remaining marinade in the skillet. Add vegetables and stir. Cook vegetables on medium heat (covered, if tenderness is desired; uncovered, if crispiness is desired), then remove from skillet and keep warm.

5. Heat 2 Tblsp. olive oil in a large skillet (can use the same skillet). Cook chicken on medium-high in skillet with marinade. Flip/stir to ensure even cooking.

6. While the chicken cooks, mix cornstarch and water.

7. Once chicken is fully cooked. move it to one side of the pan, leaving the marinade in the other side. Turn the heat down to very low.

8. Add the cornstarch mixture to the skillet, and quickly stir it into the marinade to thicken the sauce. If the mixture is too think, add a little water slowly until it is to the desired consistency.

9. Once the sauce is thickened, gently mix the chicken into the sauce. If vegetables were cooked, add them to the mixture.

10. Turn off the heat, then add the green onions and sesame seeds.

11. Serve over rice, if desired.