Crispy sesame chicken and fluffy jasmine rice served with a creamy gochujang broth. It’s spicy, savory, slightly sweet, and absolutely delicious.
This bowl hits every note. The chicken gets deeply browned and sticky around the edges, while the gochujang broth turns silky and rich without feeling too heavy.
The ground chicken and broth are prepared in the same skillet, which means the broth picks up all those caramelized bits left behind by the chicken. Spoon it over rice, add a cool cucumber salad, and finish with scallions and sesame seeds for a dinner that’s adaptable and easy to make.
If you love bowl-style dinners, try my salmon bowl with quinoa, ground meat eggplant gochujang bowls, or teriyaki chicken pineapple bowls next.
Watch the recipe video
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube.
Ingredients and substitutions
I really love rice and noodle bowls, and after making my spicy salmon noodles with cream and gochujang, I knew that combination would work beautifully as a broth.
For a dairy-free version, swap the cream for full-fat coconut milk. It gives the broth a slightly different character, but it still works incredibly well.
The ground chicken is seasoned with low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and maple syrup. Honey or brown sugar will work instead of the maple syrup.
Garlic, ginger, and scallions keep everything lively, while ground pork, turkey, or beef can easily stand in for the chicken. And if you’re not into rice, serve it over cauliflower rice or noodles.
Helpful tips
- Keep the chicken crisp – Transfer it to a plate once it is browned. Adding it back at the end stops it from softening in the broth.
- Cook the gochujang first – Let it cook in the skillet for about 30 seconds before adding any liquid. This rounds out the flavor and takes away its raw edge.
- Use the browned bits – Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Those sticky bits carry a lot of seasoning, so taste before adding anything extra.
- Control the heat – Use 1 tablespoon of gochujang for a gentler kick or up to 3 tablespoons for more intensity. But be careful, the heat level varies quite a bit between brands.
Serving tips
The cucumber-avocado salad is more than a side here. It cools everything down and adds crunch between spoonfuls of warm broth and rice.
Kimchi also works beautifully, along with extra scallions, sesame seeds, or a drizzle of sesame oil.
Pro tip
Pour the hot broth over the rice just before serving. Letting it sit too long will make the rice absorb the liquid and lose that brothy texture.
Storage
Store the rice, chicken, and broth separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days. The broth and chicken can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of water or broth if needed.
Creamy Gochujang Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups jasmine rice
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1.1 pounds ground chicken
- 3 garlic cloves - grated
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 4 scallions - chopped white and green parts separated
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Gochujang sauce - less or more to taste
- 2 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- sesame seeds - for serving
Instructions
- Boil the rice according to the package directions.
- Grate the garlic and ginger. Chop the scallions, keeping the white and green parts separate.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the ground chicken and break it into pieces. Cook until it begins to brown.
- Add the garlic, ginger, white parts of the scallions, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and maple syrup. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the green parts of the scallions and continue cooking until the chicken is crisp and deeply browned. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside.
- Add the gochujang to the same skillet and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth and cream, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Divide the rice among bowls. Pour over the gochujang broth, then top with the crispy chicken and sesame seeds. Serve with a cucumber-avocado salad. Enjoy!
Video
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