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Gochujang Chicken Stir-Fry

This lightning-fast stir-fry is great for nights when you’re on the verge of ordering takeout but think twice, knowing you can make something even better at home. One pan? 20 minutes? You got this!
Korean gochujang paste gives the dish fiery, funky heat. Mixed with more high-impact ingredients to form the sauce—soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, and sugar—it’s punchy yet balanced. Feel free to use skinless, boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts, or common green beans instead of haricots verts. I prefer the latter—the slender haricots verts are more tender and take on a delightful char when cooked over high heat.
Make sure to have all of your ingredients prepped, measured, and ready to go. Once you heat up your pan, your cooking will be done in no time at all.
Total Time20 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Nina Moskowitz - Bon Appetit

Ingredients

  • 6 cloves garlic finely grated, divided
  • 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • ½ tsp Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 3 Tbsp gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
  • 1 Tbsp mirin
  • 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 6 scallions divided
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil divided
  • 12 oz haricots verts or green beans trimmed, halved crosswise
  • 1 2" piece ginger peeled, finely grated
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • Steamed white rice for serving; optional

Instructions

  • Combine 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces, 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl; season with freshly ground pepper. Toss until chicken is coated (your hands work best here). Set chicken aside.
  • Whisk together 3 Tbsp. gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), 1 Tbsp. mirin, 1 Tbsp. seasoned rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Set sauce aside.
  • Trim 5 scallions and cut into 1½" pieces; set white and pale green pieces aside. Set dark green pieces aside separately. Thinly slice remaining 1 scallion on a diagonal; set aside for serving.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large skillet over high until shimmering. Reduce heat to medium-high and add 12 oz. haricots verts or green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise, and reserved white and pale green scallion pieces. Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes, then toss and continue to cook, undisturbed, until vegetables are charred in spots and tender, 1–2 minutes more. Add one 2" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, remaining 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, and reserved dark green scallion pieces; cook, stirring often, until fragrant and scallions have started to char in spots, 1–2 minutes. Transfer green bean mixture to a large plate. If any pieces are stuck to pan or are burnt, add a splash of water and wipe out pan.
  • Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in same pan over medium-high. Arrange reserved chicken in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until lightly browned underneath, 3–4 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to medium and return green bean mixture to pan. Add reserved sauce and cook, stirring often, until sauce starts to cling to chicken and green beans, 1–2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and mix 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil into stir-fry.
  • Mound stir-fry on a platter and top with reserved thinly sliced scallion. Serve with steamed white rice if desired.