Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders
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Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders
These Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders are the perfect fusion of sweet, spicy, and savory flavor—crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and coated in a sticky, finger-licking Korean-inspired glaze. Made with bold gochujang (Korean chili paste), garlic, honey, and soy sauce, these easy baked or air-fried tenders bring restaurant-quality taste right to your kitchen. Whether you’re serving them as a fun appetizer, a game-day snack, or a weeknight dinner, these tenders are guaranteed to be a hit! Plus, they’re kid-friendly, meal-prep approved, and easily made gluten-free or dairy-free.
Spicy Gochujang sauce has been one of my faves these days and while I eat it more rarely, I must admit that I've such a fan. That's why these Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders are on my top list and they definitely pack the perfect amount of punch, while creating such a umami flavor profile. Plus, chicken tenders are super easy to make regardless of whether you use chicken breasts or tenderloins, and I've learned the trick of adding cornflakes in with your coating ingredients for a nice extra crunch. Thank me later. Plus, these Sticky Gochujang Chicken Wings are too good to pass up!
Besides the crunch factor, I really love that you can use this Spicy Gochujang sauce for different types of meats and meat alternatives like chicken wings, shrimp, salmon, cauliflower bites, tofu, and the list goes on. It tastes great on everything! You'll definitely love these Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders, Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders, Sticky Orange Chicken Popcorn Chicken, and Crispy Oven Fried Chicken.
Jump to:
- What is Gochujang?
- How to Make Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders
- Ingredients
- Tips + Tricks to The Crispiest Chicken Tenders
- Do You Egg or Flour Chicken First?
- Make-Ahead Chicken Tenders
- Are Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tenders Gluten-Free?
- How to Make Homemade Breadcrumbs
- How to Store Leftovers
- Baked Chicken Tenders versus Air-Fried
- How to Serve Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tenders
- Common Q + A's for Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders
- More Flavorful Chicken Recipes to Try
- MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
- Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders
What is Gochujang?
While I rarely adapt foods outside of my Southern or Jamaican roots, I truly love Spicy Gochujang sauce (along with a few other cultural foods), therefore, I wanted to highlight this special sauce which is a part of the Korean culture.
Gochujang is an ingredient in Korean cooking that consists of a thick, spicy-sweet crimson red paste that is made from red chile pepper flakes and other ingredients.
According to an article via Bon Appetit, Gochujang is fermented over years in a pot kept outdoors, which causes the starches in the glutinous rice (one of the ingredients it's made from) to convert into sugar, which gives this paste it's sweetness. Using Gochujang is best done when applying it to rich meats as a marinade or along with other ingredients to create a nice sauce. It's highly recommended not to be eaten on it's own since it's taste can be pretty aggressive.
How to Make Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders
Making these crispy chicken tenders is a simple matter of seasoning your chicken pieces, adding a wet marinade of some kind, and breading them in a cornflake-breadcrumb crust before a roasting for crispness. Finish everything off with a sticky-sweet Gochujang coating and serve them up!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to prepare these crispy chicken tenders today:
- Chicken breasts or tenderloins. Choose organic whenever possible. If you don’t have chicken tenderloins, you can always use 2-3 medium chicken breasts. Simply slice the chicken breasts the long way into medium-thick strips.
- Gochujang sauce. You can find the recipe for the full sauce in my Favorite Gochujang Sauce recipe.
- Herbs + Seasonings. You can use my On Everything All-Purpose Blend for great ease and authentic flavor or make your own homemade blend.
- Smoked paprika. For a hint of smokiness to compliment the spicy Gochujang sauce.
- Corn flakes. Crush your cornflakes by placing them in a zip-top bag and crushing them with something heavy until you have a fine texture, but not a powder. You can also omit this and substitute with additional breadcrumbs.
- Breadcrumbs. You can buy store-bought breadcrumbs or panko. Or see the notes below the recipe to easily make your own Seasoned Toasted Panko Bread Crumbs.
- Cornstarch + all-purpose flour. Used for the "coating" of the wings for an extra crispiness. You can sub with arrowroot starch, GF flour, tapioca flour, etc. for a GF-option.
- Almond milk. Or another plant-based milk (unsweetened). You can also use whole milk or heavy cream instead.
- Eggs. Acts as a great binder for the wet marinade when coating chicken. You can sub with honey dijon mustard or mayo or yogurt or omit completely if using heavy cream.
- Unsalted butter. This adds additional flavor to the sauce. For a dairy-free option, feel free to use vegan butter.
SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR BAKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THESE CHICKEN TENDERS!
Here, I’ve curated a list of baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods, especially with this Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders recipe. Everything from my fave skillet pans, wooden spoons, parchment paper, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
Tips + Tricks to The Crispiest Chicken Tenders
To make sure your chicken tenders get as crispy as possible with the use of a “coating”, follow these simple tips:
- Make sure each chicken tender has plenty of space on the baking sheet. The airflow helps things crisp up.
- When using a baking sheet, add a wire rack atop the parchment paper so that chicken tenders can crisp up nicely on all sides.
- Cook chicken tenders until crisp prior to adding sauce so that they have minimal liquid.
- After rinsing your chicken strips, be sure to pat dry completely until they are as dry as possible before adding seasoning and marinade.
Do You Egg or Flour Chicken First?
The greatest secret and tip to ensuring that your crust sticks unto your chicken pieces properly and permanently is to first dust your chicken in the flour-starch mixture and then dip it into the egg mixture, shaking off any excess before rolling it in the breadcrumbs.
Make-Ahead Chicken Tenders
All ingredients can be made and individually stored as meal prep (up to 2 days prior) and assembled when ready to serve. Be sure to store crushed corn flakes + seasoning mixture in a nicely sealed zip loc bag, kept at room temp.
Are Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tenders Gluten-Free?
Yes! To ensure that these chicken tenders are GF-friendly, ensure that you use GF breadcrumbs as well as GF-friendly BBQ sauce, soy sauce, etc.
How to Make Homemade Breadcrumbs
To make your own breadcrumbs, simply grind 1-2 cups of cubed bread into a food processor until finely chopped. Place crumbs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out evenly. See my Seasoned Toasted Panko Bread Crumbs for the best results!
How to Store Leftovers
These spicy chicken tenders are best the day they’re made, since they’re so crispy. However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat them in the oven or in an oven or air fryer to crisp them back up when you’re ready to serve.
Baked Chicken Tenders versus Air-Fried
Of course, both methods of making these Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders is effective. However, if you’re wondering whether you’d be able to also make these chicken tenders in an air-fryer—-then yes! Absolutely!
Simply do all steps the same and cook them in your air-fryer for the amount of time needed (somewhere between 10-15 minutes I believe). Once crisp, just toss them in the Gochujang sauce mixture and wallah.
As you know, this recipe is for baked chicken tenders and honestly, they’re just as crispy as using them in the airy-fryer (especially when you use a wire rack), so the choice is yours!
How to Serve Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tenders
You can eat these Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tenders hot out of the oven dipped in your favorite creamy sauce. I like ranch, dairy-free creamy lime dressing, or my creamy avocado dressing.
You can also top a fresh salad with crispy Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders or wrap them into a tortilla for a sandwich, stuff them into a taco shell or even chop them up and make a cheesy Spicy Gochujang Chicken pizza. Whatever the decision----you'll love it!
Of course, as I’ve stated before, these spicy chicken tenders can be incorporated in the following foods:
- Pizza
- Sandwiches
- With pasta
- Tacos
- with Rice or noodles
- with Fries or wedges
- Atop mashed potatoes
- and so much more.
Common Q + A's for Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders
These Gochujang chicken tenders are best the day they’re made, since they’re so crispy. However, place any leftover ingredients in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Yes! These Gochujang Chicken Tenders freeze beautifully. To freeze, let the cooked tenders cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to flash freeze for 1–2 hours. Once solid, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat in the oven or air fryer at 375°F until warmed through and crispy—no need to thaw!
The calcium in milk is thought to kick-start a natural enzyme in the chicken that helps it tenderize. This is the same for using plant-based milk also.
Believe it or not, this has happened to me plenty of times. Moisture is the worst enemy in crispy chicken. This is why dusting your chicken with flour/cornstarch as I've mentioned before should be enough to create a moisture barrier around the chicken; otherwise, the moisture created during the cooking process is going to create steam that will cause your breading to flake off.
Absolutely! You can store these chicken tenders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Or, if you want to plan ahead, you can assemble the Gochujang sauce and crushed cornflake mixture up to two days ahead of time. Keep the corn flakes in an airtight container at room temperature. Then bread and bake the chicken tenders just before serving.
Yes! Yup! To ensure that this chicken tenders recipe is completely Gluten-Free, simply substitute the flour, breadcrumbs and cornflakes with GF-friendly ones. Also, you can substitute cornflakes with all-purpose flour for your favorite GF-friendly flour (i.e. GF All-purpose flour, 1-to-1 baking flour, etc.). Also, you can use arrowroot starch for a great GF-friendly option instead of regular cornstarch or flour.
If you're looking to reheat your chicken tenders in an air fryer, it's by far the easiest to do. Here's the steps:
Preheat your air fryer to 360 or 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly spray the basket of your air fryer and add the chicken tenders to the basket in a single layer. No overcrowding!
Cook for about 5 minutes and then flip chickens to their opposite sides and cook for another 5 minutes.
Basically, if you see anything referred to as “chicken strips,” more than likely they are referring to chicken fingers, which are NOT chicken tenders. Chicken tenders are made from an actual cut of meat: mainly a part from the chicken breast.
Basically, It's has a hint of spicy, "funky", salty, sweet, and deeply savory flavors. Overall, Gochujang traditionally also gets its gentle sweetness from its fermentation process, which takes place over several years and sees the starches in the rice convert to sugars.
Whether you want to substitute gochujang paste because you don't have it handy or just aren't a fan, you're in luck! The following are great subs: sriracha, hot sauce, ketchup + hot chili powder, or chili bean paste.
Yes and no! Generally, gochujang is not a great source of any vitamins. It is not a superfood in actuality, but it's ingredients include chili peppers and soy protein, which are both vitamin-rich foods.
Just like in this recipe, adding honey or any form of sweetener helps to cut down the spicy level.
To make these Gochujang chicken tenders dairy-free, simply substitute the butter with vegan butter and ensure that the milk is plant-based.
More Flavorful Chicken Recipes to Try
If you’re into these Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders, you’ll love these other popular chicken recipes:
- Jamaican Pineapple Jerk Chicken
- Creamy Lemon Herb Parmesan Chicken
- Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tenders
- Authentic Jamaican Curry Chicken
- Sheet Pan Maple Apple Chicken + Veggies
- Curry Chicken Roti
- BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich
- Creamy Tuscan 'Marry Me' Chicken
- Baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you tried my Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag me @shanikagrahamwhite on Instagram. I love hearing from you!
Delicious Gochujang Chicken Tenders
Ingredients
CHICKEN TENDERS:
- 2 lbs. organic chicken breast, cut into strips
- 2 tsps On Everything All-Purpose Blend (You can purchase my On Everything All-Purpose Blend for authentic flavor or make your own blend----See Notes)
- 2 tsps smoked paprika, optional
- 2 tsps sea salt
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup Almond milk (You can also use whole milk or your fave plant-based milk, if desired)
- ¼ cup organic all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 cups organic cornflakes, crushed
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (You can make your own Seasoned Toasted Panko Bread Crumbs)
SAUCE:
- 2 Tbsps unsalted butter
- 2 cups Gochujang sauce (Please note that this is NOT the paste, but the actual sauce that you make from scratch using my Gochujang Sauce recipe!)
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
TO MAKE THE CHICKEN TENDERS:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prep a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper and a wire rack (this helps both sides to crisp up nicely).
- In a large bowl, add the chicken strips and 1 teaspoon of EACH: On Everything All-Purpose Blend, smoked paprika, and salt, tossing everything together until well coated. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes so that everything marinates. NOTE: It's always best to marinate overnight in the fridge.
- In the bowl of the beaten egg and add the milk and whisk together until combined.
TO MAKE THE BREADED COATING:
- In a separate large bowl, add the crushed corn flakes, breadcrumbs, and remaining 1 teaspoon of On Everything All-Purpose Blend, smoked paprika, and salt, stirring them together until combined.
- In a separate bowl or plate, mix together the cornstarch and flour.
ASSEMBLE + BAKE:
- Now, dip one chicken strip (tender) into the flour followed by the egg mixture (shaking off any excess) and then add it into the breadcrumb coating mixture-----tossing it around until strip is well coated. Then lay the chicken strip (tender) side by side onto the baking sheet (about an inch apart). Repeat until all chicken tenders are coated.
- Lightly brush or spray tops of chicken with olive oil or cooking spray and bake them for 30-35 minutes or until chicken has fully cooked through.
TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
- In a medium skillet (10-inch) over medium-high heat, add the butter and let it melt. Then add in the Gochujang sauce and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and let everything simmer for another 2-3 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Add in the crispy chicken tenders and lightly toss them until coated.
- Garnish wings with sesame seeds.
- To serve, enjoy chicken tenders with your favorite condiment or dipping sauce. Tenders can also be served atop a salad, sandwich, taco, pizza, etc.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Place any leftover ingredients in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- COMMON Q+A'S: See FAQ section for all questions!
- MAKE AHEAD: All ingredients can be made and individually stored as meal prep (up to 2 days prior) and assembled when ready to serve. Be sure to store crushed corn flakes + seasoning mixture in a nicely sealed zip loc bag, kept at room temp.
- CHICKEN: If you don’t have chicken breasts, you can always use chicken tenderloins which are already pre-cut into strips.
- GLUTEN-FREE + DAIRY-FREE OPTIONS: See FAQ section!
- EGG SUBSTITUTE: If you'd prefer not to use eggs for "egg wash", you can always substitute with 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard or mayonnaise.
- HOMEMADE ALL-PURPOSE BLEND: 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, + 1 teaspoon dried parsley.
Nutrition
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This new recipe is fire thank for this, these tenders were a hit in my home.
Hi Jessie! I'm so glad that you enjoy these tenders! 🙂
I'm loving the new updates to this recipe. They turned out perfect!
Recipe needs to be more clear that the "2 cups Gochujang sauce" is YOUR SEPARATE RECIPE for a sauce that contains Gochujang! Not just 2 cups of Gochujang! I don't make a habit of reading anything other than the recipe list and the step by step instructions.
Hi Ronnie! I'm so sorry for the confusion! My separate Gochujang sauce is the exact sauce you'll need for these tenders! I recently created a completely separate post for it because so many people enjoyed the sauce itself. However, I appreciate your feedback! I hope that you were able to enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Horrible
Hi Catalin! I'm so sorry to hear that you didn't love this recipe! Would love any feedback so that I can see if I could help with anything that might have gone wrong! 🙂
This sounds amazing and I want to make it for my family. Unfortunately, my son has a sesame allergy and ALL Japanese BBQ sauces have it. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Hi Derrick,
Thanks so much for choosing to make my recipe! Awww, I completely understand! I definitely would recommend trying my Strawberry BBQ Tenders which are great too! I know that some BBQ sauces have sesame, but there are ones that don't. I hope that this helps! 🙂 https://www.orchidsandsweettea.com/southern-strawberry-bbq-chicken-tenders/