Crispy Gochujang Chicken and Kimchi Risotto
Crispy breaded chicken cutlets, marinated in a gochujang sauce, served on top of a bowl of risotto made with lots of kimchi. The crispy spicy chicken is so good with the soft tender and creamy risotto! I was inspired by one of the all time best soups in the world, sundubu jjigae, for the flavor profile in this risotto. I wasn’t sure about adding the tofu into the rice but it worked!
The idea for crispy gochujang chicken and kimchi risotto
I had some amazing risotto this past weekend at SRV and have been absolutely craving risotto ever since. I always try to work with my current cravings to come up with recipes to post here. When I was thinking of things to put into the risotto, I first thought about big pieces of fried chicken and was ready to go that direction, but I was craving something more bright flavored and spicy. When I realized that Korean chicken fit everything I wanted, it was an obvious choice to add kimchi to the risotto.
That was the original write-up above from 2017, but I updated this recipe in 2026 with a slightly new direction. I was inspired by chicken parm to do more of a chicken cutlet, to really drive home the Korean-Italian fusion. Plus wings on top of risotto is sort of pointless because you can’t eat it together. I also added more flavors to the risotto to give it some flavors inspired by sundubu jjigae, a Korean tofu soup I am currently obsessed with. This version of crispy gochujang chicken with kimchi risotto is much better!
Marinate and bread the gochujang chicken
I marinated the chicken in some gochujang, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, and vinegar. But first, cut the breasts in half and pound them out. Then the usual breading – flour, egg, breadcrumbs.
Pan fry for about 5 minutes on each side until crispy and golden brown.
Make the kimchi risotto
Start with mushrooms and onions, then add the rice. When I first made this it was just kimchi with risotto, but when I re-did it, I was adding things I like about sundubu, so that’s why I added the mushrooms.
Garlic, kimchi, and gochujang.
Finish the kimchi risotto
I simmered some kombu and fish sauce with the chicken broth, then started slowly adding it to the rice, one ladle at a time. When the rice was almost ready, I added tofu and more chili flakes. The tender rice and tofu in the kimchi risotto was so good with the crispy gochujang chicken!
Serve the crispy gochujang chicken and kimchi risotto
Get the kimchi risotto in the bowl, then top it with the sliced crispy gochujang chicken. Sprinkle on some chives or scallions, and gochugaru. And of course finish with some sesame oil.
The flavors in this bowl are incredible! Spicy and so deep. And the crispy chicken with the creamy risotto is the type of texture contrast I love.
I was able to eat this as leftovers all week and it was a real treat!
Twists on this recipe
You could make the risotto more like true sundubu, instead of my quick shortcut version, by making an actual kelp, radish, anchovy broth.
For more details on making a traditional sundubu, check out maangchi’s recipe
The kimchi risotto would also still be great topped with other meats instead of the crispy gochujang chicken. Like grilled marinated short rib or chicken.
For more gochujang goodness, check out my gochujang braised short ribs, this tasty gochujang vodka sauce, or this gochujang honey mustard chicken sandwich!
Crispy Gochujang Chicken and Kimchi Risotto
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
Shallow fry the chicken
- peanut oil for frying
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs
- 1.5 cups panko breadcrumbs
Risotto
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 pieces kombu
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 8 ounces mushrooms diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup kimchi chopped
- 1 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 pound soft tofu
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru
garnish
- sesame oil
- chives or scallions
- gochugaru
Instructions
prep chicken
- Slice each chicken breast in half the wide and long way, so you have two thinner chicken breasts. Spread parchment on the work surface, and add one of the sliced breasts to the paper. Top with more paper and gently pound out the chicken until it is an equal thickness across the whole piece of chicken, about 3/4 of an inch. Repeat with the remaining chicken
- Mix the marinade ingredients together, and then put the chicken into a bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken. Move the chicken around to make sure it is evenly coated. Cover and store in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
fry chicken
- Add the oil to a frying pan so that it is about 1/2 inch deep. Preheat over medium.
- Prep a breading station with a wide shallow bowl for the flour, another for the eggs, and a third for the breadcrumbs. Whisk the eggs together. Add a pinch of salt to each bowl.
- One by on, remove a piece of chicken from the marinade and allow it to drip off mostly. Dredge the chicken in the flour, then shake off all the excess. Next dip in the eggs and allow it all to drip off. Finally the breadcrumbs, pressing the breadcrumbs into the chicken to adhere.
- Add to the pan with the oil, and cook about 5 minutes per side, to brown evenly. Once finished, trasfer to a wire rack. If you are starting the risotto right away you can leave this on the counter for now, otherwise put it into the fridge uncovered.
Make the risotto
- Add the stock to a pan and add in the kombu and fish sauce. Bring to a simmer. and cook on low for 20 minutes as you prep everything else.
- Get a large pan over medium high heat. Add in the mushrooms and onions and cook about 8-10 minutes to soften and drastically reduce in size.
- Add in the and stir to combine. Cook 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Then add the kimchi and gochujang and stir and cook another 5.
- Remove the kombu from the stock and add a ladle of the stock to the rice.
- Stir the rice and continue to stir fairly often, adding another ladle of the stock every time it gets a little dry. This process should take about 40 minutes until the rice is tender. If you run out of stock you can finish with water.
- This is a good time to pop the chicken into the oven at the lowest temp you can do, so that you can serve it hot on the risotto.
- When the rice is about tender, add in the tofu. I just cut it roughly in the container it comes in and dumped it in. It will break up more as you stir. Also add the gochugaru.
- Continue to stir until the rice is ready.
- Serve the risotto in a shallow bowl and top with the chicken. Garnish with scallion, sesame oil, and gochugaru.