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Olympic Seoul Chicken

I updated this prize-winning recipe with more zip from fresh ginger, and used Korean red pepper (gochugaru). You can use red pepper flakes or another red chili powder. (If you use cayenne, you might want to dial it down since that can be quite hot.) The original recipe uses white vinegar but I swapped that out with rice vinegar. If you don’t have a skillet large enough to saute eight chicken thighs in on batch, or use a Dutch oven or large casserole.
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) white or rice vinegar, unseasoned
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) honey
  • 1 inch (3cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 8 chicken thighs, skinned
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or grated
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon teaspoons child powder, or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • optional: a handful of chopped green onions, including the dark green part, for garnish
  • Mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and minced ginger in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Heat enough oil in a large skillet until it just covers the bottom, about 2 tablespoons. When it’s hot and shimmering, saute the chicken thighs until well-browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and chili powder and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
  • Pour in the vinegar mixture, scrape the bottom of the pot to release any stuck on bits of garlic, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the thighs are cooked through. While the thighs are cooking, turn them a couple of times in the marinade.
  • Once they’re done, remove the cover, add the green onions, if you wish, and cook for another minute or so, until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Notes

Serve with rice, kimchi, cucumber salad, or any other accompaniments.