Air-fryer gochujang chicken thighs

Woolworths is committed to sustainability via our good business journey. Seasonal (and other) products might not always be in stock.

“Chicken thighs are amazing in the air-fryer. Even if you overcook them, they stay tender and juicy. Legs and wings are other cuts that would work perfectly for this recipe.”

Ingredients

8 free-range chicken thighs
250 g rice flour
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
extra virgin olive oil spray
1 lemon, cut into wedges
For the marinade, mix:
4 T Woolworths Asian gochujang paste
100 ml shot Woolworths cold-pressed pineapple, ginger and chilli shot
4 T sweet chilli sauce
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup water
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
5 cm pieces ginger, peeled and finely grated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Padrón peppers:
200 g Woolworths Padrón peppers
extra virgin olive oil spray
flaked salt, to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. Remove the skin from the chicken and place on kitchen paper, cover with another sheet of paper and pat gently to remove any excess moisture.

2. Cook the chicken skin in the air-fryer at 180°C for 10 minutes, or until golden. Place on kitchen paper – it will crisp up as it cools.

3. Place the chicken in half the marinade and set aside for an hour, or overnight in the fridge if you have time.

4. Place the rice flour in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the seasoned flour and ensure it’s well coated, then set aside for 5 minutes. If your air-fryer needs to be preheated, preheat it while the chicken is resting.

5. Place the chicken in the air-fryer, leaving some space for airflow, then lightly coat the chicken with a few sprays of olive oil.

6. Cook at 180°C for 10 minutes, then turn and cook for a further 10 minutes. Using a basting brush, generously coat
the chicken with the remaining marinade, cooking for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to become a glaze.

7. Turn over the chicken and coat with more marinade, glazing for a further 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Save any leftover marinade to drizzle over the chicken when serving.

8. Coat the Padrón peppers with a few sprays of olive oil and air-fry for 5 minutes at 200°C; they should just begin to char and blister. As soon as they come out of the air-fryer, season with salt.

9. Serve the peppers with the chicken and drizzle over the remaining marinade. Sprinkle with the crumbled chicken skin. Serve with sticky rice, mashed potatoes or sweet potato fries cooked in the air-fryer, and lemon.

Cook's note: Love crumbed food? Master it at home by coating ingredients in wheat, rice or cornflour. The first trick is to have something wet, like a marinade, that the flour can adhere to, giving it time to hydrate before cooking. The second? Add a few sprays of oil.

Photography: Jan Ras
Production: Abigail Donnelly and Clement Pedro
Recipes: Clement Pedro
Food assistant: Leila-Ann Moketedi

Find more air-fryer recipes here.