It’s not very often that I think that something is divine. Even less so when it’s referring to a chicken marinade. But, that’s exactly the word that came into my head when I finished stirring together this fiery Korean sauce. Even before it got cooked up and enjoyed, I knew that I had made something pretty amazing.

You start with onion, ginger, and garlic. You get them all finely chopped together into a thick, fragrant mixture. In goes the rest of the ingredients. You give it a stir, and then let the chicken soak up all the delicious goodness. It’s as simple as that.

The marinade gets its heat from gochujang, a Korean pantry staple that’s made of red chili and soybean paste. I use it for bibimbap, as a spread for lettuce wraps, and in countless Korean side dishes. If you want to cook Korean, you’ve got to have gochujang.

I suggest enjoying this spicy chicken with japchae (recipe to come!), generous amounts of kimchi, rice, and good friends.

We feasted on this at a goodbye dinner that we had for one of my closest friends. We wanted to be sure that she left on her new adventure with a full and satisfied belly and a reason to come back and visit soon.

Spicy Korean Chicken, adapted from newasiancuisine.com

1/2 cup onion, pureed
3 tablespoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
heaping 1/4 cup Korean red pepper paste (ko-chu-jang)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons rice wine
3-4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Puree onion, ginger, and garlic together in a food processor or blender. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together, except for the chicken. Once blended, add the chicken. Use your hands (your best tools according to Ina Garten!) and rub the marinade so that all parts of the chicken are covered. Cover, refrigerate and let marinate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Prepare the grill and set it to a low heat. Cook for 7-9 minutes per side.