Korean BBQ Baked Chicken

I was really in a pinch yesterday, and this quick chicken recipe proved to be such a huge hit with the hubby that he's requested it as his birthday dinner! It's such a flavour-packed twist on your usual baked chicken dishes, and it is totally one of those easy set-it-and-forget-it kinds of meals (and would probably make a bangin' freezer meal, too). It was such a gorgeous, sunny day that I really wished we didn't live in this flat so that I could throw the chicken on a grill and have a barbecue outside. Oh well, hopefully in the next month or so we'll live somewhere that we can do just that! 

The key ingredient in this marinade is Gochujang, a Korean red pepper paste. Think of it as spicy Korean ketchup. It's easily found in just about any Asian supermarket, or if you can't get it locally, Amazon has it! Just search for the word, and you'll find it, no matter if you're in the US or the UK. Once you try it, trust me, you'll be tossing it into all sorts of recipes; it's totally a pantry staple in this kitchen. 

I wanted to make this with chicken wings, actually, but when I couldn't get my hands on any last minute, I thought drumsticks would be the next best thing. You could probably make it with thighs too, but let's face it, it's sort of a requirement to pick up BBQ chicken and gnaw on it. At least, we think so in our house. 

For a quick and yummy side dish, I made miso glazed carrots (miso paste being another pantry staple for me!). I cut some carrots into sticks and boiled them until they were fork tender, then drained them and mixed together 1/2 tsp miso paste and 1 tsp honey. Toss the carrots in the glaze while warm, and voila! They're even yummy cold, and would be great in a picnic or lunchbox. A few slices of cucumber garnish is a nice refreshing coolness to this sticky, sweet and spicy chicken dish.