On Saturday afternoons in Koreatown, cooks at several casual spots are mixing gochujang with yogurt and citrus for a marinade that has caught on this fall. The blend brings together the heat of Korean chili paste with the tang of yogurt, producing a flavor that is spicy, tart, and faintly sweet. At Eighth Avenue’s Monday lunch rush, a line of office workers ordered chicken marinated overnight in the mixture, grilled, and served over rice or salad.
Chefs cite the marinade’s ability to tenderize as much as flavor. The yogurt base helps the chicken stay moist during high-heat cooking, while the gochujang gives the dish its signature red color and gentle burn. Kitchen staff at one midtown café said the recipe has been adapted from home-cooking routines, often reflecting a deputy editor’s favorite from a well-known food magazine.
Prices for the dish vary from $13 to $18, depending on sides. Most kitchens are offering it as a lunch special, though some have added it to early dinner menus heading into the school season.
The spread of gochujang yogurt chicken comes as diners look for lighter, assertive flavors for early autumn. With the city’s outdoor tables filling up by 6 p.m. on weekdays, some operators are watching to see if the dish lasts beyond the current season.