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Gochujang chicken with cabbage with toasted seeds
youryum.com/recipes/gochujang-chicken-with-cabbage-with-toasted-seeds · serves 4

A glossy dinner with a nutty finish

A mix of sesame and pumpkin seeds adds nutty crunch to sticky chicken and tender cabbage without needing a separate side dish.

  • Gluten free
  • High protein
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 18 July 2026
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Gochujang chicken with cabbage and toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds
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Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4
Per serving
526kcal
Effort
Easy

Toasted seeds are a small thing that changes the whole bowl. Sesame echoes the gochujang’s savoury depth, pumpkin seeds add a proper crackle, and both make the soft cabbage feel deliberate rather than overcooked.

Toast them separately from the chicken. Seeds carry on cooking in a hot pan, and the moment they smell nutty is the moment to get them out.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Chicken and cabbage

Seed topping

To finish

Equipment

  • Wide frying pan with lid
  • Roasting tin
  • Small bowl

Method

  1. Toast the seeds

    Put the pumpkin and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Shake for three minutes until the pumpkin seeds puff and the sesame seeds smell warm. Stir in the soy sauce and maple syrup, cook for 20 seconds, then tip onto a plate.

  2. Mix the chicken glaze

    Stir the gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar and one tablespoon of oil together. Coat the chicken and leave it for ten minutes.

  3. Brown the cabbage

    Wipe out the seed pan if needed. Heat the remaining oil and brown the cabbage wedges on both cut sides, four minutes each. Move them to a plate.

    Watch the surface here rather than the clock. The cabbage should pick up dark edges, the chicken should look lacquered, and the liquid should move slowly when you tilt the pan. If the paste looks dry before those signs appear, add a spoonful of stock. If it looks loose after the chicken is done, lift the food out and reduce the liquid alone for a minute. The toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds finish works best when the base is concentrated but still easy to spoon.

    Hands stirring gochujang chicken and cabbage in a wide pan during cooking

  4. Cook the chicken

    Add the chicken to the pan and cook for six minutes, turning until the paste is dark at the edges. Add the stock and return the cabbage.

    Watch the surface here rather than the clock. The cabbage should pick up dark edges, the chicken should look lacquered, and the liquid should move slowly when you tilt the pan. If the paste looks dry before those signs appear, add a spoonful of stock. If it looks loose after the chicken is done, lift the food out and reduce the liquid alone for a minute. The toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds finish works best when the base is concentrated but still easy to spoon.

  5. Cover, then reduce

    Cover and cook for eight minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for two minutes so the stock turns into a glaze around the chicken.

  6. Add the crunch

    Serve the chicken and cabbage over rice. Sprinkle with the cooled seeds and spring onions, then give each plate a lime wedge.

Gochujang chicken cabbage ingredients and toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds arranged ready to cook
The ingredients for the toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds version, ready before the pan gets hot.

The cabbage is not an afterthought

The sweet-salty seed topping is deliberately brief. Pumpkin seeds have enough fat to toast themselves, and the small amount of maple syrup creates a thin lacquer without turning them into brittle.

Cool the seeds before serving. Hot seeds on hot cabbage lose their crunch much faster; a few minutes on a plate is enough to set the coating. The order matters more than the exact shape of the pan. Gochujang contains sugar, so it needs contact with the chicken but it should not sit on dry metal for the whole cooking time. Stock or water gives the paste a little room to move, then the final uncovered minutes concentrate it again. If the chicken browns before the cabbage is tender, lower the heat and add a splash of stock rather than turning the burner higher. A fierce heat will darken the outside while leaving the centre tough. If the cabbage is pale, give it a few extra minutes after the chicken comes out; it can take colour on its own. For the toasted sesame and pumpkin seeds finish, taste at the end, not the beginning. The pan sauce becomes saltier as it reduces, and toppings such as pickles, tahini or yogurt change how much seasoning the whole plate needs. Serve the first portion, then adjust the remaining pan with lime, vinegar or a spoonful of water. That small pause keeps the glaze lively and means leftovers reheat without becoming sticky or harsh.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 526 kcal
Protein 38 g
Carbohydrate 35 g
Fibre 6 g
Fat 22 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use only sesame seeds?
Yes, use three tablespoons. Watch them closely because small seeds go from golden to bitter quickly.
Can I make the topping in advance?
Yes. Store it airtight at room temperature and add it just before eating.
What if I have a pumpkin seed allergy?
Use toasted coconut flakes or crispy fried onions instead, adjusting the salt because both are usually seasoned.

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