I had been craving some Korean cuisine for a while and it was finally time to satiate it. When I think of Korean cuisine I generally think spicy but a lot of the BBQ meats such as bulgogi (Korean BBQ beef) and kalbi (Korean BBQ short ribs) are actually marinated in mixture that is on the sweet side. I had been wanting to try a chicken version of the bulgogi but I also had a plan that required the chicken to have some heat. For the recipe I simply took the bulgogi , tweaked it a bit and added a good helping of gochujang , a Korean fermented chili paste. The Korean BBQ chicken turned out just as well as the beef version! I quite enjoyed the way the sweet marinade played with the heat and flavours of the gochujang and I could hardly resist snacking on the meat every time I passed it. I served the dak bulgogi with rice, kimchi and ssamjang (another spicy Korean paste) along with some lettuce leaves for wrapping. Although the meal was excellent, my craving was not satisfied, which was fine because as I said, I have a plan and I made a double batch of the dak bulgogi.
Dak Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Chicken)
ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken Breast (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup gochujang
- 5 cloves garlic (grated)
- 1 inch ginger (grated)
- 1 small onion (grated)
- 1 Asian pear (grated)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 green onions (chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted and crushed)
directions
- Mix everything in a freezer bag and marinate for at least an hour.
- Cook the meat on a barbecue or in a pan on the stove.
DELICIOUS! I wish I was easting some now.
Hi Kevin!
I'm a Korean that never learned how to cook Korean dishes so I rely on your blog to learn new recipes. Thanks for all the delicious dishes!
wow! I've never had bulgogi chicken… intriguing idea! I too love it when you post Korean food!
Mmmm it looks delicious!
Other than pepper and brown sugar I don't have a single ingredient to make this, but I might give it a try soon.
I love bulgogi beef and have wondered if a chicken version exists. YUM! This looks amazing!
That looks delicious! I love that you make your own korean bbq.. I have to admit that I'm lazy and haven't attempted to ever make my own since I live in LA and close to KTown, but I may just have to try this chicken version! Thanks for the recipe and love ur blog btw 😉
Oh YUM. That sounds so good…my mouth is watering.
What would be a good substitute for Asian pear? I often use yuzu juice, which is a bit easier to find in my Asian grocery.
Bulgogi is definitely something I have to make this year. That looks really good. Wrapped up in the lettuce with some kimchi. Mmmmmm
The flavors are always amazing with Korean food but you also captured the colors in your photos which makes it all the more inviting.
Never heard of this as well Bethany but seeing the recipe made me interested.I have tried Korean food twice or thrice and i think I want more of it. Thanks for this!
This is something I've been wanting to try for a while but have had trouble finding all the ingredients. Yours looks wicked good!
This is going on my to try list right now. Delicious!
It looks wonderful! I could eat that now…
Cheers,
Rosa
Now you've gone and got ME craving Korean food. I love how you upped the spice factor!
I loved bulgogi when I made it with chicken – delish!
When you have an itch, scratch it! This is a great recipe and I haven't been to a Korean restaurant in forever.
Love the use of the Asian pear!
I don't believe I've ever seen Dak Bulgogi before, though Dak Galbi exists. 🙂 Great job!
This looks really tasty. I haven't been to a Korean restaurant for a couple of years. I'll have to try this.
kevin you have to be a chef in a past life, or a 5-star chef at least. your creations always kill me. to be honest I try my best NOT to click on your new posts in my Google reader–you make me so hungry.
gorgeous spread!!!
I love Bulgogi when made with beef – never considered it with chicken…. hmmmmmmmmm must try it! Lovely photo!
YUM!!!!! I no longer want what I brought for lunch, this sounds fabulous! Im loving the lettuce wraps too!
This BBQ chicken looks really tempting as well as delicious!!
Oh this looks great, Kevin! I love Dak bulgogi! The color is just so beautiful!
I'm going to be on the lookout for some gochujang so I can try to make this dish!
I've never cooked Korean food before (despite havin it when I eat out) – you are inspiring me.
I think I would sprain my tongue if I tried to read that post aloud. 😀
I have yet to venture into cooking and eating more Korean dishes (I've been to exactly one Korean restaurant in my lifetime). Love the recipe and the education.
Very creative approach. I love the Korean flavors and how you used them in this chicken.
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry): You could substitute any sweeter pear or apple for the Asian pear. Sometimes I see the Asian pears labeled as Korean pears at in the stores. I use fuji apples when I cannot find the Asian pears.
Sounds so good. I want to make this soon!
I have a recipe similar to this that I love called Sticky Chicken. I will try yours to change it up for my family a bit. It sounds delicious.
I'm making this tonight! I don't have a pear… but I think it will still turn out good. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Fabulous recipes! Best part, I only need to buy gochujang. I have a Korean mini market that I shop at occasionally. They have the best hot pork and short ribs. The meats are marinated and you just cook them. Of course it's better to learn to make the dish from scratch.
Thanks to Zook the Cook I have now found your wonderful blog! It's rare to find a blog that causes you to say, "I want to make that, and that and that one too". I have become a follower and am looking forward to seeing what your next creation will be. Cheers!
I had no idea something like that existed but it must be tasty. Thanks for posting so many Korean recipes, they're all so delicious and spicy. I love spicy food.
It is true that most Korean dishes are spicy and they usually pair their food with rice, rice crackers or an acidic component to create balanced dishes. You can also use this recipe for creating a fried rice meal. Adding bell peppers will give it texture.
Tried this in Korean restaurant before, husband and kids ask for this dish almost every week! Best to marinate for a while ( roughly 5-6 hours) and I added a little sesame oil, mince ginge, Maggi sauce and a bit more spicy sauce. Recently cook this for pot luck party, chicken disappeared real fast!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Lisa
http://www.bakingfrenzy.com
Just made this for dinner. Very tasty!
Holy deliciousness!
I fell in love with Pork Bulgoki many years ago, but the pork they use in restaurants is too fatty to eat often. If chicken is offered, the flavors never compare. I stumbled across this recipe while looking for a korean style chicken marinade. I didn't feel like making an extra stop to get an asian pear (I already had the red pepper paste from another recipe), so I used a regular pear – peeled. Instead of grating it and the onion I just pureed the whole mess (minus the green onion and sesame seeds which I added later.) I marinated the chicken for two hours, and then we cooked it on the BBQ. (The charred flavor is a must!) I served it in lettuce to wrap it, brown rice and a few Korean inspired sides.
This was beyond yummylicious! I can't wait to make it again, and I hopped on here immediately because I could not wait to thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
I was wondering… If i want to cut the heat (my family doesn't do spicy), do I just cut out the spicy paste? Should I substitute another ingredient instead to bring out more flavor? Thanks!
D D: Yes, just cut back on the chili bean paste to cut bcck on the heat. Enjoy!
Any substitution for the Korean paste? Recipe looks great…may take some time to get the paste.I love that your recipes are so simple but full of flavor
Esta Kronberg: If you have a Chinese style chili bean paste you could try that or use a chili sauce like sriracha or sambal oelek which will give you the heat but not the flavour. If you go with the chili sauce option you will not need as much, just add some until you get the desired level of heat.