Chicken bulgogi is a mouthwatering dish that brings together the bold flavors of Korean cuisine with tender, juicy chicken. With its savory umami marinade made with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and mirin, this chicken bulgogi recipe is sure to satisfy your cravings for bold, Korean flavors.
Chicken bulgogi, also known as dak bulgogi (닭불고기), is a fantastic alternative to the traditional beef bulgogi, offering a lighter and leaner option while still delivering a delightful umami-packed experience. In this post, I will guide you through a simple and delicious Korean chicken bulgogi recipe that you can easily prepare at home.
Whether you're cooking for a family dinner or hosting a gathering with friends, this easy-to-follow Korean bbq chicken recipe will undoubtedly impress. This Korean chicken bulgogi recipe is perfect to make for an outdoor bbq or as a simple meal prep for the week! You can serve this chicken bulgogi with rice or you can use it as a filling for wraps, sandwiches, or salads.
The combination of sweet, salty, and savory flavors in this chicken bulgogi marinade creates a delicious well-balanced taste profile. If you are looking for more delicious side options for this Korean bbq chicken recipe, check out my Korean cucumber salad, Korean corn cheese, or Korean fish cake stir fry!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Here are some reasons why you’ll love this Korean chicken bulgogi:
- Flavorful marinade: this chicken bulgogi recipe is marinated in a sweet and savory sauce made with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, mirin, brown sugar, and other seasonings making it incredibly tasty.
- Tender, juicy and healthy: The marinade tenderizes the chicken resulting in a tender and juicy texture. Also, chicken is a lean protein choice which makes it healthier than the beef alternative.
- Versatile: Korean bbq chicken can be served with rice and side dishes, but it can also be used as a filling for wraps, sandwiches, or salads!
🍽 Kitchen Equipment
You will only need a few items of kitchen equipment for this Korean bbq chicken recipe.
- Meat tenderizer: a meat tenderizer will help you even out the thickness of your chicken thighs for an even cook.
- Large Mixing Bowl: you will use a large mixing bowl to mix your chicken bulgogi marinade and to marinade the chicken.
- Large Skillet or Grill: you will need a large skillet or grill to cook your chicken bulgogi.
- Thermometer: the best way to check if your Korean bbq chicken is cooked all the way through is by measuring the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken with a thermometer.
🛒 Ingredients
All of the ingredients for this Korean chicken bulgogi can be found at your local Asian grocery store.
- Chicken thigh: I prefer chicken thighs for the most juicy and tender results.
- Garlic: minced garlic adds a rich aromatic flavor to the chicken bulgogi marinade.
- Ginger: freshly grated ginger also adds a subtle spicy aromatic to the Korean bbq chicken marinade.
- Soy Sauce: soy sauce is the main base ingredient for the chicken bulgogi marinade. Make sure to use high quality soy sauce for the best flavor.
- Brown Sugar: brown sugar is one of the sweeteners in the Korean chicken bulgogi marinade.
- Honey: honey is the second sweetener that adds a nice floral sweetness to the chicken bulgogi. Keep in mind that honey burns quickly, so if your heat is too hot it may flash burn the chicken.
- Mirin: mirin or rice wine adds a sweet and tangy flavor to the Korean bbq chicken marinade.
- Toasted Sesame oil: toasted sesame oil adds a nutty and umami layer to the marinade.
- Black pepper: black pepper seasons the bulgogi chicken.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds: toasted sesame seeds adds a rich nutty flavor and aroma to the chicken bulgogi marinade.
✨ Substitutions and Addition
This is your chicken bulgogi recipe, go ahead and make adjustments wherever you see fit. I’ve listed some suggestions below.
- Chicken: you can alternatively use chicken breast or tenders if you prefer those cuts of chicken. Keep in mind the cook time may change depending on the size of the pieces.
- Spice: if you wanted a spicy chicken bulgogi, add about 1 tablespoon of gochujang (Korean chili paste), and ½ a tablespoon of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- Brown sugar only: if you don’t want to use honey, go ahead and use brown sugar only! It will make cooking the chicken a lot easier. The marinade is less likely to burn as quickly before the Korean chicken bulgogi has time to cook.
📝 How to Make Chicken Bulgogi
Here are the steps on how to make chicken bulgogi. Once the Korean bbq chicken is marinated, you can choose whether to cook it on a stovetop or the grill.
- Prepare the chicken. Trim off excess fat from the chicken, cover the chicken with plastic wrap on top of a cutting board. Then pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat tenderizer to achieve even thickness.
- Marinade the chicken. In a large mixing bowl, add the minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mirin, sesame oil, black pepper and sesame seeds. Mix to combine. Add the prepared chicken and toss well to coat the chicken. Cover and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or preferably overnight in the refrigerator. Bring the chicken to room temperature before you begin for an even cook.
- Option 1 (Stove): Cook the chicken. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil on your skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the room temperature chicken in a single layer and cook on each side for about 2 minutes 30 seconds on each side or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (73°C). The honey in the marinade may burn easily, so watch it carefully and reduce the heat as needed to avoid excess burning. Remove from the pan, cover with foil and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Option 2 (grill): Cook the chicken. Preheat your grill to medium heat or about 400°F (259°C). Brush your grill with vegetable and place the chicken thigh directly on the grill gates, close the lid and grill for 5-6 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (73°C). Remove from heat, cover with foil and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Serve. Serve the chicken bulgogi with a bowl of rice, kimchi or a side salad and enjoy!
⭐️ Tips for the Best Chicken Bulgogi
- Marinade the chicken overnight. For the best and rich flavor, I recommend marinading the chicken in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you are cooing the bulgogi chicken on the stove, make sure to not overcrowd the pan. I recommend cooking in batches for an even cook.
- Cook on medium heat and keep an eye on how quickly the chicken caramelizes. Since the chicken bulgogi marinade contains honey in it, the marinade will likely burn quickly if the stove is too hot. Carefully keep an eye on the chicken and turn down the heat if the marinade begins to burn.
- Use a thermometer to check for doneness. The best way to know whether the chicken bulgogi is done, is to stick a thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken it should read 165°F (73°C).
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. After the Korean bbq chicken is done cooking, cover the chicken with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Resting allows the chicken to redistribute the juices back into the chicken for the most juicy and tender bite.
🥡 Storage Instructions
This chicken bulgogi is best served immediately after cooking. However, you can store any leftover Korean chicken bulgogi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat: microwave covered until warm.
💬 Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s
In Korean, “Bul” translates to fire and “gogi” translates to meat. It is traditionally grilled on a barbecue or on a stove-top griddle.
Chicken bulgogi is a marinated chicken thigh. The chicken bulgogi marinade consists of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mirin, sesame oil, black pepper and sesame seeds.
Korean chicken bulgogi has a savory, salty and sweet flavor on top of juicy, tender chicken thighs makes the most tasty and delicious meal.
You can serve this chicken bulgogi recipe in a various ways. You can serve it 1) over steamed rice with chopped scallions and Korean sides, 2) as a lettuce wraps, 3) a bibimbap style dish with steamed rice and other vegetables and topped with fried egg, or 4) you can toss it into a stir fry with noodles, carrots, mushrooms, peas and broccoli! The options are endless.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Chicken Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thigh boneless skinless
Marinade
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon rice cooking wine mirin
- ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Garnish
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken. Trim off excess fat from the chicken, cover the chicken with plastic wrap on top of a cutting board and pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat tenderizer to achieve even thickness.
- Marinade the chicken. In a large mixing bowl, add the minced garlic, grated ginger, soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mirin, sesame oil, black pepper and sesame seeds. Mix to combine. Add the prepared chicken and toss well to coat the chicken. Cover and marinate for a minimum of 30 minutes or preferably overnight in the refrigerator. Bring the chicken to room temperature before you begin for an even cook.
- Option 1 (Stove): Cook the chicken. Heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil on your skillet over medium heat until hot. Add the room temperature chicken in a single layer and cook on each side for about 2 minutes 30 seconds on each side or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (73°C). The honey in the marinade may burn easily, so watch it carefully and reduce the heat as needed to avoid burning. Remove from the pan, cover with foil and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Option 2 (grill): Cook the chicken. Preheat your grill to medium heat or about 400°F (259°C). Brush your grill with vegetable and place the chicken thigh directly on the grill gates, close the lid and grill for 5-6 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F (73°C). Remove from heat, cover with foil and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
- Serve. Serve with a bowl of rice, kimchi or a side salad and enjoy!
Notes
- Marinade overnight. For the best and rich flavor, I recommend marinading the chicken in an airtight container or ziplock bag overnight in the refrigerator.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you are cooing the bulgogi chicken on the stove, make sure to not overcrowd the pan. I recommend cooking in batches for an even cook.
- Cook on medium heat and keep an eye on how quickly the chicken caramelizes. Since the chicken bulgogi marinade contains honey in it, the marinade will likely burn quickly if the stove is too hot. Carefully keep an eye on the chicken and turn down the heat if the marinade begins to burn.
- Use a thermometer to check for doneness. The best way to know whether the chicken bulgogi is done, is to stick a thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken it should read 165°F (73°C).
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. After the Korean bbq chicken is done cooking, cover the chicken with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Resting allows the chicken to redistribute the juices back into the chicken for the most juicy and tender bite.
- Storage Instructions: This chicken bulgogi recipe is best served immediately, but you can store any leftover Korean chicken bulgogi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: microwave covered until warm.
Heather Janak
Literally the most delicious, juicy chicken thighs ever. I served mine with rice, bok choy, cucumber, pickled green onions and chili crisp.
takestwoeggs
I'm so glad you enjoyed them as much as we did 🙂 We can't wait for you to share them with friends and family!