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Grilled bulgogi chicken with dark grill marks stacked in a white bowl on a gray surface.

Chicken Bulgogi Recipe

5 from 9 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Marinating Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield 4 servings
Category Main Dish
Cuisine Korean

Description

Incredibly savory and slightly sweet, this chicken bulgogi (Korean bbq) is so satisfying. Serve over rice in lettuce cups with kimchi, or make it a bowl meal with rice and tons of crunchy veggies.

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Ingredients

Chicken:

  • ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, gluten free if needed
  • ¼ cup grated white or yellow onion
  • 3 tablespoons honey, or brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang, gluten free if needed
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon mirin or rice wine*
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil

 To serve:

  • Cooked jasmine or basmati rice
  • Bibb lettuce leaves
  • Kimchi
  • Sesame seeds
  • Thinly sliced scallions
  • Ssamjang

Instructions

  • Whisk together ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup grated onion, 3 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 teaspoons grated ginger and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add 1 pound sliced chicken and toss to coat; cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, ideally 4 hours, or up to overnight.

Grill method

  • Heat a grill to high. Brush grill grate clean; brush grate with grapeseed oil to coat. Working in batches if needed, arrange sliced chicken on grill grate and cook just until cooked through and browned, about 1½ minutes per side.

Stove-top method

  • Heat a cast-iron grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high for 5 minutes. Brush pan with grapeseed oil and, working in batches, arrange chicken in a single layer in pan, making sure not to over crowd. Cook chicken until charred and just cooked through, 1½–2 minutes per side; transfer to a serving platter. Repeat cooking process with remaining chicken.

Optional

  • Reserve the marinade and transfer to a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Serve sauce with bulgogi.
  • Serve chicken bulgogi with rice, butter lettuce cups, kimchi, scallions, sesame seeds, and ssamjang, if desired.

Notes

If you don’t have mirin or rice wine, you can use rice vinegar and a bit more honey.
Store leftover chicken bulgogi in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 23gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 647mgSugar: 9g
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