Candy and spicy Korean BBQ Hen marinated in gochujang, grilled, and served with rice and genuine Korean sides.

Korean BBQ Hen So Good You’ll Skip Takeout

This Korean BBQ Hen, or Dak Bulgogi (닭불고기), is the whole lot I crave in a weeknight dinner, and I’m by no means ashamed to serve it to friends because it makes a restaurant-worthy presentation. Juicy hen thighs are marinated in a wealthy gochujang-based sauce, grilled (or baked) till completely charred, and completed with an umami-packed glaze. I’ve made it on the out of doors grill, a grill pan on the range, and within the oven—it’s wonderful each time. Summer season cookout? Completely. Cozy winter oven-bake? Additionally sure. It’s a year-round favourite for weeknight dinners, weekend grilling, and even meal prep. Make it to your subsequent Korean barbecue feast together with my beef bulgogi and japchae (Korean stir-fried noodles). 

Ingredient Notes & Choices

• Korean Substances: You possibly can simply discover gochujang (Korean purple pepper paste) and kimchi at any main grocery retailer. Seaweed salad and Korean cucumber banchan can be a bit more durable to search out, so don’t fear about together with them if that’s the case. All of those elements could be discovered at a Korean grocery retailer resembling H-Mart. You too can use an everyday cucumber!
• Tamari, coconut aminos, low sodium soy sauce: Any of those choices can be nice swaps for the soy sauce within the recipe.
• Gochujang or Sriracha: You possibly can change the gochujang with sriracha, however take into accout it’s extra salty and vinegary and fewer fermented than gochujang so regulate your marinade to your liking. 
• Brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar: These options are nice methods to sub out the brown sugar. 
• Rice wine vinegar, apple cider or white wine vinegar, mirin: Change out the rice wine vinegar for any of those replacements. Apple cider vinegar can be a bit milder and extra fruity, white wine vinegar is far sharper, and mirin is sweeter with some acid.
• Ginger (recent or floor): I extremely advocate utilizing recent ginger, but when you could sub it out, use about 1 teaspoon of floor ginger.
• Jasmine, brown, or white rice, cauliflower, grain of alternative: You possibly can at all times use no matter grain of alternative you want as an alternative of white rice!
• No kimchi? No downside! Substitute it with fast pickled cucumbers and/or fast pickled julienned carrots!
• Contemporary veggies: Don’t have time to rapidly pickle something? Simply use recent julienned carrots and cucumbers as an alternative! Add sauteed mushrooms, sauteed zucchini, sauteed eggplant! No matter your coronary heart wishes!

Easy methods to Grill Korean BBQ Hen

Beneath are step-by-step pictures for how one can make it at house—it’ll be your new favourite, and your kitchen will odor identical to a Korean restaurant. For serving dimension and full instructions with actual ingredient quantities, scroll all the way down to the recipe card under.

• Make marinade: Whisk collectively soy sauce, gochujang, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl, adjusting to style. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for basting later.
• Marinate hen: Add the hen to a gallon-size zip-top bag, pour within the marinade, shut the bag, and refrigerate for two hours or as much as in a single day. Take away from the fridge Half-hour earlier than cooking.

• Grill the hen: Let extra marinade drip off the hen. Grill over medium-high warmth 5 minutes per aspect till charred and 165°F inside. Relaxation 5 minutes, then baste with reserved marinade.

• Serve Korean BBQ hen sliced over rice with scallions and sesame seeds. Add kimchi, cucumber banchan, seaweed salad, or wrap in lettuce leaves like your favourite Korean restaurant.

Serving Concepts

• Basic Pairings: Create a whole “grill at house” expertise by serving Korean BBQ Hen with all of the enjoyable toppings and sides: Steamed white rice, kimchi, sliced cucumbers, sesame seeds, scallions.
• Lettuce wraps: Serve it restaurant-style by including all of the elements into lettuce leaves (ssam) to make lettuce wraps, together with ssamjang (쌈장 – seasoned soybean paste) and garlic slices.
• Stir-Fry: Slice the hen into cubes after marinating and stir-fry along with your favourite veggies like bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini!
• Sliders, Tacos, Sandwiches, Noodles: Use the hen to make your favourite variations of sliders, tacos, and even burritos! Your choices are countless!! Slice and serve in tacos with kimchi slaw, make Korean BBQ hen sandwiches with gochujang mayo, or toss over a noodle salad.

What’s Korean BBQ Hen (닭불고기)?

Korean BBQ Hen, or Dak Bulgogi (닭불고기), is a well-liked Korean dish made with hen marinated in a savory-sweet-spicy sauce usually that includes soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and gochujang (고추장 – Korean purple chili paste). Not like beef bulgogi, which is usually thinly sliced, Dak Bulgogi makes use of boneless hen (normally thighs) and is grilled, pan-fried, or baked till caramelized and smoky. It’s a staple in each Korean house cooking and BBQ eating places, typically served with rice, lettuce wraps (ssam, 쌈), and quite a lot of aspect dishes (banchan, 반찬) together with japchae Korean noodles.

Most Steadily Requested Questions

• How lengthy ought to I marinate Korean BBQ hen? Ideally, 8–12 hours is ideal for max taste penetration, however even 2 hours will give nice outcomes. If marinating in a single day, ensure that the hen is refrigerated the entire time. The acidity from rice vinegar and saltiness from soy sauce can barely treatment the meat, so keep away from going previous 24 hours or the feel can begin to break down.
• Can I take advantage of hen breast as an alternative of thighs? Sure, however regulate cooking time. Hen breast is leaner, so it will possibly dry out quicker. Flatten thicker elements for even cooking, and marinate for not more than 12 hours to keep away from a mushy texture. Grill over medium warmth and pull as quickly as the interior temp hits 160°F, letting carryover cooking convey it to 165°F.
• How do I get that restaurant-style char with out overcooking? Begin with a scorching grill or pan so the sugars within the marinade caramelize rapidly. Cook dinner largely over direct warmth for the sear, however end over oblique warmth to let the within cook dinner via. Brushing with the reserved marinade within the final 2 minutes provides a shiny end with out burning.