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Korean BBQ Chicken with rice, kimchi, and sliced cucumber in a bowl.
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Korean BBQ Chicken (Better Than Takeout)

This easy Korean BBQ Chicken (Dak Bulgogi) recipe features juicy, sweet-and-spicy gochujang-marinated chicken grilled at home for authentic, restaurant-quality flavor—perfect for weeknight dinners, summer cookouts, or your next Korean barbecue feast.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Korean
Keyword Korean BBQ Chicken
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating Time 2 hours
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 390kcal
Author Julia

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup gochujang Korean red pepper paste
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
  • 2 tablespoons ginger grated
  • 6 cloves garlic grated
  • 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs pat dry

Serve Suggestions

  • white rice
  • scallions sliced thin
  • sesame seeds

Optional Toppings

  • kimchi
  • sliced cucumbers or Korean cucumber banchan side dish
  • seaweed salad
  • lettuce leaves for wraps
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Marinate Chicken

  • In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, gochujang, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame seed oil, ginger, and garlic. Taste and adjust to your preference. Reserve ¼ cup of the marinade for basting later.
  • Once combined, place the chicken and marinade in a gallon ziploc bag, massaging to coat, removing as much air as possible. Place in the fridge for 2 hours and up to overnight. Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.

OPTION 1: Cook Chicken Using Grill Pan, Open-Flame Grill, or Skillet

  • Heat your grill pan, grill, or skillet to medium high heat and brush with oil or spray.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and let the excess drip off.
  • Grill the chicken about 5 minutes per side, undisturbed, until charred and the chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees. If using a grill pan or pan you will need to cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
  • Remove the chicken and place on a plate to rest for about 5 minutes. While cooling, baste the chicken with the reserved marinade.

OPTION 2: Cook Chicken in the Oven

  • Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
  • Line a baking sheet with foil and brush with oil or spray.
  • Put the chicken on the baking sheet, spaced apart for crispier edges
  • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
  • For a little char, turn on the broiler and broil for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and baste with the reserved marinade before serving.

For Serving

  • Slice and serve the chicken on rice, sprinkle with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Add kimchi, sliced cucumbers or Korean cucumber banchan, seaweed salad, or use lettuce leaves for wrapping if you prefer! Enjoy!

Notes

  • The nutrititional info does not include the calories for Serving Suggestions and Optional Toppings.
  • Let excess marinade drip: I highly recommend letting the marinade drip off the chicken prior to putting it on a hot grill pan, grill, or pan. Adding excess marinade can burn and char, causing the chicken to become acrid. 
  • You can always use the extra marinade as a dipping sauce if you don’t want to baste the chicken. The garlic and ginger bring a very bright and tangy flavor to the chicken.
  • Marinating this overnight is the best way to get the chicken tenderized as well as packed full of flavor.
  • Grating the ginger and garlic is important to ensure a smooth marinade. Mincing both will make them hard to remove from the chicken when grilling, thus giving you the potential to burn and cause an unpleasant taste to your chicken.
  • Preventing burnt flavor between batches: If you are using a grill pan or pan, we recommend removing any burnt or charred bits or sauce from the pan while you cook with your tongs or by wiping it out with a paper towel. It will help keep the following batch of chicken from getting a burnt or acrid flavor while cooking.

Storage Tips

  • Fridge: You can store the cooled cooked Korean BBQ chicken in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
  • I don’t recommend freezing the chicken as it will lose a lot of moisture in the freezer and the sauce will also dry out.

You'll need these supplies

  • cutting board
  • knife
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cups
  • grater
  • grill pan, grill, skillet or baking sheet
  • brush
  • gallon ziploc bag
 

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 1020mg | Potassium: 701mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 89IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg