This Spicy Chicken Bulgogi (dak bulgogi) recipe is inspired by Korean barbecue, featuring a bold and savory gochujang sauce! Slices of chicken breast (or thigh) and onions are marinated in the spicy bulgogi sauce, then stir-fried and simmered in the sauce to finish. Serve this chicken bulgogi over rice, topped with green onions, or as a filling for lettuce wraps.
While beef bulgogi is more popular, chicken bulgogi is another great Korean BBQ option! This spicy chicken bulgogi is inspired by a dish at one of my local Korean BBQ restaurants. This dish comes together quickly and is perfect for a simple weeknight meal.
FAQ
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a Korean chili paste that contains dried spicy red peppers, fermented soybean paste (similar to miso), salt, a sweetener, and sometimes additional flavoring such as garlic. These come together to make a versatile cooking ingredient that adds spice, sweetness, tanginess, and savoriness to a dish. Since it already has so many key flavors, you don't need to add much else to create a well-balanced, delicious sauce.
How spicy is gochujang?
Gochujang comes in multiple spice levels, so it can vary quite a bit. I typically buy "hot" gochujang, but you can also find mild, medium, and extra hot varieties.
Where can I buy gochujang?
Some brands of gochujang are popping up in traditional grocery stores in the US, but the best selection can be found in Korean grocery stores. If you have a Korean grocery store in your area, they will likely have a whole section dedicated to gochujang with many different brands and varieties. If you have trouble finding it locally, you can also buy gochujang online.
Are gochugaru and gochujang the same thing?
No, gochugaru is a dry spice, and gochujang is a paste. However, gochugaru is one of the key ingredients in making gochujang. Despite gochujang being made from gochugaru, they don't have the same flavor profile because of the other ingredients present in gochujang. The two should not be used interchangeably.
How to Make Spicy Chicken Bulgogi:
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page for the full recipe.
- Slice the chicken into ~¼" thick pieces.
- Mix together the corn starch and warm water to make a slurry, then add the rest of the marinade ingredients (gochujang, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar, mirin, freshly minced garlic, ginger paste or fresh grated ginger, and MSG) and mix until fully combined. Add the sliced chicken and sliced onion, then marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, up to one day.
- Pull the chicken and onion pieces out of the marinade and onto a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving the remaining marinade. Pat the excess marinade off with paper towels.(Try to let as much marinade as possible drip off to be saved before transferring. You can also use a mesh strainer placed over a bowl to strain the chicken from the marinade)
- Heat a generous swirl of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and onions and try to arrange it such that the chicken pieces lay flat in the pan. Cook until golden on one side (2-3 minutes), then mix the chicken around in the pan and cook until cooked through and onions are wilted (another 1-2 minutes).
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the reserved marinade. Mix frequently until the sauce has thickened into a glaze. Remove from heat.
- Serve over white rice (I use Jasmine) and top with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion. Also delicious when served as lettuce wraps!
Key Tips - Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
Try to keep the chicken pieces all about the same thickness.
- Keeping all the chicken slices the same thickness will ensure they finish cooking at the same time. This helps to avoid overcooked pieces.
Control the spice level to your preference.
- You can use more or less gochujang to control how spicy the sauce is!
- You can also add some extra spice to this dish with red pepper flakes or gochugaru spice.
Check out my guide on freezing fresh garlic to save some time in the kitchen.
- If you're looking for the convenience of pre-minced garlic, but the flavor of fresh garlic, freezing your own minced garlic is a great option! You'll be surprised to find that the flavor of frozen garlic is nearly as good as fresh, without the sticky prep and clean-up. Read more about it here: How to Freeze Garlic.
The sauce can be mixed ahead of time.
- If you’re looking to prep portions of the meal in advance, mixing the sauce ahead of time is an easy way to speed up the process when you go to make the meal.
- You could also prep the chicken and onions and freeze it, then defrost and allow it to marinate for a few hours before cooking.
Dietary Restrictions - Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
This dish is naturally Dairy-Free.
Make this dish Gluten-Free:
- Use gluten-free soy sauce, such as tamari.
- Some gochujang contains gluten, make sure you're using gluten-free gochujang.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. While this is listed as 4 servings, many people would prefer to have more than one serving. I typically serve this dish as 2-3 large dinner servings or 4 small lunch servings. Pictured here are two servings per bowl.
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or sub chicken thigh
- ½ small white onion sliced into thin strips
- 3 green onions greens sliced thin
- avocado oil or similar, for stir frying
- toasted sesame seeds optional, for topping
For Marinade:
- 2 teaspoon corn starch
- 4 tablespoon warm water
- 3 tablespoon gochujang
- 3 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon mirin Japanese sweet cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon ginger paste or fresh grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon MSG optional
Instructions
Prepare the marinade:
- Slice the chicken into ~¼" thick pieces.
- Mix together the corn starch and warm water to make a slurry, then add the rest of the marinade ingredients and mix until fully combined. Add the sliced chicken and sliced onion, then marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, up to one day.
Cook the chicken:
- Pull the chicken and onion pieces out of the marinade and onto a paper-towel-lined plate, reserving the remaining marinade. Pat the excess marinade off with paper towels. (Try to let as much marinade as possible drip off to be saved before transferring. You can also use a mesh strainer placed over a bowl to strain the chicken from the marinade)
- Heat a generous swirl of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and onions and try to arrange it such that the chicken pieces lay flat in the pan. Cook until golden on one side (2-3 minutes), then mix the chicken around in the pan and cook until cooked through and onions are wilted (another 1-2 minutes).
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the reserved marinade. Mix frequently until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened into a glaze. Remove from heat.
- Serve over white rice (I use Jasmine) and top with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion. Also delicious when served as lettuce wraps!
Nutrition
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If you like this recipe, you may also like my Gochujang Tofu, Gochujang Buttered Noodles, Korean Beef Bowls, or Korean Rice Cakes with Chicken.
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