BBQ Korean Chicken

Simple ingredients combine for a terrific marinade and barbecue sauce! Taking the time to brine the chicken makes it flavorful, juicy and tender! Everyone loves this BBQ Korean Chicken Recipe!

This recipe is SO GOOD! If you love (and I think you will!) try this Korean Style BBQ Beef Recipe next!

Jump to:

• Why you'll love this recipe  
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Equipment
• FAQ's
• Things to know
• Variations
• Related recipes
• Serving suggestions
• Korean Barbecued Chicken Kabobs
• Recipe backstory

Why you'll love this recipe  

This great recipe for Korean BBQ Chicken skewers is a delicious meal and as good as any you'll find in your favorite Korean restaurant!

✔️ It uses pantry staples.

✔️ It's super simple to make.

✔️ The slightly spicy sauce has the most wonderful flavor.

Best part? This is just as good as your favorite Korean restaurants!

Ingredients

Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements. 

Ok, let's get to the marinade - soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and vinegar. Then you'll need a pear, onion, garlic, Sriracha & ginger. You have that already, right?

• boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks or boneless chicken thighs you can even use short ribs.
• for the sauce ingredients you'll need:
• pear, red onion, garlic, ginger 
• savory soy sauce - to add salty depth of flavor
• brown sugar - either light or dark brown sugar
• sesame oil - nothing can substitute the nutty flavor of sesame oil
• rice vinegar - for tang
• Sriracha and red pepper flakes or Korean Chili paste
• cornstarch for thickening the sauce

Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. For the complete directions just scroll down to the bottom!

1. Cut the chicken into chunks.
2. Grate the pear and onion with a box grater. Place them in a large bowl.
3. Next, put the simple marinade together. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar. Mix all of the ingredients together well.
4. Reserve 1 cup of sauce, set aside.
5. Add the chicken meat to the spicy Korean marinade. Cover & refrigerate the chicken for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. Put the remaining marinade into a small pan over medium heat on the stove. Bring to a low boil, and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
7. Then mix a slurry together with the cornstarch & water. Pour it into the barbecue sauce and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
8. Core and seed the bell pepper. Cut it into chunks.
9. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard marinade) and skewer it onto the kabob alternating with the bell pepper. Grill the chicken, basting with the barbecue sauce.
10. If desired garnish with sesame seeds and/or minced cilantro.

Equipment

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• These mixing bowls - I have two sets and use them daily!
• I have two sets of measuring spoons. I like these because they fit in the spice jars.
• Every cook needs a good knife - this is the one I use. Be sure to keep it sharp!
• If you are interested in purchasing a Cactus Kabob Holder here's the link!

FAQ's

Things to know

See those dark crunchy bits on that kabob - that's big flavor, it will caramelize as it cooks. It is sweet and spicy, making the meat tender and super flavorful

It is so good, our leftovers, magically disappeared in the middle of the night. My husband said we were robbed. Then he said blamed it on the dogs, but I reminded him they were too short to open the fridge. 😆

Variations

This recipe is fantastic with boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, but it's also terrific on pork or shrimp.

Garnish with green onions or sesame seeds.

Related recipes

I'm a big fan of Korean food and have several Korean dishes on the blog. I just love all of that flavor, here are more of my favorite recipes -

• Korean BBQ Beef Bowl
• Korean BBQ Sauce Recipe
• Instant Pot Korean Meatballs
• Korean Black Bean Noodles; Jjajangmyeon

Serving suggestions

Some of my favorite side dishes to serve with this meal are:

• Corn on the Cob - always a favorite side dish!
• Keep it easy I say! Put some grilled vegetables in foil on the bbq as well - delicious!
• Deviled Egg Potato Salad - Mom's recipes and this is the BEST
• A great tossed salad - this Steakhouse Salad has big flavor or this easy Garden Salad, YUM! Either will complement this meal perfectly!

Traditional side dishes would be white rice, spicy kimchi or a delicious coleslaw. And a cold beer of course! Enjoy this recipe!!

Recipe backstory

I have a confession.... I've been holding out on you.

We've been enjoying this Chicken Bulgogi for the last several weeks. It's time for me to quit being stingy with the recipe and pass it along to you! 😀  

I kept telling myself I was trying to get it just right....when in reality I've barely tweaked the recipe each time I've made it. It's just that good!

You know what's even better? This is another recipe that you may just have everything you need on hand - love that!  

Simple ingredients combine for a terrific marinade and barbecue sauce. This Korean BBQ Chicken Recipe is so easy to make! Any time you can brine chicken prior to cooking, it's going to make it even more flavorful, juicy and tender!

First published August 17, 2016, updated April 20, 2022