Korean BBQ Chicken Recipe - 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 recipe!
This recipe is SO GOOD! If you love (and I think you will!) try this Korean Style BBQ Beef Recipe next!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe for Korean BBQ Chicken skewers is as good as any you'll find in your favorite Korean restaurant! You can grilled for dinner or rolled in a lettuce wrap - this meal is a real crowd pleaser!
💭 Recipe backstory
I have a confession
We've been enjoying this Korean BBQ Chicken Recipe for the last six 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! A
Ingredients
Ok, let's get back to the marinade - soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil
You'll put that together, then pour it over the chicken to marinade. While it's getting all happy together, put the rest of the marinade into a
- boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks or boneless chicken thighs
- 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
- Cut the chicken into chunks.
- Grate the pear and onion with a box grater. Place them in a large bowl.
- 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. - Reserve 1 cup, add the chicken pieces to the spicy Korean marinade. Cover & refrigerate the chicken for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Take the remaining marinade and put into a small pan over medium heat on the stove. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat simmer for about 5 minutes.
- 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.
- Core and seed the bell pepper. Cut it into chunks.
- 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.
- 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
Korean BBQ is grilled meat; beef, pork or chicken and a flavorful marinade.
The marinade is a delicious sauce, however once you've placed the raw chicken in it, you can't use it afterwards. Double the recipe and save half to use as a sauce.
Yes, place the chicken on baking sheet and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
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 chicken tender and full of deliciousness!
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. 😆
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 compliment this meal perfectly!
Traditional side dishes would be white rice, spicy kimchi or a delicious coleslaw.
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
Korean Barbecued Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
- 2-3 inch chicken breasts cut into 2 cubes
- 1 red pepper diced into large chunks
- 1 pear grated (I used a Bosc pear)
- ¼ cup grated red onion
- 3 cloves garlic grated
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger grated
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- *Barbecue Sauce*
- 1 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 2 inch chunks and place into a ziplock bag or glass bowl.
- *Using a box grater, grate the pear & onion, place in a plastic bag or medium-sized bowl. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar.
- Mix all of the ingredients together well and pour all but 1 cup of the ingredients over the chicken. Cover & refrigerate the chicken for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Take the remaining marinade and put it into a small pan over medium heat on the stove. Bring to a bubble - keep an eye on it though as there is a lot of sugar in it and you do not want it to burn.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes. 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.
- Core and seed the bell pepper. Cut it into chunks.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and make the kabobs, alternating chicken with bell peppers. Discard the remaining marinade.
- All you need to do now is grill - baste with the barbecue sauce and cook until the chicken is cooked thru 180 degrees. Enjoy!
Notes
- I used a micro-plane grater for the garlic & ginger, though I'm sure you could use the box grater for this also.
