Buldak (Spicy Korean Chicken)
Fiery Korean grilled chicken coated in a gochujang-based sauce with a perfect balance of heat, sweetness, and umami. Ready in under 30 minutes with a show-stopping glaze.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 stalks scallions, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1
Place the minced garlic, gochujang, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil into a small bowl and stir with a spoon until the mixture is smooth and uniform with no lumps, about 1 minute. This is your sauce.
- 2
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels by pressing the towels against the surface until no moisture comes off. Dry chicken will brown better when cooked.
- 3
Lay each chicken thigh flat on a cutting board and slice it against the grain into strips about 1.5 inches wide and 3 inches long. The grain runs side to side; angle your knife to cut perpendicular to it.
- 4
Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until the surface is too hot to hold your hand 2 inches above it, about 2 minutes. Do not add oil; you'll use the fat from the chicken.
- 5
Lay the chicken strips in the hot skillet in a single layer without overlapping. Let them sit undisturbed for 3 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown, watching for the color to shift from pale to honey-gold.
- 6
Flip each chicken strip to the other side using tongs or a spatula. Cook for another 2 minutes until this side is also golden brown.
- 7
Pour all of the sauce over the chicken and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes, coating every piece. The sauce will bubble and smell strongly fragrant.
- 8
Continue cooking and stirring for 1 more minute until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken, turning glossy and dark. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
- 9
Transfer the chicken and sauce to a serving plate using a spatula, scraping the bottom of the skillet to capture all the caramelized bits.
- 10
Scatter the sliced scallions evenly over the top of the chicken as a thin green layer.
- 11
Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the scallions in a light, even distribution. Serve immediately while hot.
Tools you’ll need
- small mixing bowl
- spoon
- paper towels
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- 12-inch skillet
- tongs or spatula
- wooden spoon
- serving plate
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