Bring the flavors of Korean bbq in your own kitchen with this easy recipe for chicken bulgogi. These smoky, sweet, savory, nutty, and tender chicken pieces grilled with cabbage are the perfect dish to serve over a bed of steamed with rice.
I created this chicken bulgogi recipe after a dinner I had with friends at this delicious Korean barbecue spot. The whole night was so much fun as we laughed and chatted over many beers, ate banchan, and grilled some meats and veggies. This gave me the idea to make a chicken bulgogi recipe that I could make at home, easily, and without the need of a grill.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy prepping – There are no difficult steps to this recipe and there is minimal prepping involved. Only 4 ingredients need to be prepped: chicken, cabbage, garlic, and ginger.
- It can be made ahead of time – The marinade can be made ahead of time or the full recipe can be made ahead of time.
- Authentic Korean flavors – The flavors will take you to Korea in no time! Sweet, smokey, and nutty flavors are at the forefront of this chicken recipe.
Table of contents
What Is Bulgogi Chicken?
Bulgogi, which literally means “fire meat”, is a popular Korean dish consisting of meats such as chicken, beef, or pork, that have been thinly sliced and marinated in a gochujang and soy sauce based barbecue sauce, and cooked on a grill. It should be noted that seafood and tofu are also sometimes used to make bulgogi.
While the dish originated in the Northern areas of the Korean peninsula, it is just as popular in South Korea and can be found anywhere from upscale restaurants, street stalls, supermarkets, and home kitchens (often in the form of stir fries).
Chicken Bulgogi Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts are good for slicing and getting more flavor from the marinade. But feel free to use any part of a chicken you like if you prefer to leave the bones and skin on.
- Cabbage: I like to use green cabbage for its natural sweetness and crunchy texture. Napa cabbage or bok choy can also be used but lose their firmness very quickly once put on a grill, and aren’t as sweet.
- Green onion: Chopped green onions are used as a garnish and to add color and a refreshing crunch.
- Marinade: A mix of soy sauce, sugar, gochujang, mirin, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, ground black pepper, and sesame seeds.
How To Make Chicken Bulgogi
Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Start by organizing and prepping your ingredients.
- Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and slice the chicken into bite size pieces.
- Add the chicken to the marinade and refrigerate for at least two hours.
- Swirl the skillet with oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cabbage – do not throw away the marinade! When the pan is hot, add the chicken and cabbage. If using a griddle pan, brush it with some oil and add the chicken and cabbage.
- Cook the bbq chicken and a little marinade if the grill pan looks dry.
- When the chicken is cooked through, turn the heat off and transfer it to a serving platter with the cabbage on the side.
- Sprinkle the scallions (green onions) on top and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Slicing the chicken into equal size pieces will help it cook more evenly.
- Using a griddle pan over a skillet will gives the chicken a nice charred flavor, reminiscent of Korean barbecue.
- You can use other vegetables such as onions and sliced carrots if you don’t like cabbage, or would like to make this dish veggie forward.
Storage
- You can make the marinade ahead of time and save it in a jar or a storage container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- For chicken bulgogi leftovers, let them cool to room temperature first. Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- To freeze chicken bulgogi, transfer to a sealable storage bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can! This recipe also works well with beef, pork, and firm fish like salmon and arctic char.
Swap the soy sauce for tamari or liquid aminos. When it comes to gochujang, make sure that the one you are using doesn’t contain soy sauce or barley malt. The Sempio brand offers a gluten-free gochujang which you can purchase here on Amazon.
To make it sweeter, add a grated apple like a Honeycrisp apple. This will make your marinade sweeter and fruitier. It’s a classic way to sweeten sauces in Korean cooking. To make it spicy, add an extra teaspoon of gochujang.
How To Serve Chicken Bulgogi
My favorite way to eat dak bulgogi is with rice and kimchi. It’s so flavorful and I can’t get enough of the different textures.
Another delicious way to serve chicken bulgogi is wrapped in lettuce. Make a lettuce wrap by grabbing a few pieces of bbq chicken and placing them in the center of the leaf. You can eat it just like that or add a little ssamjang, soybean paste, or bibimbap sauce, for extra flavor.
Make sure to add a side dish or two (banchan) to complete this delicious Korean dinner. Here are some of my favorite Korean sides that are also super easy to make:
- Korean spicy daikon radish salad (musaengchae)
- Korean bean sprout salad (sookju namul)
- Vegan kimchi
- Korean spicy cucumber salad (oi muchim)
Did you try this chicken bulgogi recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share?
Print
Easy Chicken Bulgogi With Cabbage
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Low Lactose
Description
Bring authentic Korean barbecue flavors to your home with this easy and very delicious chicken bulgogi with cabbage recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil
- 1 cup cabbage, chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and grated
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Cookware recommended (but optional): Griddle pan
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Cut the chicken into 2-inch pieces, trimming off the excess fat, and add it to the marinade.
- Mix well to coat the chicken and cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Put a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and swirl it around to coat the surface. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cabbage. Keep the marinade to the side. If you are using a griddle pan (recommended), brush it with oil and add the chicken and cabbage.
- Cook the chicken and cabbage for 2 minutes and add 2 tablespoons of marinade. Toss the chicken and cabbage for 1 minute and add another 2 tablespoons of marinade. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add more marinade to the skillet or griddle pan if it looks dry.
- Transfer the chicken and cabbage to a plate and top with green onions. Serve.
Notes
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 156
- Sugar: 2.1g
- Sodium: 187.7mg
- Fat: 3.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.6g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 26.3g
- Cholesterol: 82.7mg
Questions and Reviews
Is there a non-spicy substitute for the gochujang? This recipe looks great and I would like to make it, but unfortunately I can’t tolerate spicy food.
Thank you.
Hi Scott! You can use a mixture of miso and gochugaru (for smokiness). Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) isn’t spicy, it’s mostly smokey and peppery 🙂
This chicken is amazing. I’ve been making it weekly for a few months now and haven’t gotten tired of it. Just the chicken, no cabbage. It’s delicious even when it’s cold.
I leave it marinated in a fridge in a glass bowl for up to three days, and then grill as I go. Also, the amount of marinade listed here for 1 lb can be used for 3 lbs easily.
Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Thank you Alyssa so much for the kind comment and tip about being able to use the marinade for more chicken!
Looks so yummy!
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Korean BBQ is the best! It’s such a fun experience, not to mention delicious. What I like about this recipe is that it’s healthy. Sometimes I get so tired of the same old healthy dishes I love to find new ones. And who doesn’t love Korean food? Thanks!