An easy and delicious chicken thigh recipe: Korean Chicken Bulgogi, also known as Dak Bulgogi! The soy-based sauce and skinless chicken thighs make it a weeknight staple. Salty, sweet, garlicky and fragrant with sesame oil — it’s a simple recipe that cooks up fast! Think of it as the chicken version of Korean Beef Bulgogi. For a complete meal, serve with lettuce wraps, rice, and kimchi.
What is Chicken Bulgogi?
Chicken Bulgogi, also called Dak Bulgogi, is a popular grilled meat served at Korean restaurants. Sometimes, it’s called Korean BBQ Chicken. Similar to Korean Beef Bulgogi, the marinade comes from a combination of savory and sweet flavors from pantry staples soy sauce, sugar, onion, sesame oil, and plenty of garlic! Differently, it’s made with chicken thighs which can be easily found at your local grocery store. And there’s no Asian pear needed!
What I love most about this recipe is the ease and simplicity. A simple marinade delivers BIG flavor. You only need pantry ingredients (from my Korean American pantry) that most people have on hand. FYI Make sure to marinate the chicken thighs overnight for best flavor.
At a Korean restaurant, Chicken Bulgogi is cooked over a tableside grill or a charcoal grill. This ensures all those charred, smoky bits on the chicken. But at home, you can achieve the same smoky flavor by air frying or oven broiling. The goal is to cook the Korean BBQ Chicken so the meat is tender and juicy but the edges get caramelized and smoky. If you prefer, it also tastes very good when cooked in a skillet.
A great weeknight meal that is kid-friendly, not spicy, and packs well for lunch the next day. At dinnertime, serve with rice, lettuce wraps, and kimchi for the ultimate quick and delicious meal. Enjoy!
What is Bulgogi?
In Korean cuisine, bulgogi is a general term that refers to marinated meat that’s cooked over high heat (i.e., fire). In Korean, it literally means “fire meat.” Bul = fire, Gogi = meat. The flavor profile is salty, sweet, garlicky and sometimes spicy.
Bulgogi is a staple of Korean home cooking. The thinly sliced meat and quick marinating time make it a favorite for many reasons. At restaurants, it’s often cooked at a tableside grill. The smoky flavor from the high heat is a key part of the flavor profile.
There are many different kinds of bulgogi. The most well-known is Korean Beef Bulgogi, which is made from thinly sliced sirloin beef, ribeye steak, or flank steak. But there’s also spicy versions, like Pork Belly Bulgogi or Osam Bulgogi (Squid + Pork Belly). There’s even Vegan Bulgogi made with soy curls.
Ingredients:
- Chicken Thighs. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs make for tender, juicy meat. If you prefer, you can use boneless skinless chicken breast but be sure not to overcook.
- Soy Sauce. Provides salty depth and umami flavor. Make sure to use regular soy sauce and not low-sodium soy sauce!
- Brown Sugar. I recommend brown sugar for its deeper flavor. If you don’t have it, use regular white sugar.
- Mirin. Korean/Japanese sweet cooking wine. If you don’t have it, swap with rice wine, sherry, or vermouth.
- Sesame Oil. For nutty fragrance.
- Garlic, Onion, Green Onions, Ginger. The aromatics that are the flavor base of the marinade.
How to make Dak Bulgogi:
- Make marinade. In a large bowl, add marinade ingredients. Mix with a spoon until well combined.
- Add chicken thighs. Your choice: either add whole chicken thighs or cut into 2-inch chicken pieces. Add chicken to the marinade and mix well, making sure the chicken is completely coated in the marinade.
- Cook. Cook the marinated chicken. Choose the method that’s most accessible for you. You don’t need a tableside grill pan to enjoy this Korean chicken thigh recipe. My favorite method is the Air Fryer but all the methods work well:
- Air Fryer. Crispy, juicy, tender, and deeply flavored!
- Non-Stick Skillet. The easiest, most accessible way to cook. Use medium-high heat and do not disturb the chicken to get that golden char.
- Cast Iron Skillet. Cook in a hot cast iron pan for that smoky char.
- Oven Broil. Position the rack 5-6 inches from the top heating element. Broil on high heat until tender and juicy with charred edges.
- Serve. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds. Serve with rice, lettuce leaves, perilla leaves, and kimchi. Enjoy!
Watch how to make it:
PRO Tips:
- Marinate overnight, if possible. For best flavor, marinate chicken pieces overnight. However, even 30 minutes is good on a weeknight!
- Cook whole chicken thighs OR cut into thin strips. Either method works and has advantages. Whole chicken thighs are easier to cook, as there is less flipping. Thin chicken strips cook up with all those crispy corners! Your choice.
- Cook onions. While the bulgogi chicken cooks, make sure to add and cook the onions alongside it. They add tons of flavor.
How to serve:
Serve with:
- Rice. White rice, jasmine rice, Korean purple rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice are all nice additions.
- Lettuce wraps.
- Sauce. Korean BBQ chicken is often served with some kind of dipping sauce. Ssamjang or Gochujang Sauce!
- Korean side dishes. Tastes good with Oi Muchim (Korean Cucumber Salad), Gamja Salad (Potato Salad) and Dubu Jorim (Braised Tofu).
*Serve with white rice, cauliflower rice, or brown rice.
Variations:
- Make it spicy! Add 1-2 Tbsp Gochujang for a spicier flavor.
- Put it on a skewer. A fun and festive way to enjoy all those juicy, charred bites of marinated chicken.
- Spatchcock a whole chicken. The marinade is versatile and tastes spectacular with a spatchcocked chicken. Marinate overnight and grill on the BBQ until cooked through with charred, crispy edges.
More recipes:
Korean BBQ Chicken (Chicken Bulgogi) recipe
Equipment
- Non-stick Skillet
- OR Air Fryer (I use a 5.8L Cosori)
- OR BBQ Grill
- OR Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs about 8 thighs
Marinade
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar (can be subbed with white sugar, maple syrup, or honey)
- 2 Tbsp Mirin
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 small onion (or 1/2 large onion) thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 inch fresh ginger minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Garnish (optional):
- 2 green onions chopped
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make marinade. In a large bowl, add soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sesame oil, sliced onion, minced garlic, minced ginger, and black pepper. Mix with a spoon until combined.
- Add chicken. Your choice: add whole chicken thighs or slice into 2-inch strips. The whole thighs are easier to cook (less flipping and turning), but will need to be cut up later. The 2-inch strips require more work during the cooking process but results in lots of crispy, charred edges. Mix thoroughly until well combined.
- Marinate. Marinate chicken for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight. If cooking immediately, let stand at room temperature.
Non-Stick Skillet Instructions:
- In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add chicken in a single layer, slightly touching each other. Cook, undisturbed, until browned and charred on one side, about 4-5 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and cook until done, another 4-5 minutes. Lower heat if necessary, to prevent burning. The chicken should be browned with crispy looking edges. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat process until all the chicken is cooked.
- Loosely cover with foil while you cook the remaining chicken. When finished, garnish with reserved green onion.
- Serve immediately with rice and kimchi! Lettuce wraps and ssamjang are also nice additions.
Air Fryer Instructions:
- Preheat Air Fryer at 400F for 5 minutes. Add chicken thighs in a single layer, slightly touching each other. Cook at 400F for 5 minutes. Flip. Cook at 400F for another 5 minutes. Flip one last time. Cook at 400F for 2 minutes to get those crispy edges.
- Serve immediately with rice and kimchi! Lettuce wraps and ssamjang are also nice additions.
BBQ Grill Instructions:
- Heat grill over high heat until hot. Add chicken thighs in a single layer. When the edges are firm and the chicken is nicely charred on one side, flip to the other side. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Serve immediately with rice and kimchi! Lettuce wraps and ssamjang are also nice additions.
Cast Iron Skillet Instructions:
- Heat Cast Iron Skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tsp vegetable oil and swirl around in the pan. When the oil starts to smoke slightly, add chicken thighs in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan.
- When the edges are firm and the chicken is nicely charred on one side, flip to the other side. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Serve immediately with rice and kimchi! Lettuce wraps and ssamjang are also nice additions.
Oven Broil Instructions:
- Position the rack 5-6 inches from the top heating element. Preheat the oven on BROIL for 10 minutes. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Add marinated chicken pieces and onion on sheet pan. Make sure the chicken is not crowded but there's enough space in between.
- Broil on high heat until tender and juicy with charred edges.
Video
Notes
- Marinate overnight, if possible. To let the marinade soak into the chicken fully, I recommend marinating overnight. However, even 30 minutes is good on a weeknight!
- Cook whole chicken thighs OR cut into thin strips. Either method works and has advantages. Whole chicken thighs are easier to cook, as there is less flipping. Thin chicken strips cook up with all those crispy corners! Your choice.
- Cook onions. While the chicken cooks, make sure to add and cook the onions alongside it. They add tons of flavors and are so delicious.
I’ve never had chicken bulgogi before until I saw Lis post this recipe on Instagram. It’s so easy to prepare and delicious! I decreased the amount of sugar to 2 tbsp & kept everything else the same. It came out great! I saved the marinade to sauté cauliflower with it and it was amazing! Highly recommend using the leftover marinade to sauté veggies with!!
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Who wouldn’t love Korean bulgogi? Chicken is great to replace the beef in the same delicious marinade. I agree, it doesn’t have to be spicy to be a delicious Korean food.
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looks yummy! Got to give this a try!