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The super fast Korean chicken and rice bowl that tastes just like your favorite Korean spot in town but made at home! Quick-cooking chicken tossed in a sweet, tangy, and spicy Korean style Bulgogi BBQ sauce with spicy garlic butter corn. Serve this chicken over steamed white or brown rice with homemade yum yum sauce on the side. Every bite is saucy, sweet, spicy, and hinted with ginger and garlic, it’s delicious. Major bonus? This comes together in no time at all (under 30 minutes). Perfect for busy weeknights when you’re looking for something a little more exciting, but still quick and DELICIOUS.
Thursday night Korean takeout…made quickly at home?
Yes, yes, yes, it’s my favorite kind of night. You all know how much I love cooking Asian inspired recipes at home. Ever since our family’s trip to South Korea for the Olympics, Korean style cooking will always be my weakness. It’s always so good. Sure, this is not your traditional bowl of Korean style bulgogi, but bulgogi is really all about the sauce…or hot sauce. The actual translation means fire meat. Trust me, this bulgogi (plus homemade yum yum sauce) are spot on and so delicious.
So while the chicken itself is pretty classic, the spicy garlic butter corn is the “wild card” vegetable. As you can probably imagine, it’s a pretty delicious addition. And very seasonal for the time of year we are entering. As we change seasons, I love incorporating seasonal produce into everything I’m cooking. Since I recently stocked up on fresh ears of sweet corn, it was my go-to vegetable of choice for this recipe.
The process…
First up, toss the chicken with a little cornstarch and a touch of oil. Tossing the chicken with cornstarch allows it to get extra crispy and caramelize while cooking. This is KEY.
Now make the sauce. This is a pretty simple mix of Gochujang (Korean chili paste), soy sauce, and lots of fresh ginger and garlic. The Gochujang adds all the flavor, so you really don’t need much else. Gochujang makes everything good, it’s sweet, tangy, spicy, and salty.
Pan-fry the chicken in a little oil until it is crisp. Then pour over the sauce and let it simmer down. As the sauce cooks, it slowly thickens and caramelizes the chicken.
As the chicken is cooking, cook up the corn in a little butter and garlic. Yes, corn, butter, and garlic, so delicious. Oh, and add a jalapeño for a spicy kick. As I said, this is not traditional by any means, but it sure is good! Remember, it can be fun to switch things up!
By this time the chicken should be done as well.
Let’s finish this Korean bulgogi up.
First, make a quick homemade version of Asian style yum yum sauce. With my oldest brother in town, the rule is to always double the sauce. So while the chicken is perfectly saucy on its own, the yum yum sauce just adds that extra special touch. Is it needed?
No probably not. But is it good? Yes, definitely.
It’s a simple mix of yogurt (sour cream, or mayo, whichever you prefer, we like yogurt), more Gochujang, and a small squeeze of ketchup. Kind of an odd match-up of flavors, but trust me, this sauce is very delicious and the perfect creamy element to this crispy chicken.
Now, add steamed brown or white rice to a bowl. Then add that buttery corn and spoon the Korean chicken over it all. Finish with fresh green onions, cilantro, and toasty sesame seeds.
Enjoy…immediately.
Yes, this is that simple and that quick-cooking of a meal. Honestly, this will take you no more than thirty minutes to make. And aside from the corn, this uses a good amount of pantry staples too.
A couple of helpful notes…
What is Gochujang? If you’re not familiar with Gochujang it’s Korean chili paste. It’s spicy with a little sweetness, and it’s extremely flavorful. It’s traditional in a lot of Korean based sauces and is often used in Korean fried chicken or simply as a dipping sauce. Over here, we love Gochujang. I use it for so much more than just Korean food. It’s good when paired with pretty much anything that you’d enjoy with a touch of hot sauce.
You can buy Gochujang in most grocery stores. I know Whole Foods and Trader Joes carry it. I highly recommend this brand Gochujang. It certainly makes for the best truly Korean food.
Tip? If you love a lot of sauce (we do!), then I would recommend doubling the Gochujang sauce so that you can have extra for serving…yes, in addition to the creamy yum yum sauce. Never enough sauce, you know?
Lastly, while I love the corn with this dish, you can really use whatever vegetable you have on hand. Bell peppers would be my top pick, then broccoli, but you could also use asparagus, cauliflower, bok choy. Really, use whatever you’ve got.
And you guys…that’s it. This takes less than 30 minutes to make and it’s not only delicious but fun too. I know we’re not doing much eating out these days, so this is a fun way to do a “dinner out”, at home!
Looking for other homemade takeout style recipes? Some favorites of mine include…
Better Than Takeout Kung Pao Cauliflower
Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs
Better Than Takeout Sesame Ginger Chicken Fried Rice
Lastly, if you make this 25 minute Korean Bulgogi BBQ chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
25 Minute Korean Bulgogi BBQ Chicken with Spicy Garlic Butter Corn
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons corn starch or flour
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3-4 tablespoons Gochujang , (Korean chili paste)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 3 green onions, chopped, plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 ears corn, kernels, removed from cob
- 2 medium shallots, sliced or chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded (if desired) and chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 3 cups steamed white or brown rice
- yum yum sauce and sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon oil.2. In a glass jar, combine the soy sauce, 3 tablespoons Gochujang, ketchup, ginger, 2 cloves garlic, and 1/4 cup water.3. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and brown all over until it becomes crispy, about 5 minutes. Pour in the Gochujang sauce mix. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green onions, then remove from the heat.4. Meanwhile, make the corn. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the butter, corn, shallots, remaining 2-3 cloves garlic, the jalapeño, and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until the corn is golden. Stir in the cilantro. Remove from the heat.5. To serve, divide the rice among bowls and top with chicken and corn. Serve with additional green onions, cilantro, and yum yum sauce (recipe below). Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Flavorful dish, but too salty. I used low sodium soy sauce, and it was still too salty. I would love to try this recipe again, but I am wondering if there are any tips on reducing the saltiness? Maybe half the soy sauce and add more water with a little brown sugar? Any ideas? Otherwise, it was a big hit!
Hey Megan,
So sorry you found this dish to be too salty, next time reduce your soy sauce or try using coconut aminos! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Made this last night after I saw your “top recipes of 2020” post and OMG…so so good! I had a package of tofu to use up so I used that instead of chicken. It was SO GOOD. Definitely adding it to the rotation of dinner recipes. My fiancee kept saying “this tastes like a restaurant!” 🙂
Hey Caitlin,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I made this last night and it was amazing!!!!
Thanks so much for trying the recipe Jamie! Happy New Year! xTieghan
One of the best things I’ve ever cooked!! Thanks so much for this recipe, I’ll make it again (and again and again)
Hey Constance,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Really enjoyed this!! Loved the flavor of the gochujang and was pleasantly surprised by how savoury and sweet the corn turned out! Would love some ideas for other veggies to pair with this. Otherwise, no complaints and I’m definitely looking forward to the leftovers. :’)
Hey Kristen,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy New Year! xTieghan
The measurements for the gochugang made the dish way way way too spicy. I would’ve used half and it would’ve been perfect
Hey Dominique,
Thanks for trying the recipe, so sorry about the spice! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This was delicious. I’ll be including this in my regular recipe rotation. I think this will especially nice for a week night dinner–it cooked up pretty quickly and we all enjoyed it.
Hey Jennifer,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
Dang, that was gooooooooood. :oP
Thanks so much Ashley! Happy New Year! xTieghan
We’ve made this a couple of times and love it! Atad too salty The fist time we didn’t have low sodium soy and it was too salty though still delicious. The second time i used 1/4 c soy sauce and 1/4c of water because we still didn’t have low sodium soy and it was still delicious. I made the yum yum sauce that you included and we love that too?
Hey Victoria,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving this a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
We made this for dinner tonight and thought it was delicious! The sauce came out tangy, sticky, and delicious. I didn’t do the corn, but instead just put it over some sautéed broccoli, peppers, and onions.
Thank you Jessica! I am really glad these turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
This was pretty tasty – very strongly flavored. I think next time I would use slightly less gochujang (I went for the full 4T) and maybe add more ginger, some rice vinegar, maybe a little honey, to mediate the intense peppery fermented taste. I didn’t make the corn; instead we did roasted yams (from another recipe on this site) and steamed broccoli with brown rice. I prefer the other bulgogi recipes on HBH site, like the bulgogi tacos or sheet pan chicken, as they tend to be a bit more tender, but this one was quick, easy, and everyone ate it right up. Thank you!! I love your recipes and use them obsessively.
I am so happy this turned out so well for you Holly! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
Is this too spicy for kids or ok?
Hey Ciera,
I would just reduce chili paste and omit the jalapeño. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’ve been this about 3 times already and it always comes out amazing!!!!
My question is, could I make this with pork as well?
What part of the pork would I use and is the process the same?
Thanks!!!!
Hi Rachel! Pork woould be great! I would use cubed pork butt or shoulder. The process is the same! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I have made this recipe multiple times and have loved it each time. The chicken is one of my favorites to throw in a bowl.
A couple variations I have used: (1) the Gochujang was a great ingredient to learn about, but can be a bit spicy for those who prefer milder foods. I subbed ketchup or sriracha for one of the recommended tablespoons of Gochujang and it was still tasty, but more manageable.
(2) If corn isn’t loved, I have subbed bell peppers/carrots/cucumbers as the veggies to mix in, and it was great.
Thank you for such a quick, delicious, and adaptable recipe!
Hi! I am so happy this recipe turned out so amazing for you, AG! Thank you so much for trying it and sharing some tips! xTieghan
Restaurant quality goodness!!!! More and more of your recipes are becoming staples at our house, thank you!
Thank you!! I am so happy you have been enjoying my recipes and I hope you continue to! xTieghan