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Weeknight style 25 Minute Korean Bulgogi BBQ Chicken with spicy garlic butter corn. 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
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 811 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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
Yum Yum Sauce: Combine 2 tablespoons of Gochujang, 1 tablespoon ketchup, and either 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or olive oil mayo. Season with salt. Sauce keeps for 1 week in the fridge.
Just coming back to rate this recipe, after making it three times in a matter of weeks. Absolutely beautiful dish. I did one tofu version and one chicken. Would recommend upping the quantity of the sticky sauce – no such thing as too much, I think!
I really liked the yum-yum sauce, but my partner thought it wasn’t necessary. I made it with coconut greek yoghurt, so perhaps a sour cream version might go down better.
Thanks again Tieghan!
Hey Lou,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xTieghan
One of your best recipes – everything about this is delicious!
Hey Sian,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have a great Wednesday! xTieghan
This was so delicious! I used frozen corn and didn’t thaw it before adding to the pan!
Hey Kim,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was delicious but way too salty! I’m surprised not more people commented that, but still loved it. Thank you!!!
Hey Vanessa,
Thanks for trying the recipe, I am sorry this was salty for you! xTieghan
is the calorie estimate with or without the rice? this is so delicious!!!!!! i am obsessed
Hey Molly,
The estimate is without the rice, I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Um, this was the best meal I’ve made in a long time. It was spicy, yes, but VERY flavorful that I didn’t even notice the heat. GREAT recipe!!
Hey Sally,
Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
My family really enjoyed it!!! It was indeed quick to make and we adjusted the spice as needed. We also did broccoli instead of corn as my hubby is not a corn guy. Thanks for the recipe as we are always looking for different recipes to try. ?
Hey Erin,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! I modified it a bit because I did not have all the ingredients. I didn’t have any green onions so omitted those. For the oil used to stir fry the chicken, I used half sesame oil and half olive oil. Didn’t have any Gochujang so I used 2 tbs. of Korean Chili Flakes (Gochugaru) and 2 Tbs. Chili Garlic Sauce. Used frozen corn instead of fresh. Used chopped white onion for the shallots and added extra to take the place of the green onions. Threw in some sauteed chopped spinach I had left over from yesterday’s meal. Did not use yum yum sauce, sesame seeds or cilantro. Sauteed the corn, garlic, spinach, onion and rice in the butter all together in the butter. It was out of this world good! Next time might add in some toasted sesame seeds.
Hey Linda,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, it makes me so happy that it was enjoyed. Happy Friday! xTieghan
Just came across your website and after 10 minutes I have ordered your cookbooks and can’t wait to start trying your recipes! What brand goehujang do you use? The link took me to flakes not
Paste!! Thanks so much!!
Hey Molly,
Thanks so much for following along and ordering the cookbooks, I hope you love them! I like to use Mother in Law’s Gochujang. I usually find it at Whole Foods or I order from Thrive Market. Let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was so good!! And easy to cook
Hey Liz,
Thank you so much for making the recipe, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
Hi! Made this dish last Friday for Korean New Year. This is so good and not very complicated to make. I didn’t have corn, so I just added some fresh chopped broccoli to the chicken. Served with rice, steamed egg dish, and kimchi-chicken dumplings. My husband loved it so much he wants it again, so we are having it tonite. Again I don’t have corn, so will be adding bamboo shoots & possibly water chestnuts. And my husband is asking for double sauce…lol. This dish is a winner…thank you for sharing it with us!!!
Hey Donna,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am delighted it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
This was so yummy! Definitely will be making this again!
Hey Allegra,
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
I look forward to trying this! My question is about the gochujang sauce. Your link takes you to Thrive market, and they only carry the gochujang pepper, “mother in laws” . Which brand do you like? And, have you found any without added sugar?
Thank you!
Hey Diane,
Sorry about that, I do like using the Mother in Law’s Gochujang sauce. I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was DELICIOUS!! The perfect quick and easy dinner with fantastic taste. I usually avoid cooking with chicken (I really do not like the taste) but was soo happy with the flavors and sauce of this recipe! Will definitely become a monthly staple. Also, the leftovers made for a KILLER wrap!
Hey Dani,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
It’s cool that you like to be inspired by Asian flavors and that you share that love in your great recipes! I would just say, as a Korean, maybe don’t call this Korean bulgogi, but instead Korean-inspired chicken. Bulgogi is actually beef and is not prepared spicy. Korean spicy marinated chicken is a different dish. We also don’t use dips like this for our BBQ. Thanks for your consideration!
Thanks so much for your feedback! xTieghan