Korean Grilled Chicken

Korean Flavors

I’ve never been to Korea, nor do I profess to be an expert in Korean food. I call this recipe Korean Grilled Chicken because I use a common Korean condiment for the main flavor in the marinade. That Korean condiment is gochujang and I love it. Gochujang is a fermented chili paste that adds such great flavor and complexity to all sorts of foods, but especially grilled foods. It is spicy but the level of spice can vary depending on the brand, and it is more gentle in its spice than painful. It has a little saltiness, a little smokiness and a little sweetness that makes it sort of irresistible. 

Marinade Ingredients 

In this recipe, the gochujang gets mixed with honey, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, some grated ginger and minced garlic to make a marinade for your chicken. You can use a whole cut up chicken, just chicken thighs, just breasts or whatever you like. 

How Long to Marinate Chicken

It’s not rocket science that the longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavor it will have, but never rule out a recipe because you didn’t start making it yesterday. If you only have 2 hours, or even just 30 minutes, it’s worth marinating the chicken for a short time than not at all. The flavor will most definitely adhere to the skin of the chicken and because this marinade is so full of flavor, you’ll still get some bang for your buck. Ideally, 4 hours to overnight, but as I said… even a short soak will do.

How Hot Should My BBQ Be?

Some people crank up the BBQ and cook everything on high. That’s a problem with a recipe like this Korean Grilled Chicken (and most recipes, honestly) because the marinade has ingredients that can burn easily. I like a little char on the chicken, but you don’t want the outside burned before the inside has fully cooked. So, pre-heat your BBQ and then turn it down until you manage to get a constant 400˚F or so with the lid closed. 

Direct and Indirect Heat on a BBQ

I like to create two zones in my outdoor grill – a direct heat and an indirect heat zone. On a gas BBQ you do this by turning one of the burners down low (that is your indirect heat zone) and leaving the other or other two burners at a higher level (your direct heat zone). On a charcoal BBQ, you create your indirect zone by pulling the coals to the other side of the grill, or by elevating the rack so that it is farther away from the coals. The reason you want these two zones is because you will need to sear the chicken to start and then you’ll want to cook the chicken through without burning the outside. You’ll finish the chicken on the indirect heat zone. It’s just like being able to turn down the heat on your stovetop when you need to.

How to Serve Korean Grilled Chicken

You don’t need a lot of fancy side dishes alongside this Korean Grilled Chicken – the chicken has enough flavor on its own. Serve with white rice or some fresh greens. Even some green vegetables, simply dressed, on the side are nice. If you want a little sauce to serve with the chicken, save the marinade and bring it to a simmer on the stovetop. Dilute with a little water or chicken stock if need be. Make sure it boils for a few minutes and then sauce the chicken before serving, or let people serve themselves to more sauce at the table.