Korean Grilled Chicken

This recipe for Korean grilled chicken uses the Korean chili paste, gochujang, to add a bang of spicy flavor to your favorite grilled chicken.

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Looking down on a white oval platter with korean grilled chicken on top of a bed of rice, a grey napkin and serving utensils nearby.

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. 

Ingredients for a marinade for korean grilled chicken on a cutting board - grated ginger, garlic, gochujang, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil and a bowl of raw chicken in the background.

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. 

A stainless steel bowl of marinating chicken pieces.

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.

A temperature gauge on a red Kamado Joe BBQ, showing 400˚F.

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. 

Chicken pieces on a charcoal grill.

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.

Looking down on a white oval platter with korean grilled chicken on top of a bed of rice, a grey napkin and serving utensils nearby.

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. 

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Korean Grilled Chicken

  • Cook Time: 30 m
  • Marinating Time: 4 h
  • Servings:
    4

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup gochujang chili paste
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger minced
  • 3- pounds bone-in skin-on chicken pieces
  • chopped scallions for garnish

Instructions

  1. Combine the gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a bowl. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl or a zipper sealable plastic bag and pour the gochujang marinade over the top. Toss the chicken to coat entirely with the marinade. Let the chicken marinate for as long as overnight. (4 hours would be ideal, but if you don’t have that time, even 30 minutes will work.)
  2. Pre-heat a BBQ grill to medium heat (about 400˚F) and then create a hot spot and a cooler spot of the grill by either pulling coals to one side or turning off one of your burners.
  3. When the grill is so hot that you can only hold your hand 2-inches above the grill grates for two to three seconds, start grilling the chicken, skin-side down. Start on the hot side of the grill. Grill for about 8 to 10 minutes (depending on how big your chicken pieces are) and then turn the pieces over, moving them to the cooler side of your grill. Close the lid and cook the thighs for another 10 minutes and the breasts for another 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160˚F on an instant read thermometer.
  4. Optional: if you’d like a sauce to slather onto the chicken at the end, save the marinade and put it in a small saucepan. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken and then baste the sauce on the chicken as it comes off the grill.
  5. Let the chicken rest for 4 to 5 minutes and then serve with rice, vegetables or a salad, garnishing with scallions.
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Comments (4)Post a Reply

  1. I will be trying this, but I think the leftover marinade needs to be brought to a boil and then simmered to make it afe.

    1. Hi Kathryn. Yes. In step 4, the option to use the marinade as a sauce requires you to bring it to a simmer first.

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