Korean BBQ Chicken
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This Korean BBQ chicken is sweet, smoky, sticky, and just a little spicy, making it one of my favorite grilled chicken recipes. It’s easy to make with a simple homemade Korean-inspired BBQ sauce that caramelizes beautifully on the grill.
This Korean BBQ chicken is one of my favorite recipes to throw on the grill all summer long. Juicy chicken is coated in a sweet, smoky, and sticky Korean-inspired BBQ sauce with just enough heat to keep every bite interesting.
The homemade sauce is what makes this recipe shine. Gochujang, tomato paste, honey, garlic, and rice vinegar come together to create a bold glaze that’s savory, slightly sweet, and caramelizes beautifully on the grill. As the chicken cooks, the sauce becomes glossy and irresistible.
I love making this for everything from weeknight dinners to backyard barbecues because it uses just a handful of ingredients and comes together with very little effort. Serve it with rice, grilled vegetables, or your favorite summer salads for a meal that’s guaranteed to disappear quickly.
Is this a traditional Korean BBQ chicken recipe
While this is not an authentic Korean recipe, my Korean BBQ chicken recipe is inspired by the bold, vibrant flavors of Korean cooking and uses ingredients commonly found in Korean cuisine. It’s an easy recipe that’s perfect for adding a taste of Korea to delicious BBQ chicken.
Can I make this without a grill?
If you’re craving the flavors of Korean BBQ chicken but it’s too cold to fire up the grill, you can make this recipe in your oven. Simply bake the chicken with a thin coating of the BBQ sauce at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes until it is almost cooked. Then, baste the chicken liberally with the BBQ sauce and broil until it darkens.
What to serve with Korean BBQ chicken
My favorite way to serve this Korean BBQ chicken is to balance the protein with some vegetables or salad side dishes – either a spring mix salad, refreshing cucumber salad, broccoli, or an Asian salad. Then, pairing it with some basmati rice to soak up that delicious Korean BBQ sauce. Don’t forget to add some kimchi mayo on the side!
Korean BBQ Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Korean BBQ Sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon EACH: gochujang, honey, rice vinegar, and water
- ¼ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
Korean BBQ Chicken
- 8 chicken drumsticks or bone-in thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspooon EACH: salt and pepper
- Cilantro (to serve)
Instructions
- Preheat your BBQ to medium heat. (TIP: Use a BBQ mat to keep your grill clean.)
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the tomato paste, gochujang, honey, rice vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and garlic to a boil, then set aside.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon EACH: gochujang, honey, rice vinegar, and water, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Rub the chicken drumsticks or thighs with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side up, and let it cook for 15 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook until the skin is crispy and it is nearly fully cooked, 8-10 minutes.8 chicken drumsticks or bone-in thighs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspooon EACH: salt and pepper
- Baste the chicken generously with the Korean BBQ sauce and cook for another 6 minutes, turning and basting again halfway.
- Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro over the top.Cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
I MUST try this. I have no idea what gochujang is. But I am thrilled to try!
I love the way your recipe integrates the ingredients list, including the amounts. I wish every recipe did this. Kudos!
Absolutely delicious! Recommend doubling the BBQ basting sauce if you like full flavored food.
This is not nearly as spicy as advertised. My twin 3 1/2 year old grandsons loved it! For the adults, we found it to be a little bland. I’ll fix it again, but will use at least 1T more of Gochujang.
I think some brands vary in spiciness. So happy to hear that even your grandson’s loved it!
Love this recipe. Added an extra 1/2 tablespoon of gochujang. Delicious!
I’m thrilled that you love this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let us know!
Made this with boneless, skinless thighs as that’s all I had on hand. Delicious and well received by all! Didn’t have access to a grill, so coated the thighs generously with the sauce and roasted for a short while in the oven – then broiled to get some color and sticky/crunch.
I’m so happy to hear they were a hit!!
Oh my! This looks delicious!
Thanks, Karly! It’s really tasty!!
I haven’t made this, but I am interested in making it. But I do have a question, for those who are not interested in spicy foods, could you substitute gochujang for something else to reduce the spice or to substitute gochujang for something else with a similar taste.
Gochujang really has quite a unique flavor. But don’t worry, it’s not too spicy. You can always reduce the amount you use if you are quite sensitive to heat. 🙂
Interesting. I’ve never had Korean food with either cilantro or tomato paste. Looks good though.
Definitely not authentic Korean but still very tasty!