KBBQ chicken at home, no tabletop grill required. Just chicken thighs, a nine ingredient marinade, and a hot grill. I love batching this recipe to set me up for the week. It is so easy and it tastes like you're in the restaurant!
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KBBQ chicken is chicken thighs marinated in gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and sliced onion, then grilled over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side until the edges char and the sugar caramelizes. Ten minutes of prep, four hours in the fridge, twelve minutes on the grill and you're golden.
After testing this, the version with only regular soy sauce tasted flat and looked pale. Adding one tablespoon of dark soy fixed both problems at once, deeper color, rounder flavor, and the chicken actually looks like it came off a KBBQ grill instead of a weeknight pan.
KBBQ nights out in Vancouver ar the best but making it at home is so much better and without the restaurant bill. This is the marinade that finally got there.
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How to make (VIDEO)
What I recommend to use for this recipe
- Gochujang - the Korean chili paste doing all the sweet and savory heavy lifting. One tub lasts months. You can add more if you want it more spicy.
- Dark soy sauce: this is for color and depth, not saltiness. It is the difference between grilled chicken and KBBQ chicken.
How to make (PICTURES)
GRILL - I love using my griddle for recipes like this. It's like having a massive frying pan.
No grill? No problem, you can bake, pan fry or use your air fryer.
What to serve
- Asian Coleslaw for something cold and crunchy against the sticky chicken
- Garlic Fried Rice, non authentic but is soooo good.
- Butter lettuce leaves and steamed short grain rice for build your own ssam wraps
- A quick cucumber salad with rice vinegar and sesame oil, 5 minutes and it cuts the sweetness perfectly
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KBBQ Chicken
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl or a zip top bag, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger until the gochujang is fully broken up and no lumps remain.3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon gochujang, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- Add the chicken thighs and sliced onion to the marinade. Toss with your hands until every piece is coated, then seal or cover.2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 onion
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.
- Heat your grill to medium-high, around 400°F to 450°F. Clean the grates and oil them well, this marinade has sugar in it and it will stick if you skip this.
- Lay the chicken on the grill. Grill 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the edges are charred and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain. Top with the grilled onions, toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallions.toasted sesame seeds, 2 scallions
Notes
- Do not skip the dark soy sauce. Without it the chicken tastes fine but looks washed out.
- Four hours is the real minimum for marinating, overnight is better.
- No grill? Use a cast iron grill pan over medium-high for 5 to 6 minutes per side, broil 6 inches from the element for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or bake at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes and finish under the broiler.You can use the air fryer too.
- Perfect for meal prep. I love to batch this on the weekend for the week.
Nutrition
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Hi, I'm Carmen!
I'm the creator of Eat With Carmen, where I share Filipino and other Asian recipes I love and grew up eating, made simple for everyday cooking.
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Frequently Asked Questions for KBBQ Chicken
What is KBBQ chicken? KBBQ chicken is Korean barbecue style chicken, marinated in a sweet and savory sauce built on gochujang, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar, then grilled over high heat until charred. It is the chicken version of what you would order at a Korean BBQ restaurant, usually served with rice, lettuce wraps and banchan.
How long should I marinate KBBQ chicken? Marinate KBBQ chicken for at least 4 hours, and overnight if you can. Anything under 4 hours only flavors the surface. Do not go past 24 hours, the salt and sugar start to break down the texture of the meat.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? Yes, boneless skinless chicken breasts work, but pound them to an even thickness first and grill 4 to 5 minutes per side. Breasts have almost no fat, so they go from juicy to dry fast. Pull them the second the internal temperature hits 165°F.
Can I make KBBQ chicken without a grill? Yes. Use a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or broil on high about 6 inches from the element for 6 to 8 minutes per side. Both get you real char. A regular skillet works too, you just lose the grill marks.
Is KBBQ chicken spicy? Mildly. One tablespoon of gochujang across two pounds of chicken gives warmth, not heat, and the brown sugar softens it further. Add a second tablespoon if you want it to actually bite.
Can I bake KBBQ chicken in the oven? Yes, bake at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Finish under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to get the charred edges that make this recipe worth it.
Why is my KBBQ chicken burning on the grill? The brown sugar in the marinade caramelizes fast, so burning usually means the heat is too high or there is too much marinade clinging to the chicken. Shake each piece off before it hits the grates and keep the grill at medium-high, around 400°F to 450°F, not screaming hot.
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