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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.
This post was originally published on May 28, 2020
Perfect. I served it with side of bok choy. This recipe is
a keeper.
Thank you so much Gina! xTieghan
Love this dish! So delicious. However, I think I’m doing something wrong with the cornstarch because my chicken doesn’t crisp up like the recipe. Could you give me a tip? What am I doing wrong?
Hey Jocelyn,
Are you adjusting the recipe at all? You simply need to toss the chicken in the olive oil and cornstarch until it is lightly coated. You do not want o have thick layers, this will help crisp up the chicken. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Quick, easy and delicious. Definitely has a kick, but you can tone it down and rice and corn mixed in makes it the perfect combo.
Love that! Thank you Amber! xTieghan
This was delicious. Made it tonight 🙂
Thank you Nuan!! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan
I’ve made this several times now, it’s great! I reduce the soy sauce a bit for salt reasons, but otherwise make it just as specified. Excellent recipe, tastes like restaurant food.
Thank you so much Zach!! xTieghan
Yummy, but a little spicy for my family—even after cutting it to 2 Tbsp of Gochang. Do you have any suggestions for reducing the heat while still keeping flavor?
Also, do you have something like a Teriyaki chicken dish that uses similar technique but a different flavor base?
BTW, I love your website! There are so many interesting things that I need to try…
Hey Adam,
I would recommend giving these recipes a try, they have less heat!
https://fett-weg.today/sheet-pan-sticky-ginger-sesame-chicken/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/sesame-teriyaki-chicken/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/weeknight-sticky-ginger-sesame-chicken-meatballs/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
This was a big hit at our house last week. Next time if I need to sub frozen or canned corn what would you advise?
Hey Harriet,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! When using frozen corn just add it right in, if you use canned corn be sure to drain the corn. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Your link to your favorite gouchang chili souce is broken. Could you provide some options?
Thanks!
Hey Adam,
So sorry about that! I love using Mother In Law’s Gochujang. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I had the same problem as Catarina. Mine was WAY TOO SALTY! I’m wondering if it is the brand of Gochujang sauce? I have to think so because I didn’t add any salt. I followed the link in the recipe but it didn’t take me to the Gochujang sauce, so I was left wondering what brand you recommend? I ordered “Wang Gochujang Hot Pepper Paste” from Amazon. It has 21% sodium. Suggestions?
Hey Aimee,
So sorry about this! My guess is the brand as well. I think it is also key to use low-sodium soy sauce. I love Mother in Law’s Gochujang. Next time try reducing your soy sauce. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Seriously Teighan, this is amazing! I’ve made this three times now, so good! Last time I forgot I didn’t have chicken so I made it with cauliflower. Thank you!
Thank you so much Jaime! xTieghan
I am Korean and though Chicken bulgogi is not something we typically eat or see, this was a hit with my parents and me! It had a good kick and the only thing I modified was less soy sauce, ground ginger (didn’t have fresh) and more garlic because we love garlic. Second time making the corn with butter garlic and shallots (didn’t have jalapeños) and it came out much better this time as I cooked it longer. Didn’t make the yum yum sauce as I let the chicken get extra saucy and we ate more than our normal serving of rice! So so good! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
I am so happy this turned out so amazing for you all, Denise! Thank you so much for trying this!! xTieghan
This recipe is absolutely delicious! Next time I will be doubling it because the leftovers are even better. I do have to say though, that what I often find with your recipes is although they are all delicious, the prep/cook time always takes me at least twice as long as what you suggest. How could this possibly take only 15 minutes to prep with all of these ingredients?
Hi Karen! I am sorry if it seems a bit inaccurate, I will look into all of the times! I am really glad you enjoyed this recipe though!! xTieghan
THIS recipe is so good! The first time I made it I was ready to make it again!
I have made it more than once and decided going on the lesser end of the amount of gochujang was a better level of heat for us. I wouldn’t change one thing about this recipe. Highly recommend it and can’t wait to make it again soon.
Thank you so much Jeena! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Really enjoyed this But no doubt haven’t had a bad meal yet. No doubt will be making this again
Thank you Marie! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was delicious but I don’t see how you could possibly prep all of these ingredients in 15 minutes (unless you are a professional chef!). I would plan an hour for all of the prep assuming you have to chop, seed and grate everything from fresh…
Hi Bill! I am really glad this turned out well for you! I apologize it took longer than expected, though! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan