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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
Wow, loved this taste combo but sauce was WAY TOO salty. Don’t know if I should go a low sodium soy sauce, use half what was recommend, whatever. Just beware, spicy is great, salty not so much.
Hi Catarina! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, but I am sorry it was too salty. Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
Made this last night and LOVED it. As always, blown away by the complex flavors in your dishes that are yet still very approachable to the amateur chef. I love your videos – looking at this one especially helped with cooking the chicken properly. And I very much appreciate your step-by-step directions- they are always very clear and easy to follow!
Thank you so much Gina! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was amazing! One of my favorite meals. I have no idea how someone can do all of that chopping in 10 min, the prep alone took 2 of us about 30 min. But if I used a few shortcuts like frozen corn and pre-minced garlic and ginger it would be pretty quick. Once you start cooking it’s on the table in about 15 min. Will definitely be making it again!
Thank you so much Sarah! That is so amazing to hear! xTieghan
great recipe but way too spicy, will adjust the Gochujang sauce in the the sauce for BBQ and the yum yum sauce. Could not appreciate the chicken taste because of the spiciness. Definitely will make again.
Corn was perfect!
Thank you Lisa! xTieghan
Planning to make this tomorrow ? but I’m kind of a wimp with spice. I’m not sure how spicy gochujang is. Would you have a substitute recommendation if I used a little less gochujang? Can’t wait to try!!
Hi Christina,
I would omit the jalapeño and just use 2 tablespoons of the Gochujang. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was so tasty! I wasn’t 100% sure when I first tasted a piece of chicken, as I took it off the heat. The soy/gochujang flavour was very strong…. but by the time I’d added everything to my plate (corn plus Choi sum, as I always like green on my plate!) the flavour had clearly mellowed as it was delicious!!! Everything goes together so well! I also live alone, and with London, UK currently in lockdown I am cooking for One every night, but this was really simple to reduce the quantity of the ingredients.
I am really glad this one turned out so well for you, Chloe!! Thank. you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Tieghan-do you use spicy Mother in law’s Gochujang or original?
Hi Ann,
I like both, I think it just depends if you like spicy or not. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Seriously awesome recipe! I threw in some finely chopped broccoli with the corn. However, I completely forgot the yum yum sauce in the fridge .. darn.
I am really glad this still tasted so well, Allyson! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING!!! The whole family loved it! It did take me longer than 30 min with all the chopping (garlic, scallions, ginger, green onion, cilantro, jalapeño, corn) but it was well worth the time!!!
Thank you so much Ann! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
It was very tasty. I personally would like it spicier . But will be making it again. I have plenty for leftovers! I’m
Thank you so much Kathy! That is so great! xTieghan
Just made this and it was delicious!
Thank you so much Randy!! xTieghan
Delish
Thank you so much Suzanne! xTieghan
Could you use Tofu as a substitute for the chicken? Or is there another meatless option you would suggest?
Made this recipe tonight – Love this!! Thank you. Such a change from our recent usual in flavor profile and easy to find ingredients to make this feel really special. Spicy, but not too spicy. The yum yum sauce is outrageous 🙂 This is fantastic. A keeper, for sure!!
Thank you so much Kristen!! That is so great! I hope you continue to enjoy all of my recipes! xTieghan
Do you boil the corn on the cob before you cut it or do you cut it raw and it cooks in the skillet?