For this chicken bulgogi recipe, I added a bit of lemon flavor. It certainly gives the dish a tasty spark!
I used boneless chicken thigh, but you can use boneless breast or a combination of both parts. The bite size chicken pieces marinate and cook quickly, making this dish a good option for a weeknight meal.
If you want to use this recipe for outdoor grilling, cut the chicken into larger pieces and marinate longer. Double (or triple) the recipe as needed.
You can enjoy the chicken in lettuce wraps with a dollop of ssamjang or doenjang (soybean paste). It will be equally delicious simply served with your choice of salad or a side dish, such as sigeumchi (spinach) namul or watercress namul, along with a bowl of rice. Enjoy!
You may also like my spicy grilled chicken.
- 1 pound boneless chicken thigh and/or breast.
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey or 1-1/3 more tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice wine or mirin or white wine
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- pinch black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
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Rinse chicken pieces. Trim off excess fat. Cut each of the chicken pieces into small sizes (about 2-inch long and 1-inch wide).
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Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
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Coat the chicken pieces with the marinade. Marinate for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
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Preheat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces, reserving the marinade. Cook until cooked through and slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes each side. (The sugar and honey in the marinade will burn easily, so watch it carefully and add the reserved marinade by tablespoon when the pan gets dry. You can slightly reduce the heat to avoid burning, if needed.)
You may also like:
Samgyupsal Gui (Grilled Pork Belly) and Grilling Roundup
Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
LA Galbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)
10 Korean BBQ Recipes
Korean-Style Chicken Salad with Pine Nut Dressing (Dak Naengchae)
Pressure Cooker Braised Oxtail (Kkorijjim)
Dak Yachae Bokkeum (Stir-fried Chicken and Vegetables)
Spicy Grilled Korean Chicken
One of my favorites! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe 🙂 You have totally demystified dak bulgogi for me…can’t wait to try this!
Thank you, Chicha!
This looks like a marinade a non-korean could handle cooking. Might try this 🙂
Hi Emily – Yes, it’s very easy! Hope you’ll try it. Enjoy!
Most Korean food is surprisingly easy to make. I’m a non-Korean and all the dishes I’ve tried have been pretty easy and come out great every time, and I’m not Korean, either!
Oh I am definitely trying this tomorrow =) my hunny will love this!!
That sounds good. Let me know how it turned out for you!
I’m responding back pretty late but it turned out amazing! My husband requests it once a week lol he absolutely LOVES it =) thanks for the recipe!!
That’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know.
I love Korean BBQ with any kinds of meat! I have so many bookmarks from your site but haven’t had a chance to cook yet. Hopefully soon! Will pin this when I check from my computer since I’m on phone right now…
Thank you, Nami! You’ll like it.
This look delicious! The chicken thigh is the best part of the chicken in my opinion
My parents will definitely agree with you on that! Thanks!
Hi Hyosun! Thanks for visiting today! I actually stopped by your site earlier today when I was visiting my parents in LA and I was checking out the new look of your blog but I didn’t have a chance to leave a note. Your site looks FANTASTIC! 🙂 I haven’t been very social and have slacked off on my blogging hobby but I do try to keep up regular posts although even that is difficult at times. I buy dak bugolgi from our local Korean market, pre-marinated. 🙂 Haha. It proves to be a quick and easy dinner and my family loves it. My family will be impressed if I actually take the time to marinate my own chicken with your recipe. So glad to see you are doing well. Keep up the great work! Hugs to you too! 🙂
Judy – Great to see you! It’s easy to make. Your family will love this dish. Thanks for coming by!
This looks super yummy! Can’t wait to try this !
Thanks, Fern! Let me know how it turns out if you make it.
Hyosun, have you posted this recipe especially for me? Just joking, but I’m not a big fan of beef actually and love chicken (and pork too! actually I have recently made one of your dishes using pork instead of beef and it was delicious too! I must only take nice photos and post it).
This chicken dish looks absolutely luscious!
Hi Sissi – Thank you for trying many of my recipes! I know you’ll like this as well.
Been wanting to try bulgogi for ages, like this chicken recipe so will be trying very soon, thanks for sharing.
Hi Debs – Hope you try it soon and let me know how you like it. Thanks for visiting!
Made this tonight using chicken thighs and maple syrup (being a Korean-Canadian). My almost 3 yr old son could not stop eating! Great easy recipe! I added some onions when cooking. Thanks for the recipe.
Oh that’s great! I am glad to hear your son liked it. Maple syrup sounds really good. I bet it added a good layer of flavor. Thanks for letting me know! Cheers!
This Korean BBQ chicken sounds great. Thanks for the recipe.
It was delicious! Thanks for visiting!
This chicken looks fantastic, delicious, simple, and healthy! I’ll try out this recipe sometime soon! Thanks for sharing it!
Thank you, Amber! Let me know how it turns out for you.
This was so simple and delicious! I’m so happy I don’t have to buy the jarred marinate full of preservatives anymore. I just doubled the recipe for 2-3 lbs of boneless chicken. Thank you for the recipe!
~Celle
Hi Celle – I am so glad to hear you liked it! Thanks for letting me know. Happy cooking!
hi Hyosun, another awesome recipe from you. This is the 3rd recipe I tried from your blog and it is very very good. My husband has ranked this top 10 🙂 Thank you and keep writing
Thank you! I’m so thrilled hear that. Thank your husband for me.
Hi! Can you please post some korean food recipes that are a little bit difficult to make? Thanks!
hi Ellen – Let me know if you have any particular dish in mind. Have you tried jjimdak (braised chicken)or galbijjim (braised short ribs)? Just a couple of examples of dishes that are a little more involved. Thanks for visiting!
This was so delicious! Thank you for the recipe, I am adding it to my collection 🙂 Have a great day!
That’s great to hear! Thank you, Jenna!
Thank you for sharing the dak bulgogi recipe! My husband and I made it twice and really enjoy it! 🙂
That’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know.
Can I use pork belly with this recipe?
I just stumbled upon your site and this recipe not only looks amazing, but the ONE I’ve been searching. I recently made the Korean BBQ beef and wanted to try the chicken. This looks perfect. I’m posting this and then heading out to the store to get the ingredients. I’m opting for the thigh meat because I think it’s the most flavorful, but I might throw a couple of strips of sliced breast meat in as well. Thanks so much for sharing this. I’m bookmarking your blog so I can follow all your creations! Thanks again!
I am definitely trying this recipe for tonight!
Hello there! I found your blog through Kay/The Church Cook! Oh, this looks so delicious, my son will LOVE it. I pinned it to Pinterest with your ‘pin it’ button, so THANK YOU! I am your newest Follower here too. 🙂 I will also try to look for you on Pinterest! I absolutely love authentic family recipes such as this, thank you for sharing!
Best,
Gloria
Hi Gloria – Thanks for visiting and signing up to follow my blog. I hope this becomes your son’s favorite. Happy cooking!
I made this today with sigeumchi namul and it was, hands down, the BEST Dak Bulgogi I’ve ever had. I’m stoked to try some more recipes!
Awesome! Thank you so much for letting me know. Can’t wait to hear more good news from you. Cheers!
I love this recipe! Definitely a good option for someone who loves to try asian food but can’t eat other meats 🙂
Indeed! Thanks for visiting.
What if I can’t find rice wine? If I leave it out will it make a difference?
It will be okay to omit it. Enjoy!
hi, i love your site! So i was wondering if i can make this without the rice wine since im an non-alcoholic, would it make a difference? Thanks 🙂
Sure you can. Enjoy!
I just made this dish & it’s seriously one of the most delicious chicken dishes I’ve ever made. I used chicken breast & olive oil since I didn’t have sesame oil. Thank you so much for sharing! I look forward to trying other dishes!
I’m delight to hear that. Thank you for letting me know.
I think my son will like this dak bulgogi. I will make this for his doshirak tomorrow 😉
I cook a wide variety of foods, which my husband likes but my four kids do not. However, they all LOVE this dish. I have a hard time finding all the sauce ingredients in former Soviet Georgia where we teach in an international school, and never rice wine, but it tastes great just the same. I serve it with Korean vegetables and rice, which I think is like the bibimbap I had when I went out with my Korean friend. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
This definitely is a kid-friendly dish. Very happy to hear your kids love it. You’re right rice wine can be omitted. You can also substitute it with dry white wine if you like. Teaching international students must be so much fun! Thanks a lot for for your feedback. I really appreciate it.
Hi there! My cousins and I have been having ethnic theme nights and last night was Korean. Thank you for this recipe. It was very flavorful, easy to make and my family loved it. Thank you for sharing!!!
My cousins and I have been doing ethnic theme nights for pot lucks and last night was Korean. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was easy to make, VERY flavorful and I find that it could be a good “base” for other dishes like stir fry or BBQ on the grill. Thanks again for sharing.
Hi Roxy – Thank you so much for picking my recipe for your ethnic theme night meal! I’m so thrilled to hear it turned out well for you. I greatly appreciate your feedback. Cheers!
I am trying this out tonight. My husband has made frequent trips to Korea and has asked for Korean food at home. It sounds great and easy to make.
Hi Jenny – Hope you and your family enjoyed the dish. Thanks for coming by. Cheers!
I just literally made this recipe a few mins ago after doing a google search for Korean recipes, and I’m so glad I did! It’s seriously delicious.
Hi Trish – I’m glad you found it and enjoyed. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Hey Hyosun,
Thanks for sharing your above blog.Wow ! It’s really looking so much yummy dish. Me and my kids always like to eat chicken made dishes. Because it’s really delicious and easy to make this. Both of us always try to eat chicken meals. That’s why your above recipe help me to made this not only for me but also for my kids.
I stumbled upon your blog because I was looking for a recipe for Korean BBQ after having bad experience with the frozen pre-cooked ones in grocery store. I am so definitely to try this BBQ chicken recipe of yours.
are there any good side dishes you could recommend to go with this!!
How about sesame broccoli?
http://www.koreanbapsang.com/2013/10/sesame-broccoli.html#.Uz4SM_ldWlI
or Spinach:
http://www.koreanbapsang.com/2011/02/sigeumchi-namul-korean-spinach-side.html#.Uz4TN_ldWlI
ok will try that, thank you.
Going to make this today, with some added red pepper powder, and spicycucumbers on the side. I used to work in a Korean restaurant, and miss it terribly!
Aww you must know all the secrets of restaurant food! Spicy cucumbers will go well with it. Enjoy!
Trying this today : ) wanted to go out for bulgogi but it fell through. So now I am going to try the chicken version with your recipe and a side of Sangchoo Geotjeori~
That sounds awesome! You’ll save a lot of money too.
When you preheat the skillet, do you need to add oil? Sorry if my question is a bit dumb because I am a beginner. Thank you.
Justin – That’s actually a great question. You can do it either way. Use only a little if you use it. A bit of sesame oil will be good. Thank you!
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
this seems so easy compared to other korean bbq recipes i’ve looked through online! will try it this week for sure. just a question, when using with chicken tighs do you prepare them with the skin?
I used skinless, but either way is fine for this recipe. Enjoy!
I’m about to try this today. I love both chicken and beef bulgogi in restaurants, but only recently thought about trying to recreate it for myself. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Easy to make it at home, and of course much cheaper too. Enjoy!!
Hi! Can I use the oven the broil it? Thanks!
Yes, you can. Closely watch it not to burn. You can also make the pieces a little larger for easy flipping. Enjoy!
Hi Ms. Hysosun,
This comment is long overdue. Been meaning to send you a quick note of appreciation but never had a chance to. Your new is beautiful, aesthetically pleasing, with crisp pics and wonderful recipes. I visit from time to time when I’m in a rut and seek inspirations on what to cook for my Korean hubby and my 2 girls (4 yro & 1.5 yro) who are 1/2 Korean 1/2 Vietnamese. It’s challenging at times as I want to ensure my girls are expose to a wide variety of ethnic cuisines other than their own, but at the end of the day, I want them to know and appreciate the food their parents grew up with and adored. Hopefully, they’ll enjoy it as much as we do. I’ve made your Dak Bulgogi a few times now and they’ve always turned out as crowd pleasers. A few months ago, I started a blog (Well, not exactly, more like a virtual box to chronicle recipes for dishes my girls “love and surely eat”). It’s a personal place I can refer back to when I have no game plan for dinner. I added your Dak Bulgogi and wanted to say “Thank you” for the inspirations and appreciate you for sharing your recipes!
Aww Michele – Thank you so much for the good words!! I’m delighted to be a small part of your effort to bring diverse ethnic dishes to your family table. I saw your post on dak bulgogi and was very impressed with all the thoughts you put into the dish considering your family preference. Loved how you added a Vietnamese twist, especially the fish sauce. Although it’s slightly different in taste, Koreans occasionally use their fish sauce in their marinades as well. Thanks for the mention and link! I really appreciate it. Happy cooking!
I loved this recipe! Super easy and I was able to adapt a little by adding siracha to make a bit spicier for my husband:) thanks for the recipe. Were having it again tonight because it was such a hit in our home!
Gina – That’s awesome! Siracha sounds really good in this dish. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Hello! I will be trying this recipe tomorrow night, and I’m wondering if I could use skin-on thighs and bake them in the oven?
Sure that sounds good. Marinate longer if you’re using whole thighs instead of small pieces.
It was easy but my mom was cooking it while I was doing school work and she messed it up but it was still edible
Thanks, Hyosun! I tried this recipe and my family loved it.
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, Callen!
For the first time in a long time I cooked a dinner that the entire family loved! This was amazing! (we substituted the rice wine for tequila and added grilled pineapple). I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Great! So happy to hear that. Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks for the recipe! Been having trouble tasting the marinade on the chicken though, even if I marinate it over night, any tips?
hmmm Not sure why…. I assuming you follow the recipe exactly. Did you drain the chicken well? Excess water can dilute the marinade. How about increasing the amounts of sauce ingredients a little next time? See if that works for you. If not, let’s talk again.
Can you marinate this chicken overnight? I made it once exactly the way it’s printed and it was excellent. I was just hoping I could do the chicken the day ahead and have it all ready.
Yes, of course! It will be even better. Enjoy!!
This recipe turned out beautifully! I’ll be trying many more on your site. Thank you!
Great! Thanks for letting me know!
Hi Hyosun,
I’ve tried your mak kimchi and galbi recipes recently and they’re so delicious! I want to try your bulgogi recipe(s) as well and I wanted to ask whether I can use this recipe for both beef and chicken? I noted that you have a separate recipe for beef bulgogi, if I was to use one recipe for both beef & chicken, which recipe do you think is most suitable? Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes 🙂
Hi Mia – Thanks for letting me know mak kimchi and galbi recipes came out delicious for you! Do you mind sharing your experience on the respective post? It will help other readers when they decide whether they should try. I’d appreciate it. Either marinade should be fine for both beef and chicken. The beef bulgogi marinade is a traditional one, so you may want to try that one first. But, this chicken marinade is also awesome as well. Hope you try both eventually. Enjoy!
Thank you for a great recipe! I served in South Korea for a year in the Air Force and the food brings back such good memories! So thankful for everyone I met there.
You’re welcome! I am glad to be helpful. Thank you so much for your service in Korea!
Looks and sounds terrific. I’m thinking of trying it with salmon and grilling it.
I have a salmon bulgogi recipe on the blog. It’s a similar marinade. Slightly different.
Hi what do you think would be the best substitute for rice wine/mirin for this recipe? because of religious reason i have to avoid alcohol completely and also it’s kinda hard to find those ingredients here.
anyway, thank you for sharing this recipe it surely looks delicious and easy too 😀
You can omit it. Add a bit more lemon juice. Enjoy!
Loved it!! Made it with spicy cucumber salad (from your website too)! Thanks so much!
Excellent! Spicy cucumber salad is a great side for this dish. Thanks for coming by!
This is excellent! I followed the recipe exactly except I let it marinade for an hour instead. I have used it as a filling for chicken vegetable summer rolls, and it complimented everything so well. Thank you!
This is my favorite. I make it for my family often. So delcious and wonderful and an easy way to introduce them to Korean food. Thanks so much!
Kids DEVOURED this tonight! Thank you for yet another great recipe!
That’s great to hear, Peggy! My pleasure!
I used chicken thighs and cooked them in the crock pot and then broiled in oven…..delicious! Thank you! ??
Wow – that’s a whole new recipe, but sounds great! Thanks for the idea!
Hi Hyosun
I really wanted to love this recipe…but i wonder what i did wrong =(
i followed it to a T but it wasnt sweet and didnt have a nice flavour to it =(
The ginger gave it a bitter taste…
Thanks for sharing the recipe nonetheless….if anything it must be me =)
Cheers
Novicecook
Sorry to hear it didn’t work out well for you. Try to adjust the recipe to your taste next time by adding more sugar if you like it sweeter and omitting ginger, etc. Thank you for trying it out, and hope you find many more recipes to try on my blog!
Tried cooking this today and everyone loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe.<3
Awesome!! Thanks for letting me know.
Hi hyosun! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. It’s a dish that I would really like to try to cook for my family. But is it possible for me to not use brown sugar and use honey only? Love your blog very much! Keep up the good work.
Hi Ginny – Yes you can just use honey instead. Thank you for the nice words!
Hi Hyosun,
This recipe is awesome. I’ve been trying to recreate the taste of chicken bulgogi from the all-you-can-eat KBBQ places. However, my results from this recipe seem to be a little more reminiscent of teriyaki chicken and it seems to miss some particular tastes from the restaurant chicken. Do you have any idea of where this taste comes from? Will omitting mirin change the taste? Lastly, will mulyeot caramelize in the same way as honey?
Thanks for your time!
Made this for my family over the weekend and they all loved it!
I love this recipe, I’ve done it twice already and I will keep coming back to it. Easy and delicious!! I add a bit of gochujang to make it spicier… mmmm nom!! Thank you for posting this!
You’re welcome! I am glad to hear you love the recipe. Thanks for leaving me a note!
I just found this recipe and made it for my husband. It was so easy to make and good. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome, Mizy! I am glad to hear you liked it. Hope you find many other recipes you like on the blog.
Hyosun – THANK you for putting this out there. It was fantastic – I did take the liberty of putting pepper flakes into the marinade ( I love heat) and throwing some veggies in after I turned the chicken over to cook on the other side. It was great served over brown rice. I got rave reviews —and you did get the credit this time! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Great to hear that! And thanks for the credit! Hope you find many more recipes you like. Happy cooking!
Thank you for your helpful information about this Korean BBQ chicken and how to cook it.
Will take note and follow your instructions to prepare it for my next BBQ or even indoors party!
Sounds great! Thanks for leaving me a note.
It was easy and delicious! Thank you!!
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know.
I randomly came across this recipe while Googling Korean BBQ. This was my first time trying anything like this and not only was it incredibly easy, but I LOVED how great it tasted! This will be my go-to recipe for Dak Bulgogi for sure. Thank you!
P.S. Can this same marinade be used for things like tuna?
Hi Niclole – Happy to hear you loved this chicken dish! It’s one of the most popular recipes on my blog. The marinade can be used for other ingredients. Check out my salmon bulgogi too. Happy Korean cooking!
Kamsa-amnida Hyosun^^
the marinade was very delicious! im gonna try for salmon soon!
Thanks for your recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know. Hope you enjoy the salmon recipe as well.
Trying this tonight for my Korean husband. I’m an American wife, trying to give her Korean Hubby some yummy food from home. We moved to the US two years ago from S. Korea. He doesn’t say it, but I know he misses food from home.
Hi Jessica – Hope you and your husband enjoyed the dish. I’m sure he misses the foods he grew up eating. Lucky for him, he has a wife who’s trying to help him with that. Cheers!
the pictures look fabulous and the recipe sounds rather easy to throw together. every time i visit the usa, i love going to korean bbq. we don’t have places like that here where i live so i decided to cook this for my parents (tomorrow), as they do not even like experimenting with spices. i already mixed everything together and my mom has told me that she loved the scent! it’s rather unique (compared to what she is used to eating). we’re all looking forward to what it’ll actually taste like.
Thank you! I hope you and your parents enjoyed this dish. Yes, it’s so easy to put together but delicious! Cheers!
Simple yet delicious recipe. Used chicken fillet instead and turn out beautifully. Wish i could share the photo in the comment.
Chicken fillet sounds good for this recipe. I should try it too. You can post it on Instagram and tag @koreanbapsang or post it on Korean Bapsang Facebook Page timeline if you have an account on either one. I’d love to see it!
This is an amazing recipe! Literally my go to weekly. I double the recipe and cook up 3 lbs for the week. Thanks so much!
Can I use ground turkey to make Bulgogi meatballs? If so, how many pounds per recipe above? Should I mix in/marinade or make meatballs first then drizzle sauce on? Thanks in advance! (Note: I’m learning to cook so sorry for such questions)
Could I use kochujang to spice it up a bit more?
Yes you can, but too much gochujang may make it too salty. You should reduce the amount of soy sauce. Gochugaru will be a better choice. Better yet, here’s the spicy version here: http://www.koreanbapsang.com/2015/06/spicy-grilled-korean-chicken.html
Cooked this today and I loved it! My sister and her son loved it too!
Awesome! Great to hear!
Thank you. I just made this..grilled over charcoal. Phenomenal. Kamsa hamida!!!
So happy to hear that! Thanks!
Excellent chicken recipe to which I added Vigo yellow saffron rice with a side of marinade (not used with the chicken) for the rice and finished chicken.
Nice work Hyosun,the chicken pieces look great, i dont know if I would be able to achieve the same quality at home.is it okay not to use wine for those who dont normally use alcohol?
I rarely leave comments on websites, but I felt compelled to thank you for all of your great recipes. I made this for dinner tonight, and my husband and I loved it. We have also tried your dakgangjeong, bibimnaengmyun and your dwaeji galbi which I made for a party twice and which everyone loved. I have pinned many of your other recipes and I’m looking forward to trying them. Thank you so much for sharing your talent.
Marinating chicken now to stir fry with green onions, kimche and ramen noodles. Can’t wait!
Love your recipes because most things I can get at a regular grocery store. I find myself not wanting to make dishes with obscure ingredients from the Asian store that I’d only use once.
tried many korean recipes before and yours are just perfect (i am tunisian :D)
if i may ask one question: how to replace pork and wine without ruining the taste.
Many thanks for sharing your delicious recipes
Just replace the meat. It will be fine. You won’t ruin anything. Having said that, I like to use more ginger with pork.
Hi Hyosun,
Thank you for sharing your recipes! Living in Southern California, I have access to many Korean markets and fresh ingredients. For New Years’ I prepared Dak Bulgogi, L.A. Galbi, Gamja Jorim, Kangnamul Muchim and Sigemuchi Namul for New Years’. My boyfriend bought additional banchan and Kimchi from a local Korean market. Your delicious recipes have created a new annual tradition!
Kara
Oh wow! That sounds like a big feast! Thank you so much for using my recipes and for the nice words! Thumbs up for a new annual tradition!
Thank you very much for sharing this recipe. I tried it today along the sigeumchi namul and it was sooo good and family loved it! Cheers form Italy, Susanna
I tried the recipe today and it tasted soo good. I loved it so much!
It looked exactly like in the pictures and I really enjoyed making it. I‘ll definitely use this recipe again. Thank you for sharing!
I can’t wait to cook this dish.