Korean BBQ Chicken Bowls (Print Version)
Grilled chicken thighs in sweet Korean BBQ sauce over fluffy rice with fresh vegetables and spicy gochujang mayo.
# What You’ll Need:
→ For the Korean BBQ Chicken
01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
04 - 1 tbsp sesame oil
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 tsp ginger, grated
07 - 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
08 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
09 - 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
10 - Black pepper, to taste
→ For the Bowls
11 - 2 cups cooked jasmine or short-grain rice
12 - 1 cup shredded carrots
13 - 1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
14 - 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
15 - 1 avocado, sliced
16 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
17 - 1 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish
→ Gochujang Mayo
18 - 3 tbsp mayonnaise
19 - 1 tbsp gochujang
20 - 1 tsp rice vinegar
21 - 1 tsp honey
# Steps:
01 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and black pepper in a bowl until well combined.
02 - Add chicken thighs to the marinade, turning to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - While chicken marinates, shred carrots and purple cabbage, thinly slice cucumber, slice avocado, and chop green onions. Cook rice if not already prepared.
04 - Combine mayonnaise, gochujang, rice vinegar, and honey in a small bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy. Set aside until serving.
05 - Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook marinated chicken thighs for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through with internal temperature of 165°F and nicely charred. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice into strips.
06 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four bowls. Arrange sliced BBQ chicken, shredded carrots, cucumber, purple cabbage, and avocado on top of the rice.
07 - Drizzle gochujang mayo over each bowl. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while chicken is still warm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marinade creates this incredible sticky glaze that caramelizes beautifully on the grill
- You can prep everything ahead and just grill when ready to eat
- That spicy creamy mayo ties all the fresh crunchy vegetables together perfectly
02 -
- Dont skip resting the chicken after grilling or those juices will end up on your cutting board instead of in your bowl
- The gochujang mayo can be made days ahead and actually gets better as it sits
- Room temperature rice works best so it doesnt cool down your warm chicken
03 -
- Double the gochujang mayo and keep it in your fridge for veggie dipping sandwich spreading or emergency noodle sauce
- Toasted sesame seeds make a huge difference so buy them raw and toast them yourself in a dry pan for 2 minutes