Korean BBQ Chicken Bowls (Printable)

Grilled chicken thighs in Korean BBQ sauce over rice with fresh veggies and spicy mayo

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Korean BBQ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
03 - 1½ 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

# How-To 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 thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - While chicken marinates, shred the carrots, slice the cucumber and avocado, shred the purple cabbage, and thinly slice the green onions. Cook the 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. Grill marinated chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through and nicely charred. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.
06 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four bowls. Arrange sliced BBQ chicken, carrots, cucumber, purple cabbage, and avocado on top of the rice in sections.
07 - Drizzle bowls with gochujang mayo, then sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while chicken is still warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The homemade gochujang mayo will make you want to put it on everything forever
  • You get that restaurant-quality char without needing any special equipment
02 -
  • Dont skip the resting time after grilling or all those juices will run onto your cutting board instead of staying in the meat
  • The marinade sweetness means your chicken will char faster than you expect, watch it closely
03 -
  • Heat your pan until its properly hot before adding the chicken or you wont get those restaurant-quality char marks
  • Let the marinated chicken come to room temperature before grilling for more even cooking

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