There’s nothing quite like tender chicken cooked over the grill with bold, savory flavors. This Korean BBQ Chicken is marinated in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce and grilled until perfectly charred and juicy.

Korean BBQ chicken over rice with cucumber salad on a plate.

Serve this grilled Korean BBQ Chicken over rice with a simple cucumber salad for a dinner that’s fresh, flavorful, and so easy to love.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Sweet, savory, and a little spicy – the perfect balance of flavors in every bite.
Easy marinade with pantry ingredients that packs serious flavor.
Perfect for grilling – juicy chicken thighs cook up beautifully over the fire.

Ingredients for Korean BBQ Chicken Recipe

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – chicken breasts work too
Soy sauce
Gochujang sauce (found it at Walmart) or Sriracha
Brown sugar
Rice vinegar
Sesame oil
Fresh ginger
Minced garlic
Cilantro – optional garnish
Sesame Seeds – optional garnish

How to Make Korean BBQ Chicken

Mix the marinade. In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, gochujang sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.

Marinate the chicken. Place chicken pieces in a zip-top bag or dish, pour the marinade over, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for best flavor.

Prepare the grill. Heat grill to medium-high heat, about 300°.
Grill the chicken. Place marinated chicken thighs over direct heat and grill 5–6 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°.

Rest and serve. Remove chicken from grill and let rest a few minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cliantro if desired.

Grilled chicken thighs with Korean marinade.

Serve with rice and cucumber salad for a complete meal.

Don’t Have a Grill? Cook on the stovetop using a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches, turning after 3-4 minutes and continue cooking until chicken reaches 165° using a digital meat thermometer.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Grilled chicken leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave.
Spice level: Adjust the gochujang to your taste – add more for a kick or less for mild flavor.
Serving ideas: Add kimchi, pickled vegetables, or a fried egg for a restaurant-style meal at home.
Korean BBQ Sauce: This marinade can be made into a bbq sauce, cook in saucepan, thicken with 1 – 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Great with pork or salmon.

This Korean BBQ Chicken is bold, simple, and just the kind of meal that will have you firing up the grill again and again.

Give this Korean BBQ Chicken Recipe a try, and let me know how it turned out in the comments – I’d love to hear from you!

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Korean BBQ Chicken

Juicy Korean BBQ Chicken marinated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and spicy gochujang sauce then grilled to perfection. Serve with rice and cucumber salad for an easy, flavorful dinner!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Marinating1

Course: Chicken

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: grilled chicken thighs, marinated chicken

Servings:

Calories: 333kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut in half lengthwise
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons gochujang sauce or sriracha
½ cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon ginger finely grated
1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
fresh cilantro optional for garnish
sesame seeds optional for garnish

Instructions

In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, gochujang sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.
Place chicken thighs in a zip-top bag or dish, pour the marinade over, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Heat grill to medium heat, about 300°.
Place marinated chicken thighs over direct heat and grill 5–6 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
Remove chicken from grill and let rest a few minutes before slicing. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

Stovetop: Cook on the stovetop using a grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in batches, turning after 3-4 minutes and continue cooking until chicken reaches 165° using a digital meat thermometer.

Store & Reheat: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat turning to heat through.

Spice: Adjust the gochujang to your spice preference.

Korean BBQ Sauce: This marinade can be made into a bbq sauce, cook in saucepan, thicken with 1 – 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Great with pork or salmon.