Korean BBQ Chicken Bowls (Printable)

Grilled chicken thighs in Korean BBQ sauce over rice with crisp vegetables and spicy mayo.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Korean BBQ Chicken

01 - 1.1 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
02 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
03 - 1.5 tablespoons brown sugar
04 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 teaspoons ginger, grated
07 - 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste)
08 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon 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 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish

→ Gochujang Mayo

18 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
19 - 1 tablespoon gochujang
20 - 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
21 - 1 teaspoon honey

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and black pepper 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 cabbage, slice cucumber and avocado, and thinly slice green onions. Cook rice if not already prepared.
04 - Combine mayonnaise, gochujang, rice vinegar, and honey in a small bowl. Whisk until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside for serving.
05 - Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Grill marinated chicken thighs for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through with internal temperature reaching 165°F and nicely charred. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
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. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while chicken is warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The homemade gochujang mayo becomes a sauce you will want to put on everything
  • Marinated chicken thighs stay incredibly juicy even with high-heat grilling
  • These bowls come together in under an hour but taste like restaurant-quality food
02 -
  • Cold chicken goes into a cold pan will never develop that restaurant-quality char you want
  • Letting the chicken rest for 5 minutes after cooking keeps all those juices inside instead of on your cutting board
  • The gochujang mayo tastes better after sitting for 10 minutes so make it while the chicken marinates
03 -
  • Double the gochujang mayo recipe and keep it in your fridge for sandwiches burgers and wraps all week long
  • Use leftover cooked rice from Chinese takeout for the best texture and flavor in these bowls

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