Korean BBQ Chicken Bowls (Printable View)

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

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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

→ Bowl Components

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

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, gochujang, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, and black pepper in a mixing bowl until well combined and sugar has dissolved.
02 - Add chicken thighs to the marinade, turning to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes, up to 2 hours for deeper flavor penetration.
03 - Shred carrots and purple cabbage, thinly slice cucumber, slice avocado, and chop green onions. Cook rice if not already prepared. Whisk mayonnaise, gochujang, rice vinegar, and honey until smooth for the spicy mayo.
04 - Heat grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Grill marinated chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through with internal temperature of 165°F and nicely charred. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
05 - Divide warm rice among four bowls. Arrange sliced BBQ chicken, shredded carrots, cucumber, purple cabbage, and avocado sections on top. Drizzle generously with gochujang mayo, garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The homemade gochujang mayo will become your new obsession on everything from burgers to roasted vegetables
  • These bowls come together in 40 minutes but taste like they took all day to perfect
  • Every bite hits all the right notes, spicy, creamy, crunchy, and deeply satisfying
02 -
  • Crowding the pan while grilling chicken will steam it instead of searing it, work in batches if needed
  • Slicing chicken against the grain after resting keeps each bite impossibly tender
  • The gochujang mayo needs to sit for at least 10 minutes for the flavors to meld properly
03 -
  • Let your chicken come to room temperature for 20 minutes before grilling for more even cooking
  • Invest in a good gochujang brand, it makes all the difference in both the marinade and sauce

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