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Korean Fire Chicken
For this simple spin on Korean buldak, which translates as “fire chicken,” you will need a large broiler-safe skillet. Gochujang, or Korean fermented chili paste, is a key ingredient. Look for it in the international aisle in supermarkets or in Asian grocery stores. Different brands can vary in spiciness, so you may want to start with the smaller amount, then taste after whisking with the vinegar and soy. If desired, whisk in additional gochujang, keeping in mind that the flavors in the finished dish will be slightly more concentrated. Serve with rice and, if you like, lettuce leaves for wrapping.
4
Servings
1 hour
25 minutes active
Ingredients
-
⅓-½
cup gochujang (see note)
-
¼
cup unseasoned rice vinegar
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March 18, 2023
Hot and Delicious!
This recipe is super simple and oh so delicious. I've made it multiple times with different cuts of chicken... Highly recommend if you like heat!
December 7, 2022
Not too spicy and so easy
This was a great quick weeknight dinner. Following other reviewers: I doubled the sauce and added some honey. I stayed on the lower end for the chili for a younger diner and he loved it. Used a 12” cast iron pan and broiler at 500. Cooking time was perfect but had to stir three times for more even charring. I wonder if peanuts or sesame seeds might add a little here as it does feel like there’s some room for something extra.
August 20, 2022
Love this
I love the flavor of this and make it routinely.
I had the same 30 min question as the “Start to finish: 25 minutes” under the recipe title was deceptive. I did make it last night and it was delicious. Not enough liquid left after broiling to have a sauce, but still yummy. Will adjust next time or make extra sauce.
This recipe is so delicious! We make it all the time. Around 30 minutes, barely any chopping, and so yummy! If you use less chicken, it will cook much faster, so beware.
Hi Daniel -
We didn't test this, but I don't think this recipe lends itself to cutting it in half. The sauce needs to be a certain volume to coat the chicken so it not only seasons the chicken but won't quickly burn under the broiler. If you cut the sauce ingredients in half I fear it would burn. This chicken is fantastic the next day, though, so I would make the full amount with rice and have the rest the next day for lunch tucked into some Bibb lettuce!
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Hi Daniel -
We didn't test this, but I don't think this recipe lends itself to cutting it in half. The sauce needs to be a certain volume to coat the chicken so it not only seasons the chicken but won't quickly burn under the broiler. If you cut the sauce ingredients in half I fear it would burn. This chicken is fantastic the next day, though, so I would make the full amount with rice and have the rest the next day for lunch tucked into some Bibb lettuce!
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Using chicken breast would change cooking times, yes? Cut by about half? (Yes, I know we all love the better flavor of thighs, but I have some breasts in the freezer I'd like to cook up and a saucy recipe such as this is, in my experience, a great way to hide the relative flavorlessness of breasts)
Hi Jonathan -
We didn't try it with chicken breasts and I do worry that the breasts will dry out under the intense heat of the broiler. If you do decide to try it, I'd definitely keep a close eye on it and pull the chicken as soon as it's no longer pink inside. Alternatively, you could try our recipe for Spicy Butter-Soy Chicken - https://www.177milkstreet.com/recipes/spicy-butter-soy-chicken-cookish - which calls for chicken breasts. Good luck!
Best,
The Milk Street Team
Just saw the recipe for Korean Fire Chicken on Milk Street site. Has it been published in a magazine yet? If not, when did the recipe first appeared?
We made this for dinner last night and it was fantastic. Those concerned about halving the recipe we kind of did that. Half the amount of chicken but the full amount of sauce, plenty to coat chicken while leaving some to 'drizzle' over the rice. Went full on with the amount of Gochujang and while it does lend heat, it wasn't a blow out as with some other chilis. The 30 minutes under the broiler was cut to 25 minutes, but with the use of thighs, they stayed tender yet had those charred ends. Added the sesame seeds as in the recipe photo which added a nice finishing touch. It's a keeper.
Question about what kind of skillet/broiler pan to use? Is a cast iron skillet safe for broiling? I googled it and it said you can burn yourself touching the handle with regular oven mitts. I have all clad brushed D5 pan which says that it is broiler safe but since it is expensive wonder if I should use a broiler pan instead? Maybe with tin foil covering the pan to make it easier to clean? Appreciate your help.
Lisa - a cast iron skillet will work nicely here, yes. Whatever type of skillet you use - an all-metal, multi-ply pan like your All Clad will also work, and won't be damaged by the broiler - you should be very careful when removing the extremely hot pan from the oven. An oven mitt plus a layered kitchen towel will keep you safe from burns.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
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I have to wonder what 30 minutes under the broiler will do to this chicken, even 6 inches from the element. I am a pretty experienced home cook and my intuition tells me that length of time would both scorch and over cook the chicken. Comments from those who have tried this are appreciated!