Chicken and Mushroom Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

By Kay Chun

Updated Aug. 4, 2020

Chicken and Mushroom Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(2,120)
Comments
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The savory Korean bulgogi marinade in this recipe is made with pantry items and livens up just about anything you put it on. Here, the soy-scallion-ginger marinade is used on boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but it can also be brushed on tofu, zucchini or bell peppers for a satisfying vegetarian meal. As the meat cooks, the marinade caramelizes into a sweet-salty sticky glaze that coats the chicken. Serving the grilled chicken and vegetables in lettuce cups is a fun way to enjoy the meal. Korean condiments like kimchi and gochujang are traditional bulgogi accompaniments, but shredded cabbage, salsa or even guacamole would also work. Leftovers can be refrigerated overnight, then chopped and tossed with salad greens.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ½cup chopped scallions (about 5 scallions)
  • 2tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (2 tablespoons)
  • 2teaspoons turbinado sugar
  • ½teaspoon black pepper
  • 3tablespoons safflower or canola oil, plus more for greasing
  • 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
  • 2large yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
  • 8ounces white button mushrooms, halved, or quartered if large
  • Lettuce leaves, such as green leaf, butter lettuce or romaine
  • Any combination of cooked short-grain rice, kimchi, gochujang or toasted sesame oil, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

382 calories; 18 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 1318 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, scallions, garlic, ginger, sugar, pepper and 2 tablespoons oil and mix well. Add chicken and onions and toss to evenly coat. Let stand for 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a cast-iron griddle or grill pan over medium-high and lightly grease with oil. Toss mushrooms in remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange half of the chicken, onions and mushrooms in a single layer. Grill until chicken is caramelized and cooked through, turning all ingredients every few minutes, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to serving plate. Repeat with remaining chicken and vegetables.

  3. Step 3

    Serve chicken bulgogi, onions and mushrooms with lettuce leaves for wrapping. Fill lettuce cups with rice (if using), chicken and vegetables. Top with any combination of kimchi, gochujang and sesame oil. Wrap and enjoy.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,120 user ratings
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Comments

Carolyn

Penny, Yes, I put everything on a heavy-duty sheet pan and roasted it about 6" under the broiler. Excellent!

Penny

Question--could this all be roasted in the oven in a sheet pan? Would make it even simpler.

scraps

Mark- brown sugar is fine. More important is high heat and small batches. Not crowding the pan is key to bulgogi. I actually like the browning effect I get when I use canned pears (whir in blender) as my sweetener for bulgogi, rather than sugar. You might also try cooking the shrooms in a separate batch; they release a lot of water which inhibits browning.

Kristina

Made this for the second time. Last time, I noted it didn't have enough sauce. This time, for 2 people I used 1 lb chicken, 1 onion, 6 oz. mushrooms, 1 tsp sugar and left everything else the same. Deliciously saucy! We only had a small amount left over.

Heidi

Made as written. 5 Stars. The marinade was way too strong when I put it together. I could taste the canola oil. Bleck. I nearly chucked it and was going to start over using the tips from the comments about subbing the sugar and using sesame oil instead, but I didn’t. I let the marinade I made as written sit overnight. Then went on with the rest of the recipe for lunch the next day. My boyfriend and I both loved it. I still want to try this again with tips from the comments, but my suggestion is to let the marinade flavors blend overnight for marinading the chicken in it.

Lindsay & Wes (Alaska)

WOW! We had leftover rice w/peas and shredded rotisserie chicken that we used as substitute. We turned it into a salad (instead of lettuce wraps) and topped it with red radishes marinated in rice vinegar, but the marinade on the chicken was THE highlight! Delicious!!

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