Dak Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Chicken)

By Eric Kim

Published May 23, 2025

Dak Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Chicken)
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(648)
Comments
Read comments

One great joy of bulgogi, marinated grilled beef that translates to “fire meat,” is that you can prepare it in advance and, when you’re ready to eat, have dinner on the table in under 10 minutes. This stovetop chicken variation, dak bulgogi, provides the same workday convenience and savory-sweet flavors, thanks to soju, an alcohol which tenderizes the meat, and maple syrup, which caramelizes beautifully without burning. Apple juice extends those ingredients and allows room for the subtle umami — known in Korean as gamchil mat — from garlic, ginger and scallions to gently season the chicken. Don’t skip the salt, pepper and lemon at the end; they complete this deliciously brisk dish.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • ¼cup apple juice
  • 2tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2tablespoons soju, sake or carbonated water (See Tip)
  • 1 to 2tablespoons maple syrup, depending on sweetness preference
  • 2teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
  • 4garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1(2-inch) piece ginger, halved lengthwise
  • 2large scallions, cut crosswise into 3-inch pieces
  • Olive or canola oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Steamed white rice, lemon wedges and lettuce leaves (such as baby romaine, red leaf or butter lettuces), for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Marinate the chicken: Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, then cut into long, ½-inch-thick strips (a few straggler nuggets are fine). Transfer to a resealable container. Add the apple juice, soy sauce, soju, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and scallions, then seal the container and shake to combine. Marinate for at least 10 minutes at room temperature and up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom. Using tongs, transfer the chicken and scallions to the pan in a single layer, leaving behind the marinade, and season lightly with salt and generously with pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Cook without disturbing for 1 minute, reducing the heat if the bottoms are getting too dark. Flip the chicken and scallion pieces and continue cooking, stirring occasionally or shaking the pan, until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 6 more minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Serve immediately with the rice, lemon wedges and lettuce leaves. To eat, squeeze some lemon over the chicken and lettuce. Drizzle the lettuce lightly with sesame oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Private Notes

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FAQS

  1. If you’re cooking for one or two, you can cook the marinated chicken over a few days. Feel free to pan-fry just the amount you need at any given meal.

Ratings

5 out of 5
648 user ratings
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Comments

Eric Kim

Hi Claudia, sorry for the confusion. The tip is in the FAQ: What can I substitute for the soju or sake? If you don’t want to use alcohol in the marinade, you can use lemon-lime soda, carbonated water or just plain water instead. If you’re OK with alcohol, but don’t have either of those two on hand, you can use a dry white wine.

Sam

@Eric Kim thanks for the added info. The issue may be on the app. On the app there doesn’t appear to be an FAQ tab, section or link.

Claudia McVeigh

You mentioned a tip regarding the alcohol but I don’t see it.

Gina Corsun

Absolutely delicious!! I will definitely add this dish to my regular rotation. Made as written, except used pineapple juice instead of apple juice since it was what I had on hand. My husband and I enjoy spicy foods, so I put out some chile crisp to add at the table. Neither of us used it. Dish was quite tasty and needed no additional embellishments.

Necola

Love it!! many thanks, will be on regular rotation in my house and will be brilliant in summer here in Sydney Australia.

The Peppermeister

Made it again - this time with chicken breast. Still very good, but we prefer thighs. Served with vegetable pajeon- amazing combo.

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