Buldak with Cheese – Korean Fire Chicken

Buldak is a popular Korean spicy chicken dish served as a street food or light meal. Either bone-in or boneless chicken is marinated in a fiery sauce made from gochujang and Korean chili flakes, then typically grilled or fried.

The name literally translates to “fire chicken”, so it will definitely satisfy your spicy food cravings.

I call this fire chicken “Korean pizza”. It features chunky, juicy chicken swamped in a chili sauce and low-moisture mozzarella cheese. It contains all the essence of a pizza and it’s addictively good. It’s extremely easy to put together and takes no time to make. If you’re looking for a quick one-pan dinner recipe, look no further.

Ingredients:

How to Make?

1. Make the Sauce:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken stock, soy sauce, rice syrup, gochujang and sesame oil. Set the mixture aside.

   

2. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Stir in garlic and ginger, cooking until they’re aromatic, which should take about a minute. Then, add chiles and black pepper, continuing to stir until they’re aromatic, which usually takes around 30 seconds.

   

3. Combine the gochujang mixture and Sprite in a saucepan and bring it to a rapid simmer.

   

4. Let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the pan.
5. Aim for the sauce to reduce by about half and coat the back of a spoon; this typically takes 6 to 8 minutes.
6. Transfer the sauce to a heat-proof measuring cup or bowl.

   

7. Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature.
8. You should have approximately 1½ cups or 360ml of sauce.
9. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

2. Marinate the Chicken:

1. Dry the chicken thighs with paper towels and lay them skin-side down on a cutting board.

   

2. Take one thigh at a time and use a sharp knife to make cuts along both sides of the bone, lengthwise.
3. Use the knife to expose the bone and then slide the blade underneath to separate it from the flesh.
4. Don’t worry about removing every bit of meat from the bone.
5. Remove the bone from the thigh meat, ensuring to cut off and discard any remaining cartilage or bone fragments.
6. Keep the bones aside.
7. Repeat this process with the rest of the chicken thighs.
8. In a medium-sized bowl or a large sealable bag, mix the chicken thighs and bones with half of the sauce (approximately 180ml) until they are evenly coated. Cover the bowl or seal the bag, then place it in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 45 minutes or overnight.

   

3. Fry the Chicken:

1. Adjust oven rack to 6 inches below broiler element and preheat broiler on high.

Grilling:

1. Prepare your grill by lighting a chimney full of charcoal. Once the coals are covered with gray ash, spread them evenly over half of the coal grate. Alternatively, if you’re using a gas grill, heat half of the burners to high.
2. After placing the cooking grate, cover the grill and let it preheat for about 5 minutes. Ensure the grilling grate is clean and lightly oiled.
3. Grill the chicken thighs and bones over high heat. Start with the thighs skin-side down, adjusting them to a cooler part of the grill if there are flare-ups. Cook until the skin is nicely charred and the bones are charred on all sides, which usually takes 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Use tongs to move the bones to the cooler side of the grill, then flip the thighs over. Continue cooking until the second side is charred, and the meat is just cooked through, about 5-7 minutes more.
5. Cut the thighs into 1 to 1½ inch pieces using poultry shears. Brush the pieces with the remaining sauce and continue cooking over direct heat until the chicken is fully cooked but still tender, approximately 2-3 minutes.
6. Finally, transfer the chicken pieces and bones to a 10-inch cast iron skillet.

   

Broiling:

1. Place a wire rack inside a baking sheet lined with foil.
2. Arrange the chicken thighs and bones on the rack, making sure the thighs are skin-side up.
3. Broil the chicken, keeping a close eye on it, until the skin is nicely charred, which usually takes about 5 minutes.
4. Flip the thighs and bones over using tongs, and continue cooking until the chicken is just cooked through, approximately another 5 minutes.
5. Use poultry shears to cut the thighs into 1 to 1½ inch pieces.
6. Transfer the chicken pieces and bones to a 10-inch cast iron skillet and toss them with the remaining sauce.
7. Broil until the chicken is fully cooked but still tender, and the sauce is bubbly, typically around 2 to 3 minutes more.

   

4. Top with Cheese:

1. Spread shredded mozzarella evenly over the chicken pieces.
2. Broil until the cheese is completely melted and starts to bubble, which usually takes 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Finish by sprinkling scallions and sesame seeds over the top, and serve immediately.

   

Key Ingredients?

1. Chicken
2. Gochugaru
3. Gochujang
4. Cheese

How to Melt Cheese without a Broiler?

Once you spread the cheese, cover the pan again and let it cook on the stove top until the cheese melts. It’s that simple! I know, it’s more perfect when the cheese is lightly browned (like on pizza!). But if you don’t have a broiler, melting the cheese on the stove top will create a great result, as well.

Store & Leftovers:

Leftover buldak will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container.

What serve with Buldak?

The Korean fire chicken is a perfect standalone dish. Especially after slightly increasing the amount of rice cakes in the recipe, I think it has the perfect amount of protein and carbs to serve as a one-pan meal. However, if you want to make your meal more substantial, you can serve it with some steamed rice (or bread) to soak up the sauce.

Here are some recipes you can serve with Buldak:

1. Chinese Pickled Cabbage
2. Easy Cucumber Salad
3. Chinese Coleslaw

Tips! After you’ve finished cooking the chicken, if there’s any remaining sauce in the pan, don’t let it go to waste. Utilize it by tossing in some cooked rice and transforming it into flavorful fried rice. It’s a delicious way to make the most out of every last drop of that mouthwatering sauce.