Korean BBQ Grilled Chicken Thighs

There are a variety of grilled dishes in Korean cuisine that go by the name 'Gui', and Mae-un Dak Gui is a dish that uses chicken — dak — boldly flavoured with a hot — mae-un — chili marinade. Traditionally cooked over a charcoal grill, this quick and easy recipe celebrates the sweet and spicy flavours of a classic Korean barbecue chicken marinade but uses an outdoor barbecue to cook the chicken thighs to juicy golden perfection.



Korean BBQ Chicken
Serves 4

1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 tsp Gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) or Sriracha 
3 lbs chicken thighs, trimmed of any excess fat
1/2 lemon, sliced for garnish


Whisk the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of water, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, ginger, and black pepper in a medium bowl, then stir in the scallions and gochujang or Sriracha.

Place the chicken thighs in a large ziplock bag and pour the marinade overtop, squeezing out as much air as possible and then seal. Massage the chicken to make sure the marinade covers each chicken piece. Place the bag in a large bowl and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight, massaging and turning the bag every now and then.

To grill the chicken, preheat the outdoor BBQ to high heat. Place the chicken thighs on the grill, and cook 10-12 minutes per side, until the meat is cooked through. To serve, arrange the chicken on a large platter and garnish with sliced lemons and sesame seeds.