These sticky Korean BBQ Chicken Skewers 🍗🎉🌶️ are marinated with trendy gochujang paste which lends the perfect blend of savory, sweet, and spicy flavors! Both grilling and baking instructions are provided for this EASY chicken recipe that’s ready in 30 minutes! Bonus that it’s a high protein recipe with 50 grams per serving!
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Easy Korean BBQ Chicken Skewers Recipe
- If you’re feeling adventurous and ready to jazz up your usual chicken dinner recipe, these Korean chicken skewers are PERFECT!
- Bite-sized pieces of chicken are quickly marinated in a mixture of Korean red pepper paste, also known as gochujang paste, along with soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, and toasted sesame oil. The result is a flavor profile that’s a little bit spicy, savory, salty, and a tiny bit sweet. Trust me, it’s such a flavorful chicken recipe and worth it to give it a try!
- I have a recipe for 15-Minute Korean Chicken that I posted in 2018 long before gochujang was as well known. But I assure you, your mainstream grocery store will stock gochujang paste, or you can always order it online. It can be found in mild, medium, and spicy. I opt for medium.
- While I am always team outdoor gas grill for both flavor and ease of cleanup, I know that not everyone has a grill so I also provide both indoor grill pan, and oven-baking instructions for your sticky chicken skewers. I’ve also got a skillet Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken recipe that’s well-loved by readers. And if Mediterranean is more your thing, my Greek Chicken Kabobs are incredible!
- With very minimal 15 minutes of marinating time and a quick cooking time thanks to the bite-sized pieces of chicken, this is a 30-minute meal that’s perfect not only for summer backyard bbq’s but easy weeknight dinners.
Ingredients in Sticky Korean Chicken Skewers
Marinade: Korean red pepper paste (Gochujang paste), soy sauce, rice vinegar, light brown sugar, sesame oil, salt, black pepper.
Anything else: If you want to add minced garlic, ginger, or kimchi, or something else you have on hand that sounds good to you for the marindade, go for it!
Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts but you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Tip – Keep the chicken pieces a uniform size, about 1 1/2-inch cubes.
Garnishes, optional: Green onions or scallions, sesame seeds, fresh herbs such as basil or cilantro.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Korean Barbecue Chicken Skewers (or Grill Pan, or Baked)
- If you’re using wood skewers instead of metal skewers, get them soaking in water for at least 30 minutes.
- To a large bowl, add all the gochujang marinade ingredients and mix to combine. Set aside 1/3 cup in a small saucepan.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl, toss to coat evenly, and marinate for about 15-30 minutes. While the chicken marinates, simmer the reserved marinade in the saucepan for about 2-3 minutes, until it’s thicker and sticky.
- Then thread the marinated pieces onto skewers.
- Preheat an outdoor gas grill OR indoor grill pan OR bake in a preheated oven.
- If you’re grilling on an outdoor gas grill , cook over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes on your outdoor grill. Baste and brush with the sticky sauce once or twice during grilling. Cook until the chicken is done which is 165F, making sure to turn the skewers frequently. These small pieces of chicken will cook through quickly (especially on an outdoor grill) so keep an eye on them.
- Or on an indoor grill pan, cook the chicken kebabs over medium-high heat on your stove’s burner, basting as necessary.
- If you’re baking, place a grill rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet with rack, and arrange the skewers on the prepared rack and bake for about 20 minutes, turning midway and basting with the sticky sauce as desired.
- Optionally, garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, or fresh herbs.
what to serve with Korean chicken Kabobs
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- 2 to 4 tablespoons Gochujang paste, or to taste (also known as Korean red pepper paste. I use a medium spice level paste, but mild or spicy are options; add to heat preference level)
- ¼ cup soy sauce, I use reduced sodium
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, , diced into 1 1/2-inch chunks (keep the pieces uniform, boneless skinless chicken thighs may be used)
- 1 green onion, sliced into thin rounds; optional for garnishing
- sesame seeds, to taste; optional for garnishing
- Marindade: To a large bowl, add the Gochujuang paste to taste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and whisk to combine to create the chicken marinade. Taste, and if desired, add more of a certain ingredient that you desire. Remove 1/3 cup of the marinade and place it in a small saucepan; set aside.
Add the diced chicken to the marinade, and allow it to marindade for 15-30 minutes. If you’re going to marinade closer to 30 minutes, you should cover it and place the bowl in the fridge. Tip – Do NOT marinade longer than indicated; the acidity of the ingredients will break down the chicken protein fibers too much and the chicken will be mushy.
- Soak: Meanwhile, if you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 15-30 minutes, or while the chicken is marinating. Tip – I prefer wooden skewers because the charred ends of the wood give a smoky fragrance to the chicken, which adds to the overall flavor profile. Reduce: Additionally, place the saucepan with the reserved 1/3 cup marindade on the stove, heat over medium-high for about 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce reduces, thickens, and become sticky; stir nearly continuously so it doesn’t burn. Set aside off the heat until it’s time to baste the chicken.
Thread: After marinating, thread the chicken on approximately 5 to 8 skewers, depending on how much chicken you’re using and the exact length of your skewers. Don’t compress or overly compact/squish the chicken onto a skewer. If you’re running out of space, start a new skewer.
- Cooking: When ready to cook, follow the method below that’s best suited for you. In all cooking methods: Discard the marinade that was in the marinating bowl.-Chicken is done at 160F, rest it on a plate for 5-10 minutes so the internal temp rises to 165F as measured with a digital thermometer, which is the safe temperature to consume chicken.
Grilling (outdoors): Oil the grill grates, and preheat outdoor gas grill to medium-high heat. When ready to grill, place the skewers on the grill, close the lid, and grill for approximately 3-4 minutes, open the lid, flip the chicken using tongs, baste it generously with the sauce that you reduced, and cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until the chicken is done; baste as much as desired for juicer chicken with richer flavor. Tips – Because most grills are at least 500-600F and these pieces of chicken are small, it’s going to cook very quickly. Use common sense and lower the heat if it’s burning, flip and turn as much as necessary, and if it’s not done after 8 minutes total, keep grilling until it’s done. If it sticks when you are trying to flip it, let it cook for another minute before trying to flip it.
Grill Pan (indoors on stove): Preheat a grill pan over medium-high to high heat on your stove, place the skewers on top, and cook for approximately 5 minutes, flip the chicken using tongs, baste generously, and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the chicken is done; baste as often as desired for juicier more flavorful chicken. Tips – These pieces of chicken are small and will cook very quickly but all grill pans vary in their thickness, composition, the size of the chicken pieces varies, etc. so use common sense and keep cooking until it’s done. If it sticks when you are trying to flip it, let it cook for another minute before trying to flip it.
Oven Baking: Preheat oven to 400F and place a grill rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet (do not skip lining your baking sheet because the marinade runoff will char your baking sheet otherwise!), and arrange the skewers on the prepared rack. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and lightly charred on the edges. Flip midway through baking with tongs. baste generously, and you can even flip and baste another time before chicken is fully done for juicer, moistre chicken. Tips – Baking time will vary based on the size of the chicken pieces, personal preference for doneness, heat output of your oven, etc. so use common sense and keep cooking until it’s done. If your oven runs hot, and/or the chicken pieces are smaller, it could be done in 16-18 minutes, so I recommend checking early. It may also take longer than 20-22 minutes, which is fine too.
Garnish: Optionally garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, fresh herbs such as basil or cilantro, or as desired. Serve the chicken right on the skewers, or remove it from the skewers and serve it alongside rice, over a salad, or as desired.
Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 335kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 1784mg, Potassium: 894mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 101IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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