Add Incredible Flavor So Simply
Korean Style Barbecue Sauce is one of easiest ways to take your cooking up a few notches with so very little effort. If you’re looking for ways to change up the weekly dinner menu, this is such a great idea. A sweet and spicy sauce that adds richness to chicken or beef, vegetables and rice. You can make up a little batch in no time and store it in the refrigerator and it’s ready to go at a moments whim. However, I think you may even find yourself wanting to eat it with a spoon. Good thing it’s that easy to whip up time and time again.
I’ve confessed this before, but for someone who loves all the flavors of Asia like I do, It took me a really long time to get the confidence to start making Asian dishes. You don’t need a laundry list of ingredient to put this together either. You can mix it up in just five minutes and all the ingredients are easily found in your local grocery store. Just add the sauce to any of your basics and suddenly, Pappa’s (or Mamma’s) got a brand new bag!
For the Korean Style Barbecue Sauce
Into a medium sauce pan, add 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar with 2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce and 1/4 each of rice wine vinegar and water. Next, add 2 teaspoons sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of very finely minced fresh ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. If you like your sauce spicy, add sriracha sauce to taste. I would start with only about a teaspoon as the ginger also adds heat to heat to the sauce. Heat on high to boil, reduce heat.
Make a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water. With a whisk, mix the slurry into the boiling sauce, whisking constantly as it thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
You can store this sauce in the refrigerator for a few months in a jar with a tight seal.
Korean Style “Barbecue” Sauce on Crispy Chicken Thighs
Korean Barbecue, versions of this type of sauce is also called Korean Fried Chicken. But, you don’t need to fry any chicken to get all the best of this recipe, remember, I said it’s super easy. Just follow this link to my recipe for Crispy Chicken Thighs, the only ingredients, chicken, vegetable oil, salt and pepper! https://wp.me/p9KEfL-2Lj (The recipe for the chicken is shown below as well.)
Preheat oven to 475°
Rinse, then pat dry the thighs. Season chicken liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a 12″ cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Place chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, reduce heat to medium-high and continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. 
Transfer skillet to oven and cook 12 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Turn each thigh over, skin side up and top each thigh with 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce.
Return the pan to the oven to continue to cook for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serve over steamed rice, top with chopped scallions and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds. Serve extra sauce, because it’s just so good, you’re going to want more!
Enjoy!
Korean Style “Barbecue” Sauce on Crispy Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup water plus 1 tablespoon (divided)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (or more to taste)
For the Korean Style Barbecue Chicken
- 1/2 to 1 cup Korean Style Barbecue Sauce
- 4-6 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Garnish:
- 1 bunch chopped scallions
- 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
For the Sauce
- Into a medium sauce pan, add 3/4 cup of dark brown sugar with 2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar and 1/4 cup water.
- Add 2 teaspoons sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of very finely minced fresh ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat on high to boil, reduce heat.
- Make a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water.
- With a whisk, mix the slurry into the boiling sauce, whisking constantly as it thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
- Note: You can store this sauce in the refrigerator for a few months in a jar with a tight seal.
For the Korean Style Barbecue Chicken
- Preheat oven to 475°
- Rinse, then pat dry the thighs. Season chicken liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until hot, about 1 minute. Place chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer skillet to oven and cook 13 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Turn thighs over, skin side up, then put 2-3 tablespoons of the sauce on each thigh.
- Return to the oven to cook another 2-3 minutes
- Let chicken rest about 5-10 minutes before serving
Serve over steamed rice and top with chopped fresh scallions and a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Karen Harris https://www.bittersaltysoursweet.com
