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Korean BBQ Chicken Tacos with Quick Kimchi

Korean BBQ chicken tacos with a glossy gochujang-sesame glaze and quick kimchi. Bite-sized chicken caramelizes fast in a hot skillet, then gets piled into warm flour tortillas with tangy cabbage.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
rest 15 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Korean-Mexican Fusion
Calories: 650

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup gochujang (Korean red chili paste)
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil plus more for quick kimchi
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, grated
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds
Quick kimchi
  • 2 cup napa cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp red chili flakes
  • 2 garlic, minced for quick kimchi
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil for quick kimchi
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar for quick kimchi
  • 0.25 Salt to taste for quick kimchi
To serve
  • 8 flour tortillas
  • 0.25 Sliced scallions and additional sesame seeds
  • 2 tsp sesame seeds for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make quick kimchi
  1. In a bowl, combine napa cabbage, red chili flakes, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and salt. Stir until evenly coated, then let sit for 15 minutes so the cabbage softens and releases moisture.
Cook Korean BBQ chicken
  1. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, gochujang, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and rice vinegar until smooth. Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat, then add chicken pieces and cook for 8-10 minutes until mostly cooked.
  2. Pour in the gochujang mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes more, stirring, until caramelized and chicken is cooked through. The sauce should look glossy and cling to the pieces.
Assemble tacos
  1. Warm flour tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30-60 seconds per side until pliable and lightly toasted. Fill each tortilla with Korean BBQ chicken, top with quick kimchi, and garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds.
  2. Serve immediately while the chicken glaze is sticky and the tortillas are warm. Add a final sprinkle of sesame seeds if desired and keep toppings from sliding by piling kimchi lightly.

Notes

For faster results, keep the chicken pieces in a single layer in the hot skillet; if overcrowded, cook in batches to maintain caramelization. Store leftover quick kimchi in the fridge up to 3 days (it gets tangier). Store leftover chicken up to 3 days refrigerated and rewarm in a skillet. Freezing is not recommended for the cabbage, but the cooked chicken can be frozen up to 2 months. For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar honey or swap honey for a small amount of brown sugar substitute without changing cook time.