Buldak (Korean Fire Chicken)

Do you like spicy food? Do you want to taste the real Korean spicy stuff? Well, this is it! This dish includes both fresh and dried Cheongyang chili peppers, a fiery pepper named for the part of Korea where it is grown. Eating these peppers might upset your stomach, so if you’re not used to eating REAL spicy food or if you have a low tolerance for spicy food, sorry about that. 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp neutral-tasting oil
• 1 lb (600g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Cheongyang chili pepper or jalapeño pepper, chopped
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 green onion (15g), thinly sliced, to garnish

FOR THE SAUCE

• 3 tbsp extra-spicy Korean chili pepper flakes (Cheongyang chili pepper flakes). Replace with regular chili pepper flakes for less spice
• 2 tbsp regular Korean chili pepper flakes (gochugaru)
• 1½ tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1 tbsp Dasida (Korean beef stock powder)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon-lime soda, such as Sprite

1. To make the sauce, in a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook for 7 to 8 minutes or until beautifully brown. (If there’s too much oil or moisture coming from the chicken, pat with a paper towel to remove.)

3. Once the chicken is nice and brown, reduce the heat to medium. To the same pan, add the chili pepper and buldak sauce and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Watch the pan carefully; chili pepper flakes can easily burn.

4. Once the chicken is cooked through, transfer to an oven-safe skillet. Top with mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler just until the cheese is melted.

5. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the green onion on top.