The BOMB Korean BBQ Chicken

One of the best grilling tricks we know is that mayonnaise makes a great marinade base. There are many reasons for this (J. Kenji López-Alt explains the science behind it here), but what we know for sure is that mayonnaise creates a stickier, more viscous foundation to build flavours around. It helps coat the meat, provides fat, and protects sugars from burning while aiding in browning.

One of our favourite mayonnaise-based BBQ marinades is the one we're sharing below. We've been making a version of this chicken for years now, and it always receives rave reviews—sweet and savoury, and only slightly spicy. It looks and smells amazing (check out our reel here), and makes the most of our Flavourfull Korean ingredients. We're picky about our gochujang (and sell both hot and mild versions for different palates), we sell a higher-end gochugaru (the essential Korean chili powder), and the soy sauce we recommend for this recipe is Japanese and of a higher quality than what's sold at big box stores.

We love the sesame slaw as a topper, but you could skip the buns, double the slaw recipe and serve the chicken right on top as a salad. The slaw dressing lightly pickles the cabbage and cucumber, so toss it together just before serving (and if you have a bit of slaw leftover, drain the dressing off before you pack it away).

Korean BBQ Chicken with Sesame Slaw

Chicken:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp Yamasa soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp gochujang
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 1/2 tsp gochugaru
1/2 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
1 kg boneless skinless chicken thighs

Sesame Slaw:
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
1/4 medium cabbage, very thinly sliced (3-4 cups)
1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Toasted brioche buns & sriracha mayonnaise for serving

1. Combine mayonnaise, soy sauce, sesame oil, gochujang, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, gochugaru and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until uniform. Add chicken and toss to fully coat. Marinate for 30 min at room temperature or cover and place overnight in the fridge.
2. Heat gas grill on high (or for best flavour cook over charcoal). Grill chicken for about 4 min a side or until cooked through (our resident charcoal bbq expert suggests turning air flow almost off, covering bbq and letting the chicken finish with a bit of smoke if this is an option for you). Don't have a grill? Yes you can use a grill pan, or cook on a foil-lined baking sheet at 425F for about 20 min and broil at the end to get a little bit of caramelization.
3. Combine vinegar, sesame oil sugar, and salt in a bowl and whisk to dissolve sugar and salt. Toss dressing with cabbage, cucumber and green onions just before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds.
4. Serve grilled chicken and slaw with toasted brioche buns and sriracha mayonnaise.

Makes about 6 servings