Korean BBQ Chicken

Mr. Piglet and I are on a mission: to clear out the freezer.  I have this condition that whenever I go grocery shopping in the US, I'll stock up on items to the point of hoarding.  I mean, who needs 20 chicken breasts, 30 packets of edamame and 5 lbs of sweet potato fries?? Costco is not a good idea for a household of only two.  So now our freezer is packed and we want to clear it out and start eating more fresh produce rather than the frozen kind.  So, there's 20 chicken breasts...  how should we cook it?  Well, there's some leftover kimchi and we've got quinoa so how about a semi-Korean meal?  Kimchi Fried Quinoa and some Korean BBQ Chicken?  Sounds good to me!  Here we go!!

Tools needed:

• Medium bowl

• Cutting board and knife

• Measuring spoons

• Whisk

• Tongs or chopsticks

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless chicken thigh and/or breast

• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (approx. half a lemon)

• 1 tablespoon cane sugar

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 tablespoon rice wine (or 
mirin)

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 teaspoon grated ginger

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Combine all of the ingredients except for the chicken into the medium bowl and whisk together until the sugar is dissolved.

2.  Cut up chicken pieces into 3/4- 1 inch thick pieces - you don't want them too thick or else they won't cook through - and set aside.

3.  Place chicken into the marinade and mix until chicken is coated.  Cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour and to a max of 4 hours.

4.  Preheat a skillet from medium to medium-high heat.  

5.  Add chicken to skillet, trying to shake off as much of the marinade as you can before placing the chicken in the pan (the sugars in the marinade will brown quickly and burn before the chicken is cooked through).  

6.  Cook chicken until cooked through (no pink in the middle!), about 2-3 minutes on each side and it will be browned/caramelized on each side.  If the chicken looks to be drying too quickly, add a tablespoonful of marinade over the chicken and reduce the heat if needed.  Be careful cooking as the sugars will burn quickly!  

7.  Move cooked chicken pieces to a plate and allow to rest for 1 minute before serving.

8.  Eat and enjoy!  (Look at all those awesome juices...  I would have more photos but we ate too quickly and before I knew it, there was nothing left to photograph!)

(Recipe adapted from Korean Bapsang)