Hot Cheese Buldak (Korean Fire Chicken)
Cheese Buldak, also known as Korean fire chicken, is a popular dish from Korea. It mixes spicy chicken seasoned with gochujang (a spicy paste) and smooth, melted cheese. This dish is full of strong flavors, great for those who enjoy spicy food.
If you love spicy dishes, try Korean fire chicken with cheese, also known as cheese buldak. This dish is popular in Korea as anju (food paired with drinks), known for its salty, sweet, spicy, and cheesy flavors. It’s perfect for sharing at gatherings.
Unlike the spicy Korean buldak ramen you might know, this recipe uses chicken and cheese instead of noodles. If you’re up for a hot new experience, this dish is ideal.
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What is cheese buldak?
Buldak, also known as Korean spicy chicken with cheese, is a fiery dish from South Korea. Its name combines the Korean words for fire (‘bul’) and chicken (‘dak’), highlighting its intense heat. Some calls it Korean fire chicken for that reason.
This dish is paired with a lot of melted cheese, earning it the nickname ‘Cheese Buldak.’ It’s fun to wrap the cheese around the chicken pieces and watch the cheese stretch.
The hot spiciness comes mainly from gochujang (Korean red chili paste) and gochugaru (Korean red chili flakes), giving it a vibrant red color and a spicy yet slightly sweet flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless Chicken Thighs or Breast: Prefer chicken thighs for their juiciness and flavor, or cheese chicken breast as a leaner alternative.
- Rice Cake Rounds (optional): These chewy, starchy rounds add a delightful texture. They absorb the flavors of the sauce beautifully. You can find them in Korean or Asian markets. Omit them if not available.
- Check out my Korean rice cake soup (tteokguk) for a popular recipe.
- Melty Cheese: Melts into a gooey, creamy layer that helps balance the spiciness of the dish. Mozzarella cheese is most commonly used, but any meltable cheese works fine.
- Green Chili (optional): Adds extra heat and a fresh, sharp flavor for those who enjoy more spice..
Buldak Sauce
All the ingredients for the buldak sauce are available in the international sections of local grocery stores in the U.S., as well as in Korean markets.
- Korean Chili Paste (Gochujang): Thick, savory paste with a hint of sweetness, essential in Korean cooking for its unique depth of flavor.
- Korean Chili Flakes (Gochugaru): These hot pepper flakes offers a vibrant red color and a spicy, slightly smoky flavor. For a less spicy alternative, consider using mild paprika
- Bottled Buldak Sauce (optional): This sauce delivers the authentic spiciness of buldak ramen, perfect for super-spicy chicken dishes.
- Other Ingredients: Soy sauce, sweet rice wine, onion, garlic, ginger, sugar, corn syrup (optional)
How to Make Cheese Buldak
Prepare the Buldak Sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the buldak sauce. Mix well. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the bowl and toss them to coat with the sauce.
Cook the Chicken and Rice Cakes. Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, onion, and rice cakes to the skillet. You should hear a sizzling sound as the chicken hits the skillet. Stir-fry the mixture until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice cakes are tender and chewy.
Add Green Chili. Incorporate the green chili into the skillet, stirring it in well.
Add Cheese. Move the chicken mixture to the center of the skillet. Sprinkle the cheese around it. Place the skillet in a preheated oven at 350°F. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
To get a charred appearance on the cheese, switch the oven to broil and let it broil for an additional 2 minutes, or until golden brown spots appear on the cheese. Garnish the dish with green onion before serving.
Alternative Stovetop Cooking Method: If you’re using the stovetop instead of the oven, simply cover the skillet with a lid after adding the cheese. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has completely melted.
What to serve with Korean fire chicken
This spicy cheesy chicken is a great stand alone dish but it also pairs well with other dishes that complement its spicy flavor. Here are some great options:
- Steamed Rice: A bowl of cooked white short grain rice is ideal for offsetting the intense heat of the chicken. It not only helps balance the flavors but also makes the meal more filling and substantial.
- Pickled Radishes: These provide a crisp, tangy contrast to the dish’s heat.
- Cucumber Salad: A refreshing cucumber salad can cool down your palate between bites of the spicy chicken.
- Lettuce Wraps: Use lettuce leaves to wrap pieces of chicken. It’s a crunchy, fresh way to enjoy the dish.
- Korean Beer or Soju: These beverages are popular choices for cutting through the spiciness and refreshing your taste buds.
More Korean Fusion Recipes
Hot Cheese Buldak (Korean Fire Chicken)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 lb boneless chicken thigh, diced
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 handful rice cake rounds, optional
- 8 oz (225 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, or other meltable cheese
- 1 fresh green chili, sliced, optional
Fire chicken seasoning
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 2 tbsp gochugaru
- 1 tbsp buldak sauce, optional
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sweet rice wine
- 2 tbsp corn syrup
- 1 tsbp garlic
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
To make fire chicken seasoning
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the buldak sauce. Mix well. Add the marinated chicken pieces to the bowl and toss them until they're fully coated in the sauce.
To cook cheese buldak
- Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, onion, and rice cakes to the skillet. You should hear a sizzling sound as the chicken hits the skillet. Stir-fry the mixture until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice cakes are tender and chewy. Incorporate the green chili into the skillet, stirring it in well.
- Move the chicken mixture to the center of the skillet. Sprinkle the cheese around it. Place the skillet in a preheated oven at 350°F. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts. To get a charred appearance on the cheese, switch the oven to broil and let it broil for an additional 2 minutes, or until golden brown spots appear on the cheese. Garnish the dish with green onion before serving.
- Alternative Stovetop Cooking Method: If you're using the stovetop instead of the oven, simply cover the skillet with a lid after adding the cheese. Reduce the heat to low and let it cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese has completely melted.
