Korean fire chicken with cheese (buldak)
Sweet, fiery gochujang-glazed chicken under a stretchy blanket of melted mozzarella, with rice to cool things down.
- 25 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $3.09 a serving
- 780 calories
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp gochujang
- 1½ tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1½ cups rotisserie chicken, shredded
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 stalks green onions, sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
From your pantry
- 1½ cups water, divided
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Each serving has about 780 calories, 45 g protein, 99 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $3.09 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No jasmine rice? Long-grain white rice or basmati rice works.
- No honey? Maple syrup works.
- No shredded mozzarella? Provolone slices work.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice, then bring it in a with 1¼ cups of the water.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
once, cover, turn the heat to low and cook 15 minutes.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
While it cooks, the gochujang, soy sauce, honey, garlic, pepper flakes, sesame oil and 3 tablespoons of the water in a small bowl.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Dolly’s tip: Half a teaspoon of pepper flakes is properly spicy. Skip them if you want the sweet heat without the fire.Pour the sauce into a medium over medium heat and let it bubble 1 minute.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium heat
Add the chicken and 2 to 3 minutes, until it’s glossy and hot.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Medium heat
Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Turn the heat to low, scatter the mozzarella over the top, cover, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese .
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Low heatTimer: 2 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: No lid? A big plate over the skillet traps the heat just as well.Scatter the green onions and sesame seeds over the top and serve straight from the with the rice.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
