Korean-style BBQ Chicken

Move this BBQ recipe to the top of your to-do list. Typical Korean BBQ is cooked like American BBQ, which is over a coal or gas burning grill, even when you order it inside a Korean restaurant. And for my latest Summer grilling recipe I marinate chicken in a sweet and salty Korean BBQ Marinade.

Most Korean restaurants have a built in grill for each table, but some restaurants will bring the grill to your table. It is a unique dining experience you should try out sometime. The protein for grilling is everything from seafood to well marbled steak. Chicken, pork and beef are usually marinated in a mix of soy sauce, garlic, sugar and ginger. 

It's all about the marinade. The dominate sweet and salty soy flavors are a perfect combination. And garlic takes the marinade over the top. Korean-style marinade is a nice change from typical tomato-based BBQ sauces. Grocery stores are starting to carry premade Korean BBQ Sauce in the International aisle, but it's easy enough to just make it yourself.

A Korean pear is another marinade addition, but I've substituted that with easy-to-get apple juice. Sesame oil is used and is more pungent that vegetable oil, but if it's too hard to find then sprinkle in dried sesame seeds - or just leave it out, the marinade will still hold up quite deliciously. Sesame oil is great in any favorite Chinese stir fry, or an oil and vinegar salad dressing.

I get most of the Korean BBQ Marinade ingredients from my local 99c only Stores. But, you can find them at regular grocery stores, too.

Click on any photo to see larger.

And make sure to let the chicken marinate for at least a couple of hours.

I get chicken cheaply at my local Latin grocery store. All the other ingredients are inexpensive enough.

As for grilling, just do it your typical way. I have a gas grill so it's easy to barbecue chicken. I used skinless and boneless chicken, but you can grill with whole chicken pieces.

My cheapie Korean BBQ Marinade goes well on beef steaks and regular hamburger, too.

I'm surprised I haven't done more cooking with Korean-style marinades. Well, I've got some catching up to do, and hopefully you do too!

Ingredients (about 3 servings)

• 6 pieces of chicken - I used 3 skinless and boneless leg quarters (thigh and leg combined.) Okay to use whole chicken pieces with skin and bone.
• 3 tablespoon brown sugar - okay to use your favorite sweetener.
• 1/4 cup soy sauce - I used low sodium soy sauce and it was plenty salty.
  
• 1/4 cup. apple juice - normally grated Korean pear is used.
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil - optional. Okay to use sesame seeds, about 2 tablespoons.
• 2 tablespoons garlic - chopped, fresh or from jar.
• 2 tablespoons ginger - optional. Fresh or from jar.
• Black pepper to taste - about a teaspoon. No salt as soy sauce has plenty of salt for me.

Directions
Prep garlic and ginger if necessary. I used bottled chopped garlic and ginger.

In a large enough bowl to hold chicken pieces, mix all the marinade ingredients. Stir well to dissolve brown sugar or favorite sweetener.

Add chicken pieces to Korean-style marinade and refrigerate at least 2 hours - okay to marinate chicken overnight. You can combine marinade and chicken in a Ziploc bag, too. You can reserve some marinade on the side to use during grilling.

When chicken has soaked enough, then fire up the grill. You can use your favorite way to BBQ chicken.

I have a gas grill, so it only took me about 10 minutes per side to char the chicken pieces. Because there is sugar in the marinade, make sure to check chicken every couple of minutes, as it can quickly blacken.

Grill chicken over medium heat. Depending on the fire-heat it can be quicker or slower to cook. Chicken with skin and bone will take longer - anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes total.

If you are cooking chicken skin-on, make sure to have a spray bottle with water handy for fire flareups, due to dripping grease.

It's okay to brush on marinade during grilling. Since the marinade has raw chicken juices make sure to allow time for it to heat up enough. I stop adding marinade about half way through grilling. Of course, you can set aside some extra Korean Marinade before you add it to chicken.

To check for doneness, just slice into thickest part of chicken. Chicken color should be white or light brown - there should be no pink juices or pink/red color. Final check is internal temperature at 165 degrees.

Hindsight 
The main flavors in a Korean BBQ Marinade are sugar, soy sauce and garlic. If you have these ingredients then you are close enough to make my recipe above.

Also, you can use this marinade for any favorite protein you like to grill, including sausage, hamburger, steak, beef and pork ribs.

This marinade will work well for chicken that's sauteed, baked or cooked in a crock pot.

Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

This is one cheap meal. And everything is cooked in one pan. You can't get much cheaper than rice, veggies and chicken. Oh, and you add two eggs to make my Chicken Fried Rice.

I marinade the chicken in a couple of sauces that I get from my local 99c only Store. Most regular grocery stores sell soy sauce and oyster sauce. If you can't find oyster sauce then use easy-to-get Teriyaki or Sweet and Sour sauce.

For chicken you only need a half breast or a leg quarter (combined leg and thigh.) So your stir fry can be white or dark meat, it's up to you. I take off the skin and slice the meat off the bone. You can purchase boneless and skinless chicken for convenience and more money. You could also just saute the large chicken segments with skin and bone and break it down later.

I get chicken from my local Latin market for 99 cent per pound or less.

The main thing is to use cooked/steamed rice. And it's best if the rice has been in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. This allows the rice grains to separate and slightly dry out, so they don't get soggy when refrying. Anyway I always have leftover rice in the freezer. So just defrost it if you have any.

Everything is sauteed in a wok or a large frying pan and it all come together quickly. Also, my Chicken Fried Rice microwaves well the next day(s).

This is the first in my Cheapie Chicken Recipe Series, so check back as I have a coopfull of tasty entrees for you for the rest of the month, including a Fried Chicken Sandwich video.

Ingredients (about 2 servings)

• 1 pound of chicken - a half breast or leg quarter (thigh and leg,) or any favorite combination. Cut into bite sized pieces. You can also just saute whole chicken piece in marinade and slice it off the bone.
• 2 cups cooked rice - I mixed brown and white rice. Follow package directions. Best to let cooked rice set a couple hours in the refrigerator or overnight. 1 cup of uncooked rice makes 2 cups of cooked.
• 1/4 cup frozen peas - defrosted (canned are too mushy.)
• 1/2 carrot - about a 1/4 cup peeled and chopped. I used shredded from the bag.
• 2 green onions - sliced, about 1/4 cup, include green stem. Okay to substitute with regular white or yellow onion.
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic - fresh or from jar.
• 2 eggs - scramble
  
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil - or sesame oil, for sauteing veggies and chicken.
• Pepper to taste - optional. No salt necessary as soy sauce has plenty.

* Add more or less carrot, peas and onion to suit your taste.

Chicken Marinade

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger - chopped or grated. I used it from a jar. Okay to use powdered ginger.
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic - chopped. I used it from a jar.
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce - I used low sodium.
• 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce - or a favorite Oriental sauce like Teriyaki or Sweet and Sour. If you use Teriyaki or Sweet and Sour sauce then leave out honey, as it's now plenty sweet.
• 1 teaspoon honey or favorite sweetener.

Directions
First cook 1 cup of rice according to package directions (brown rice takes a little longer to steam.) Best to refrigerate overnight, or at least a couple of hours. This allows rice grains to set and separate -- so it doesn't get too mushy during stir frying. My recipe uses 2 cups of cooked rice.

Remove skin and slice chicken off the bone (or use boneless and skinless) and add to a bowl. Pour in the marinade ingredients and mix well. You can let the chicken set in the marinade (in the refrigerator) for half an hour, or go right to sauteing.

If you don't want to fool with removing the bone then just saute the chicken whole and remove the flesh when it cools down. It takes longer to cook the chicken all the way through, so add extra cooking time.

Over a medium hot, wide pan, add oil and get the pan hot. Next put in the chicken with marinade. Saute the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Slice into largest chicken piece, it's done when there is no pink color or pink juices. 

When chicken is done, move it to a plate or bowl and set aside while you make the fried rice.

Add tablespoon oil to a medium/high heating pan. Add carrot, peas and green onion. Stir fry about 2 minutes to desired tenderness. I like my veggies a little crunchy.

Add cooked rice and mix well. Heat though about 2 minutes, continuously stirring to heat up all the rice.

Add cooked chicken and heat through for a minute. Push it aside with veggies and leave space for the rice.

Finally, push the veggies, chicken and rice to the edge of pan, forming a clear space in the middle of the pan.

Add 2 eggs and lightly scramble. (You could also pre-cook the scrambled egg and add it at this stage.) When egg is almost cooked through and firm, mix it into the rice, veggies and chicken. Cook another minute.

I like larger pieces of egg to show in my stir fry, so I don't break it up too much. Mix well and serve hot.

Hindsight
And this recipe is easy to double, if you are feeding a brood, or want leftovers to bring for lunch during the week - it reheats quickly and deliciously.

For the cheapest version use chicken legs or thighs. Don't worry about taking off the skin or bone. Just marinade the pieces and fry them up until done. When they cool down take the meat off the bone. You can get rid of the crispy fried skin if you want - or save it for the cook!

Add more or less chicken and veggies to suit your taste buds. Also, you can substitute broccoli or almost any favorite veggie, instead of peas and carrot.

Bok Choy Stir Fry

Tasting half way between celery and cabbage, leafy bok choy makes a crunchy and tender stir fry. And it steams quickly -- it's ready to eat in barely 5 minutes.

For my latest recipe I use my typical stir fry sauce of soy and oyster sauce. Bok choy has a subtle taste, but can handle intense Chinese flavors well.

Bok choy is showing up more at regular chain grocery stores. I picked up bok choy cheaply at Bangkok Market on Melrose Avenue, in East Hollywood. If you are looking for cheaply priced Thai noodles, chile and fish sauces, herbs and veggies, this is a great market. So you now have another reason to visit your local ethnic food stores. You can read what Yelpers say about Bangkok Market by clicking here.

Bok Choy can be simply steamed in water or a favorite broth, or made it the 99 Cent Chef stir-fry way.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds bok choy - about 3 to 5 whole ones, depending on size.
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger - okay to use powered ginger.
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic - fresh or from jar.
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water or a favorite broth
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch or flour
• Sweetener - to taste, optional.
• 1 teaspoon oil - for cooking ginger and garlic.
• Pepper to taste - no salt necessary as soy sauce has plenty.

Directions
Peel about a one inch square of ginger and slice into matchstick sizes, then chop. Peel and chop one clove of garlic. Total is about one teaspoon each. Fresh ginger has a paper thin skin that comes off easily by scrapping it away with a metal spoon.

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a wok or pan over medium heat, and add chopped ginger and garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes - stop when garlic just starts to lightly brown. Carefully add 1/4 of water or broth.

Trim off any tough and browned root end. Trim off any old bok choy leaves if necessary. Okay to split each bok choy lengthways in half if you want to, to speed up steaming.

Add bok choy to water. Bok choy cooks quickly, so you only need to cover and steam it for about 5 minutes. If the bok choy are on the small side, you can steam them uncovered.

While bok choy are steaming make the stir fry sauce. Add soy sauce and oyster sauce to a small bowl. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, or flour, and mix until dissolved. Add a little sweetener (to taste) if you like.


After bok choy is steamed tender push it to the edge of the wok and add stir fry sauce to steaming liquid, mixing well. After a minute or two the sauce will thicken into a gravy.

Coat bok choy with stir fry sauce and serve warm.

Hindsight
If you don't have Oyster Sauce, try adding a small amount of your favorite sweetener, like a teaspoon of sugar or honey to easy-to-find soy sauce and cornstarch. (Use 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.) If you have a favorite Teriyaki Sauce then use that. You could also leave out the ginger.

I've also made it simply steamed in a little veggie or chicken stock (a bouillon cube dissolved in water.)

For a couple of my Oriental recipes to pair the Bok Choy Stir Fry with, just click on the entree names: Sweet and Sour Pork or Japanese Pork Cutlet.

Vegetable & Chicken Potsticker/Gyoza - Deal of the Day

Trader Joe's has some serious competition in the frozen party food department! I've been to many gatherings where the baked samosas, meatballs, or dips and chips come from there; and they will always have the most interesting and varied selections. But for my latest Deal of the Day I would like to introduce you to an appetizer that is cheaper and as tasty as any Trader Joe party platter treat. (Trader Joe's is a L.A. grocery market curating unique and healthy fare, often at a great price.)

I've seen these packages of Gyoza in the 99c only Store frozen deli case for some time now, but was wary to give them a try, until now. Boy, am I glad I finally broke down and shelled out 99.99 cents for this 7 ounce package of Vegetable & Chicken Potsticker/Gyoza by Tasty Select. This is a fantastic Deal of the Day -- no sense wasting time here with my rating. On a scale of 1-9, 9 being best, these Japanese style dumplings get a perfect 9 !

And they're wife tested and approved (she requested I pickup more packages on my next 99c only Store trek.)

The Gyoza are plump, tender, and very flavorful. Strands of sliced cabbage are threaded through ground chicken to add crunchy texture. I guess if I wanted to complain, that is the only vegetable I could discern. On the package the vegetable ingredient list includes onion, garlic and soy bean -- I could taste a little garlic. Since "vegetable" is listed first on the package, I was expecting more of a balance.

No big deal really, because the Gyozas are fat with ground chicken -- that's what I'm after. Japanese restaurant Gyoza is typically filled with ground pork, so this is a lighter take, and it's good. I got 10 plump Gyozas from the package. The label also points out that there are no preservatives or artificial coloring.

I do have a quibble with the cooking directions though. It calls for steaming them in water so they don't stick to the pot or pan. This defeats what makes Japanese potstickers different from Chinese dim sum dumplings: for Gyoza you want to lightly brown the tender wheat flour wrappers for the extra caramelized color and flavor. (And obviously, as the package photo shows, the Gyoza are mainly sauteed to get that color.)

Since it takes about 10 minutes to brown them on a couple of sides, that is plenty of time to heat them through, even when added to the pan fully frozen. The main thing is to add a tablespoon of oil (or cooking spray) to the pan so they do not stick. (There may be some wrapper tearing, but it's not too much -- the chicken and veggie stuffing is not mushy, so it won't spill out.) They just taste so much better sauteed than steamed -- just my preference. Of course, you can follow the package directions for steaming.

This is a great Deal of the Day, and when you serve them at you next cocktail party you can say you got them from Trader Joe's -- go ahead, I won't tell anyone.

And as a bonus, here is a Gyoza dipping sauce (it's a delish all-around sauce) recipe for you.

Gyoza Dipping Sauce (for about 10 Gyozas - double amounts if needed)

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce - I like low sodium (salt.)
• 1 teaspoon vinegar - usually rice vinegar, but any you have will do.
• 1 teaspoon oil - usually sesame oil, but again any will do.
• Pinch of favorite sweetener - optional
• Pinch of red pepper flakes for heat - optional.

Directions
Just whisk it all together in a small bowl, just before serving Gyoza (oil and vinegar tends to separate when left alone for a while -- or keep dipping sauce in a container with a top, so you can shake it up.). Once Gyoza are bitten open they will soak up the dipping sauce much better.

Chicken Adobo

Not for the faint of palate, the cheapest chef's latest entree is an intensely flavored Filipino classic. I've read about Chicken Adobo and was curious about combining it's two disparate fermented marinade ingredients: vinegar and soy sauce (plus a whole lotta garlic.)

Adobo is Spanish for marinade and Filipino cuisine has given it's Latin influence Oriental flare. Extreme sourness from vinegar mixed into salty fermented bean soy sauce is one heady flavor bomb. Instead of clashing they actually compliment each other. And as the pieces of chicken braise, the marinade is mellowed even more.

Chicken Adobo can be made with any cuts of chicken you can get on sale, including wings, legs and thighs. I got a whole chicken (for 77 cents per pound) and mixed in a bit of dark and white (and with the other chicken half I made a Jambalaya, recipe here.) The marinade ingredients of soy sauce, vinegar and garlic are certainly cheap enough.

  I looked up a few recipes and many of them called for letting the chicken pieces marinate in a mix of vinegar and soy sauce overnight. You can do this, but I found the flavors so intense that just braising was good enough, and after 20 to 30 minutes the marinade reduces by half, giving you an intensely flavored sauce. Chicken Adobo is typically served with rice.

And, bon appetit or Kainan na!

 Ingredients (2 servings)

• 3-4 pieces of chicken - I used 1/2 breast, a thigh, and a leg.
• 1/4 cup of soy sauce - Any brand, but I would lean toward a low salt.
• 1/4 cup of vinegar - I used white vinegar, but any type will do.
• 1 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon of chopped garlic - fresh or from jar
• 2 tablespoons of oil - one for garlic, and one for sauteing chicken.
• Black pepper to taste - optional. No salt necessary, as soy sauce has plenty.

Directions
If you want a more intense and traditional Chicken Adobo, mix garlic, water, soy sauce and vinegar in a bowl with the chicken. Coat the chicken on all sides and cover to marinate overnight or at least a couple of hours. Or, skip this and go right to the following paragraph -- the marinade is certainly strong enough to just go right to braising.

If you want to serve this dish with white or brown rice then start it and follow the package directions.

In a pot or pan add oil and garlic. Over a medium heat lightly brown the garlic -- should only take a couple of minutes.

Next add chicken pieces and the marinade of water, vinegar and soy sauce. Mix well and turn up heat until liquid just starts to boil. Immediately reduce heat to a low simmer and cook chicken 20-30 minutes uncovered, until done. Pierce the thickest part of the chicken to make sure juices run clear.

Turn the chicken a few times during braising so all sides cook in the marinade. Check on the dish every ten minutes to make sure liquid doesn't cook out. Add a 1/4 cup of water at a time if it gets too low. You want the marinade to reduce by about half, as chicken cooks.

I went one extra step. When the chicken was done, I put it into another heated saute pan (with a tablespoon of oil) and crisped the chicken skin for about 5 minutes. You could make the dish with skinless chicken and skip this step.

Serve over rice, a favorite veggie side, or salad.