Pineapple Dak Bulgogi (Pineapple Korean BBQ Chicken)

Bulgogi is a Korean barbecue dish where the meat is first marinated in a marinade that is just packed with flavour. When I make bulgogi, the marinade often includes a grated Asian pear and or apple to help tenderize the meat and add a bit of sweetness along with some extra flavour. The last time that I made dak bulgogi, the chicken version of bulgogi, I was thinking about the use of the fruit in the marinade and it reminded me of tacos al pastor, a Mexican slow roasted pork dish where the pork is often marinated in pineapple. I enjoy those tacos al pastor so much that I just had to try a pineapple version of dak bulgogi! For the recipe, I took the dak bulgogi recipe and replaced the Asain pear and/or apple with diced pineapple and the bit of juice that was at the bottom of the container of the freshly peeled pineapple that I used. When I cooked the chicken I threw the marinade, including the diced pineapple into, the pan as well so that I would still have those pineapple chunks in the finished dish.

The sweet and tangy pineapple worked so amazingly well in the gochujang spiced version of the dak bulgogi! The juicy pieces of pineapple were perfect in amongst the heat of the chicken. I made a really large batch of this stuff and I am looking forward to experimenting with it for the rest of the week!

Pineapple Dak Bulgogi (Pineapple Korean BBQ Chicken)

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound chicken breast (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup gochujang
5 cloves garlic (grated)
1 inch ginger (grated)
1 small onion (grated)
1 cup pineapple pieces & their juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 green onions (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted and crushed)

Directions:
1. Mix everything in a freezer bag and marinate for an hour.
2. Grill, saute or stir fry the chicken and pineapple pieces until cooked.

Tip: Place the chicken breasts in the freezer for an hour or two to stiffen them up a bit and they will be much easier to slice thinly.

Use in:
Pineapple Dak Bulgogi Tacos (Korean Spicy Pineapple BBQ Chicken Tacos)
Pineapple Dak Bulgogi Sandwich (Korean Spicy Pineapple BBQ Chicken Sandwich)
Pineapple Dak Bulgogi Burrito (Korean Spicy Pineapple BBQ Chicken Burrito)
Pineapple Dak Bulgogi Quesadillas (Korean Spicy Pineapple BBQ Chicken Quesadillas)

Similar Recipes:
Dak Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Chicken)
Tacos al Pastor
Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Beef)
Daeji Bulgogi (Korean BBQ Pork)
Salmon Bulgogi