Chicken and Mushroom Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

By Kay Chun

Updated August 3, 2020

  • Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(2,159)
Comments
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The savory Korean bulgogi marinade in this recipe is made with pantry items and livens up just about anything you put it on. Here, the soy-scallion-ginger marinade is used on boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but it can also be brushed on tofu, zucchini or bell peppers for a satisfying vegetarian meal. As the meat cooks, the marinade caramelizes into a sweet-salty sticky glaze that coats the chicken. Serving the grilled chicken and vegetables in lettuce cups is a fun way to enjoy the meal. Korean condiments like kimchi and gochujang are traditional bulgogi accompaniments, but shredded cabbage, salsa or even guacamole would also work. Leftovers can be refrigerated overnight, then chopped and tossed with salad greens.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce

  • ½ cup chopped scallions (about 5 scallions)

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic

  • 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (2 tablespoons)

  • 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons safflower or canola oil, plus more for greasing

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch-thick slices

  • 2 large yellow onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges

  • 8 ounces white button mushrooms, halved, or quartered if large

  • Lettuce leaves, such as green leaf, butter lettuce or romaine

  • Any combination of cooked short-grain rice, kimchi, gochujang or toasted sesame oil, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

16 grams carbs; 160 milligrams cholesterol; 382 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1318 milligrams sodium; 40 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, scallions, garlic, ginger, sugar, pepper and 2 tablespoons oil and mix well. Add chicken and onions and toss to evenly coat. Let stand for 15 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a cast-iron griddle or grill pan over medium-high and lightly grease with oil. Toss mushrooms in remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Arrange half of the chicken, onions and mushrooms in a single layer. Grill until chicken is caramelized and cooked through, turning all ingredients every few minutes, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to serving plate. Repeat with remaining chicken and vegetables.

  3. Step 3

    Serve chicken bulgogi, onions and mushrooms with lettuce leaves for wrapping. Fill lettuce cups with rice (if using), chicken and vegetables. Top with any combination of kimchi, gochujang and sesame oil. Wrap and enjoy.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,159 user ratings
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Comments

Carolyn

Penny, Yes, I put everything on a heavy-duty sheet pan and roasted it about 6" under the broiler. Excellent!

Penny

Question--could this all be roasted in the oven in a sheet pan? Would make it even simpler.

scraps

Mark- brown sugar is fine. More important is high heat and small batches. Not crowding the pan is key to bulgogi. I actually like the browning effect I get when I use canned pears (whir in blender) as my sweetener for bulgogi, rather than sugar. You might also try cooking the shrooms in a separate batch; they release a lot of water which inhibits browning.

Allison

Very easy weeknight dinner! Used only one onion and marinated the chicken and onion for a full hour. Ginger adds excellent flavor. Recommend serving with chili crisp!

Delicious and best with wire rack

So yummy! I tried the sheet pan method that finished with broiling, but with a slight modification - some comments mentioned the onions and mushrooms keeping the dish too wet. So I placed the veg on a sheet pan with a 1-inch lip, then put an oven-safe wire rack on top and place the strips of chicken on it. The chicken got beautifully brown and all those juices fell onto the veg and flavored them further, I highly recommend!

Michelle

So disappointed in this recipe. We made it exactly as directed. Compared to similar recipes, it lacked flavor. The only thing that saved it was the gochujang. Sorry to be a dissenter.

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