I Am... How to Cook a Tomahawk Steak
Sometimes I dream of having a tomahawk steak all to myself. Of course, I think better of it for health reasons. For special occasions though, it's a great choice: cheaper than a prime rib, more impressive than a roast. And the best part, you can make a perfect tomahawk at home better than most restaurants you're likely to find it at only half the cost. Home-cooked steaks are always the best steaks. Here is everything you need to know to buy, cook, or serve a perfect tomahawk steak.
What is a tomahawk steak?
Tomahawk steaks are bone-in ribeyes, cut from ribs 6-12, with a huge length of bone left intact and the meat frenched up to get everything clean looking. Is it the same as a regular bone-in ribeye? Yes, but you eat with your eyes, and what can beat the sight of a 24" centerpiece steak?How to cook tomahawk steak
You cook a tomahawk steak just like a normal one, the most important factor is to make sure it’s well tempered (rested to room temperature) so you’re getting the inside up to temp fast enough before the outside burns. It’s much better to get the inside right up to medium rare so you can sear without worrying. There are a bunch of ways of doing that, here are my favorites.In the oven
Set your oven as low as it can go, about 250ºF for most people, and leave your steak in there for about 40 mins to an hour. If you have a meat thermometer or oven probe (more on that below) leave it in until it is 10 degrees lower than your desired final temperature. A chart is below as well for easy reference.Sous vide
This one is easy: add your steak and any rubs, marinades you would like to a water bath and set it for 10 degrees lower than you want to end up at (see the doneness table below).The steak can stay in the bath for up to 8 hours, although 1-2 is usually more than enough, depending on how cold your steak was when it entered the bath.On the grill
This one definitely needs a meat thermometer but also produces the best flavor in my opinion, espcially if doing charcoal. Move your coals to one side, or if using gas, only light up one side of the grill. Leave your steak as far away as possible from the coals or the burner on the other side of the grill and close it. Flip once in awhile to make sure you’re getting even heat.Searing your tomahawk steak
Once you have your internal temperature up to where you want it, you’ll need to sear it. I like to always rest a steak before searing (more on that later). When searing, use as high of a heat as you can produce. If you’re already grilling it, all you need to do is warm up the grill to max while you’re resting it, then move it over to the direct heat zone and grill it to the right color (for me, that’s 30 seconds on a side). If your steak was done sous vide or in oven, you’ll need to sear it on a stove (more on that below) or some other way - I use our 800 degree pizza oven.How to sear a tomahawk steak on a stove
Cooking a tomahawk on the stove is difficult because of the bone. Even if your cast iron pan is huge, aka 14”+ wide, you’ll probably find it hard to contact the entire steak to the pan. You can buy a low side pan such as a plancha or this cast iron crepe pan. You can also try to squeeze it down as best you can, then baste whatever can’t touch with some butter.The importance of a meat thermometer
When cooking steak, especially one that costs north of $100, a meat thermometer is essential. I recommend an oven probe that beeps when the target temp is hit. They can be really cheap, wireless app driven, or something in between. Personally I always go with the cheap option. If all you have is an instant read, be sure to check often to make sure the steak doesn't get overcooked.Steak cooking temps
For a quick and easy reference, when we have dinner parties in our house, our steaks are roughly done at:- Rare: 125ºF
- Medium-rare: 135ºF
- Medium: 145ºF
- Medium-well: 155ºF
- Well done: Don't do this
How long to let tomahawk steak rest for
When you apply heat to muscle fibers they contract and squeeze out moisture. Resting time allows the fibers to relax again, reabsorb some of the moisture, and generally produces a more tender and much juicier steak. You don’t necessarily need to wrap the steak in foil but allowing it to rest for 5-15 minutes after the main cooking process is absolutely vital. Longer is better. I prefer to rest my steak, then sear so it's as hot as possible when serving.Where do you buy a tomahawk steak?
Costco is often your best bet to get a tomahawk if you want one right away. Our local Albertsons even has them. The best place to buy any meat is your local butcher. All of the best steaks I’ve ever had came from local shops no matter where in the world I was. They may need a few days to get it ready or order it in, but it’s the best option. You can also try one of the many premium online butcher shops they have days days, we've tried a bunch and they're always pretty good, you can even get wagyu steaks this way.Best sauces for steak
Some people believe in nothing but good ol’ salt and pepper. I prefer to change the taste of the meal as it goes on, so I start with a pure bite of salt and pepper, then move onto a nice steak sauce or other preparation. When we had our expensive steak dinner in Kobe, they served it 16 different ways. You can just make your steak with salt and pepper and serve it alongside a nice selection of steak sauces. Check here for our guide to all the best steak sauces.Are thick-cut bone-in steaks better?
Without a doubt, thick bone in steaks are better. Often the meatiest, beefiest, most flavorful parts of the meat are right next to the bone. The thickness of the steak allows you to get a good medium rare/whatever finish you want on the inside while still getting the deeply browned thick crust of your dreams on the outside. The thickness of the steak makes it more forgiving: it's basically impossible to overcook a 2" steak without great effort and forgetfulness.How big are tomahawk steaks?
Depending on which bone you get, tomahawks can range in size between 30 oz to 60 oz. In my experience, every tomahawk I’ve ever bought has been between 48 oz and 60 oz.What is American Wagyu?
American wagyu are Japanese cows, hopefully Japanese black cows (called Kuroge Wagyu in Japan) that are raised and pastured in America. They can be full-blooded or cross bred with other breeds. It can range in quality from ordinary to amazing. USDA Prime and Certified Angus are both easily as good, if not better, so there's no need to hunt any specific cow down. With any steak, even and consistent (and copious) marbling is often a great sign of how good that steak will be. Grass fed is better than Grain or Corn fed/finished, as well, in my opinion. It makes for a more complex, satisfying taste.Are they a scam?
Someday, someone will inevitably tell you that tomahawk steaks are a scam, overpriced, and that you’re just paying for a bone. And, they wouldn't be totally wrong: a tomahawk steak absolutely goes for a premium over a regular bone-in ribeye steak at a restaurant. And, yes, it does taste more or less the same as a bone in ribeye. But any large cut of steak also goes for a premium over a smaller steak of the exact same kind. Fewer people buy them, and that raises the price. I love tomahawk steaks because their popularity means they're so much easier to come by than a good 2.5” thick cut bone-in ribeye. If you’re making them at home, the price premium is much smaller and makes sense for a special home celebration or weekend meal. The moment you pull out out that giant tomahawk steak for the grill, everyone instantly smiles.How to reheat steak
To reheat a steak, just let it come to room temp on the countertop for about an hour, then sear and serve.Side dishes
Is it even steak without sides??- frites
- mashed potatoes
- steak and salad
- steak with rice like they do in Japan
- cacio e pepe
- asparagus
- mushrooms
- brussels sprouts
- onion rings
- surf and turf, aka steak and shrimp
How to cook Tomahawk Steak
How to cook tomahawk steak perfectly every time
- Meat thermometer with probe
- 1 tomahawk steak (48-60oz)
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp butter (if desired)
Let your steak come to room temp on the countertop. Preheat your oven to 250ºF or one side of your gas/charcoal grill on low. Season your steak with salt and pepper.
Put the temperature probe into the thickest part of the steak (see notes if you don’t have a probe-type thermometer) then put the steak in the center of the oven or farthest away from the heat on the grill until it hits 10ºF below your desired temperature, flipping every 5 minutes or so. See notes for steak cooking temps.
Rest your steak for 5-15 minutes (longer is better) while you heat up your grill, pizza oven, or cast iron pan.
Sear your steak until your desired color is achieved (about 30 seconds per side for me). Serve immediately with fixins and sauces, if desired.
If you don't have a probe type thermometer, check with an instant read as you flip every 5 minutes.
Steak cooking temp
Rare: 125ºF | Medium rare: 135ºF | Medium: 145ºF | Medium well: 155ºF | Well done: 🙅♂️
I Am... Tiktok Cucumber Salad
The viral Tiktok Cucumber Salad that seems like it’s pretty much everywhere thanks to the Tiktok cucumber guy. Summertime is all about cold salads and food that doesn’t make you overheat. Cucumber salad fits perfectly into that category and it’s no surprise that it’s viral. He’s created a whole cucumber community. I hope cucumbers won’t start selling out at the grocery store.
Who is the TikTok cucumber guy?
Logan Moffitt–aka @logagm–is a seemingly normal dude from Canada who loves to eat cucumbers and kimchi. A lot of his videos are of him making kimchi or eating Korean food, especially cold Korean noodles. Even before he made this cucumber salad, I came across his Tiktoks. He does collabs with K-POP bands and other viral Tiktokers. He was pretty popular before the cucumber thing, but now he’s even more popular. His cucumber videos are in the millions. Not just the one video, every single cucumber video has millions, even up to 10s of millions of views. People really, really love his cucumber salads.What is the viral cucumber guy recipe?
I’m not certain, but the very first cucumber recipe I saw Logan make was a classic garlicky, soy-sesame cucumber salad. It’s savory, a tiny bit sweet, crunchy, and super refreshing. It’s where I first heard his what seems to be catchphrase: “Sometimes you just NEED to eat a whole cucumber.” I mean, he’s not wrong!How to make the Tiktok cucumber guy salad
- Slice - thinly slice your cucumber. Use a mandolin if you have one, it makes slicing cucumbers a breeze. Slice them right into a deli quart container.
- Add - add soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, sugar, MSG, grated garlic, sliced green onions, and toasted sesame seeds to the cucumber slices.
- Toss - put the lid on your container and shake until mixed.
- Enjoy - take off the lid and enjoy the cucumber salad right out of the deli container, using chopsticks for maximum enjoyment, just like Logan.
Ingredients for Tiktok cucumber salad
- cucumber - you need a cucumber and it’s got to be a whole seedless English cucumber, aka the cucumbers you see at the grocery store.
- soy sauce - soy sauce is going to add saltiness and umami. Use whatever brand you have at home, hopefully, it’s naturally brewed.
- toasted sesame oil - it’s got to be toasted sesame oil, not un-toasted. Toasted sesame oil is nutty, aromatic, and so delicious.
- fish sauce - fish sauce is going to add an extra boost of flavor. Fish sauce is truly the best and I love that there’s a viral recipe that has fish sauce it in.
- sugar - just a little bit of sugar is going to balance out the savoriness of all the umami-forward ingredients and make it so you just can’t stop eating cucumbers.
- MSG - a lil sprinkle of MSG is going to make this cucumber salad even more addictive. There is so much misinformation and literature on MSG out there. but all you need to know is: it’s naturally derived and exists in tomatoes and parmesan cheese and you eat it all the time. If you don’t have any MSG in your pantry, I recommend the Ajinomoto panda because it’s so cute.
- garlic - garlic and cucumbers just go together.
- green onions - green onions add a fresh, slightly sharp bite.
- toasted sesame seeds - toasted sesame seeds for crunch and nuttiness.
Equipment needed for Tiktok cucumber salad
The truth is, you don’t need any special equipment to make this cucumber salad, but if you want to do it like the kids, here’s what you’re going to get:- deli quart containers with lids - I love quart containers for storing leftovers and they truly are amazing for shaking up a whole cucumber salad. These deli containers are the most popular on Amazon and they have great reviews.
- mandolin - if you’re going to be eating a lot of sliced cucumber salads, do yourself a favor and get a mandolin. Just make sure you watch your fingertips as you’re slicing. We have trusty OXO Good Grips one but I’ve always wanted a classic Japanese Benriner. Benriners are beloved by those in the food industry because they’re no nonsense, sharp, and boast a minimalist aesthetic.
- microplane - a microplane will give you tiny little gratings of garlic, which is perfect for distribution in your salad. To be honest, we almost always use a garlic press, but this little ginger and garlic grater is SO CUTE,
I kind of want it.Update: Mike got it for me and I love it!
Cucumber salad variations
Cucumber guy has gone viral for the recipe in this post, but since he has a whole cucumber community, he has SO MANY other cucumber recipes. It’s cucumber of the day, every day. Every single recipe starts with a while cucumber, a mandolin, and a deli quart container. The cucumber possibilities are endless.Other cucumber salads
- Watermelon Salad with Feta, Cucumbers, and Herbs
- Sunomono Japanese Cucumber Salad
- Chinese Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Miso Smashed Cucumber and Green Bean Salad Recipe
TikTok Cucumber Guy Recipe
The viral cucumber salad from tiktok
- 1 cucumber (sliced)
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- sprinkle msg
- 1 clove garlic (grated)
- 2 green onions (sliced)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Use a mandolin to directly slice the cucumber into a deli quart container. Alternatively, use a knife to thinly slice a cucumber and place it in a bowl.
Add the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, sugar, MSG, garlic, green onions, and toasted sesame seeds to the container (or bowl).
Place the lid on the container and shake until the cucumber slices are coated evenly with all the ingredients. If your cucumbers are in a bowl, toss well.
Enjoy immediately, or place in the fridge and marinate for a couple of hours then enjoy. The cucumbers will be crunchier the faster you eat the salad, so if you want a fresh cucumber salad, enjoy immediately. If you want more of a quick pickled cucumber salad, let marinate for 1-2 hours before enjoying.
I Am... Tiktok Hot Honey Cottage Cheese Sweet Potato Beef Bowl
This hot honey cottage cheese sweet potato beef bowl is having a moment on TikTok and it’s no surprise why. If you’re looking for a balanced protein forward lunch or dinner, these sweet potato beef bowls are the answer. Seasoned ground beef, sweet potatoes, cottage cheese come together under a generous drizzle of hot honey. Viral bowls aren’t new but it usually takes something that really taps into the generous psyche for it to go viral. These bowls are all over TikTok because they’re photogenic, hearty, budget-friendly, quick, easy, and customizable.
What is the viral cottage cheese sweet potato beef bowl?
I first saw the viral hot honey beef bowl on TikTok. There are so many. I couldn’t figure out who made it first, but pretty much everyone who’s been making it is saying it’s the best high-protein meal they’ve tried in a long time. Essentially, it’s a bowl filled with roasted sweet potatoes, taco-seasoned ground beef, avocado, and cottage cheese, all drizzled with sweet and spicy hot honey. I’ve seen people adding herbs and leafy greens, but basically, the core bowl is sweet potatoes, beef, cottage cheese, avocado, and hot honey. People love them because of the balance of fats, fiber, and protein.How to make a hot honey sweet potato beef bowl
- Roast the sweet potatoes - peel and cube the sweet potatoes, toss them in a bit of neutral oil and season generously with salt and pepper. If you’re a cinnamon fan, give them a light dusting then roast the sweet potatoes until crisp and brown on the outside and creamy and sweet on the inside. I love using the air fryer for this, but an oven, toaster oven, or simply frying in a pan will work too.
- Cook the ground beef - cook the ground beef in a skillet, breaking it up in to a crumble. Season with taco seasoning and a touch of tomato paste. You can make your own homemade taco seasoning (see this easy recipe here) or just buy a packet from the store. Personally, I like making it at home because you can customize it and control the salt content.
- Prep the avocado - Cut a ripe avocado into cubes or slices.
- Build the bowl - Grab a bowl and lay down a bed of crispy sweet potatoes. Add some of the seasoned ground beef, a generous scoop of cottage cheese (give the cottage cheese a sprinkle of salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper), and the avocado. Drizzle generously with hot honey and dig in.
Cottage cheese sweet potato beef bowl ingredients
- sweet potatoes - crispy roasted sweet potatoes dusted with salt, pepper, and a touch of cinnamon. Adds fiber and fullness to your bowl.
- lean ground beef - lean ground beef is what’s going to make up the bulk of the protein. It’s seasoned with taco seasoning with a touch of tomato paste for richness and flavor. If you’re not into beef, you can definitely substitute in ground chicken, turkey, pork, or crumbled firm tofu.
- cottage cheese - I feel like the cottage cheese is the star of the show! It gives everything a creamy cheesy bite and ties everything together.
- avocado - the avocado adds a beautiful creamy bite, healthy fat, and yes, even more fiber.
- hot honey - a generous drizzle of hot honey makes this bowl just the right amount of sweet and spicy.
How to make hot honey
You can buy hot honey from the grocery store, online, or make your own at home. All you need is honey, crushed red pepper flakes, and apple cider vinegar.Hot honey recipe
- Add 1 cup of honey to a small sauce pan, along with 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes and 1 tsp apple cider vinegar.
- Gently heat the hot honey mix for 2-3 minutes while stirring until it bubbles gently and you start smelling the pepper flakes heating up.
- Once the honey bubbles and reduces a bit, remove from the heat and let infuse for 5-10 minutes.
- Strain out the pepper flakes once the honey is infused to your liking. Let the hot honey cool and use as desired. Store leftovers in an air tight container at room temperature.
Cottage cheese
For the uninitiated, cottage cheese is a soft, and mild fresh cheese that comes in different curd sizes. Personally, I love Good Culture cottage cheese, which has small, soft curds that are incredibly creamy and flavorful. I love it so much that I eat it plain as a snack. It’s perfect in this bowl. I feel like people are sleeping on cottage cheese. It’s one of my favorites - creamy, and full of protein and nutrients. It’s a great choice for people looking to get a lot of protein in their diets. I feel like if you’ve tried cottage cheese and don’t like it, it just means that you haven’t tried the right cottage cheese. That’s it! I loved these bowls and Mike did too. They’re just a simple, throw it together kind of meal that will keep you full and fuel you for any sort of adventure you might be going on (for us, that’s spring skiing). Happy protein bowling! xoxo StephSweet Potato Beef Bowl with Hot Honey and Cottage Cheese
If you’re looking for a balanced protein-forward lunch or dinner, this sweet potato beef bowl is the answer.
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
- 1 lb ground beef (lean preferred)
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 2 avocados (cubed or sliced)
- 4 tbsp hot honey (or to taste)
Toss the sweet potato cubes in the oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, if using. Air fry, in a single layer, at 400°F for 10-15 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, shaking halfway.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Break up the ground beef and stir in the tomato paste. Sprinkle on the taco seasoning. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Set aside.
When the sweet potatoes are crisp and cooked through, assemble the bowls: divide the sweet potatoes and ground beef evenly between four bowls. Top each bowl with cottage cheese and avocados. Drizzle generously with hot honey and enjoy!
I Am... Cucumber Salad with Avocado
Smashed cucumber avocado salad is the perfect summer treat. Is it hot where you are? We’ve been living through a heat wave and even thinking about turning on the stove makes me hot. Of course it doesn’t stop me from doing crazy things like making cheesy potato balls, but I still prefer cooling, no-cook dishes when I can. And when it gets super hot, I turn to my favorite cooling dish of all time: this cucumber avocado salad. I LOVE cucumbers. They’re crunchy, almost sweet, juicy, and so refreshing. Especially when they’re fridge-cold and coated in an addictive sesame-soy dressing. Cucumbers are the ideal hot-weather food and this cucumber avocado salad is the epitome of the whole cool-as-a-cucumber saying. Cucumber salad is one of the most popular cold dishes in China and really, it’s no surprise because it’s great on its own or at the table alongside pretty much any Chinese dish. Essentially this is your classic smashed cucumber salad but with a little twist: avocados. I love adding avocados for a creamy buttery foil to the crisp cucumbers. Everything gets dressed up in a toasted sesame-soy sauce-black vinegar dressing that is savory, sweet, and addictive.
Why make a cucumber salad?
This is the perfect quick and easy salad to throw together when you’re hungry but you don’t want to cook anything. The crisp cucumbers are crunchy and refreshing and the avocados add heft and creaminess. You might not think of salads as satisfying, but this one definitely is.Ingredients for the perfect cucumber avocado salad
Cucumbers
The best cucumbers to use for this salad are either long English or Persian. Both of these cucumbers are thin-skinned which means you don’t have to peel them. They also happen to be nearly seedless and crispy instead of watery. English cucumbers are bit bigger, both in diameter and length. I actually prefer Persian cucumbers because they’re mini, but both are perfect for this salad. Stay away from regular waxy, thick-skinned cucumbers. Usually cucumbers are smashed for Chinese cucumber salad – I typically smash all cucumbers for salads but in this case, I just sliced them for aesthetic reasons. The reason for smashing are the coarse, random craggily edges smashing gives. The extra nooks and crannies soak up sauce and flavor the cucumbers to the core. To smash, just use the side of a cleaver or a rolling pin.Avocados
Avocados are annoying. There, I’ve said it. They’re finicky, can be expensive, and every single one is a surprise. But, they’re also worth it. There’s a reason why avocados are so popular. I always buy avocados unripe and ripen them at home to ensure better success when cutting into them. More on how to choose perfect avocados later in this post.Soy sauce
There are so, so many soy sauces out there. I could write a whole blog post on soy sauce! Most good Asian grocery stores devote a whole aisle to the hundreds of different types. Obviously the best one is the one in your pantry, but if you’re running out or want to expand your soy sauce collection, make sure you go for naturally brewed. There are two main types of soy sauces commercially available: naturally brewed/fermented and chemically produced. Get the naturally brewed or fermented for its complex deep aroma and flavor. We like both Amoy and Lee Kum Kee. In this case, you’re looking for light soy sauce. Even better if you get first extract/first press soy sauce.Chinese black vinegar
Black vinegar, also known as Zhenjiang or Chinkiang vinegar is a rice based vinegar that is fruity, slightly sweet, malty, and just the bit reminiscent of balsamic. It adds acidity and sweetness and is a backbone in Chinese cooking. It’s used in cold appetizers (like this one!), braised proteins, and as a dipping sauce for dumplings. You can use it just as you would regular vinegar and it’ll add just a touch more complexity. It’s sold in the Asian aisle at most grocery stores, in your local Asian grocery store, or online. If you don’t have any, you can sub rice vinegar or regular white vinegar, but it won’t be quite the same.Toasted sesame oil
Toasted sesame oil will add an incredible amount of aroma to this dish. It’s intensely nutty, toasty, and so so good. It’s not the same as regular sesame oil (which is typically used for cooking). Toasted sesame oil is made from toasted sesame seeds and is a finishing oil, much like a really good olive oil. Our favorite brand is the Japanese one, Kadoya, with its signature bottle shape and yellow cap. You can find it in the Asian aisle at most grocery stores, in your local Asian grocery store, or online.Aromatics
Garlic, red onion, and cilantro add some extra oomph to this salad. The earthiness of the garlic and the tart sharpness of the red onion pair well with the neutral juiciness of cucumbers. For garlic, we like to buy loose, locally grown garlic, but obviously those garlic bulbs in the little mesh bags will work too, but they don’t taste nearly as good. Choose a red onion that is firm and heavy for its size. Cilantro is one of those herbs that adds an amazing amount of freshness, so pile it on - assuming your one of those people who loves it.How to pick the perfect avocado
Ahh, the eternal question: will you win the avocado lottery!? There are so many factors. Will your avocado be perfectly ripe? Is it free of blemishes and bruises? Will the pit be a reasonable size or will it be bigger than you thought possible?- Buy unripe: While there’s no way to guarantee a perfect avocado, I do have tips for you. I prefer to buy my avocados green and hard and let them ripen at home. Yes, you have to do a little bit of planning, but if you buy your avocados unripe it means that they won’t have any nasty bruises from people over-enthusiastically squeezing for ripeness at the grocery store.
- Let ripen on the countertop: After a couple of days of resting time out on the counter, your avocados will most likely be ripe but not mushy, perfectly jade green without any hints of brown bruising. When you hold your avocado in your palm, it will feel heavy. Gently squeeze your palm without squeezing your fingertips. There should be a bit of give where the avocado yields to firm gentle pressure. It will feel slightly soft but not at all mushy. This is the prime time to use them! If you’re not ready to eat them store them in the fridge for a day or two.
- Check ripeness: Another way to check is flicking off their little dry stem nubbin (also called their naval or belly button!) and take a look at what color it is underneath. If it’s bright green, I know it’s good to go. If the stem doesn’t want to budge, it means that it needs a bit more time. And if it’s gross and brown underneath, it’s basically time to cry, cut off the brown bits and make some sad not-quite-right guacamole.
How to safely cut and peel an avocado
Avocado hand – that’s where you slice through your hand - is real. Don’t cut avocados in your hand, I beg of you! I could tell you the horror story about how I “filleted” my palm, in the words of the urgent care doctor that glued me back together, but I think we’re all adults here and just want to cut avocados the safe way. The safest way to cut an avocado is to place the avocado on a cutting board and cut lengthwise, in the middle carefully, rotating around the seed, keeping your fingers out of the way. Twist half of the avocado off and remove. Place the remaining half (with the pit) on a dish towel and VERY carefully tap your knife into the pit so that it wedges itself in. Twist the knife and remove the pit. This is slightly more dangerous than the method below. Alternatively, if you’re not comfortable removing the pit from half an avocado, simply make another cut, lengthwise around the halved avocado so you have two quarters, making the pit easy to pluck out with your fingers. This is the safest way to remove the pit. After the pit is removed, the neatest way to get your avocado out of the skin is to place the avocado, cut side down on to your cutting board and peel off the skin. Of course if you’re not concerned about aesthetics you can just use a spoon to scoop it out. Happy salad-days of summer! I hope you guys pop this cucumber avocado salad into your summer rotation. It really is the best. PS - If you’re looking for something to serve alongside with, try out this easy zha jiang mian/saucy pork noodles, spicy shrimp and snap pea stir fry, or yang chow fried rice!Chinese Cucumber Avocado Salad
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 tsp black Chinese vinegar (or rice vinegar)
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp chili oil (optional)
- 1 avocado (sliced)
- 1/2 English cucumber (sliced)
- 2 tbsp red onion (thinly sliced or finely diced)
- fresh cilantro (chopped)
- toasted sesame seeds
In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili oil (if using). Taste and season with a pinch of salt if needed.
Prep the vegetables: Pit, peel, and slice the avocado; cut the cucumber; slice the red onion; and chop the cilantro.
Toss the cucumbers, avocado, red onion, and cilantro in a bowl with the dressing. Finish with toasted sesame seeds, if desired and enjoy!
I Am... Chinese Chicken Salad
If you’re looking for a refreshing, hearty, flavorful chicken salad, this salad is for you. Fresh, crunchy lettuce and cabbage, sweet carrots, juicy oranges, chicken, herbs, and crunchy almonds are all tossed with a zingy, umami ginger-garlic sesame vinaigrette. No sad salads here! And the best part is that this is a salad that you can make ahead or meal prep, giving you salad days in a flash. Now that it’s summer, I’m living on salads all day, every day. I have my very own Mandy’s/Sweetgreen going on at home with different containers (glass, of course) of various prepped leaves, vegetables, and toppings. At least once a week I ask Mike if he wants to “order” a salad from me, but every single time the answer has been no, which is very sad for me because how am I going to live out my salad bar dreams?!
I love salad
At least I have a very healthy love for salad, so I can make daily salads for myself. I’m not sure why, but I like having everything separate and then making salads a la minute instead of having them ready to eat in a container. But then again, sometimes on the rare occasion that I don’t finish my salad and I pop it in a container in the fridge for the next day, it somehow tastes better? In my opinion, both are good: fresh-made salads and meal prep. Someone should start a salad company where they sell both types. This salad happens to be one that tastes amazing both ways. Even when you meal prep it and the wonton strips get a little soggy, it adds a little bit of extra flavorful texture. Of course, if you’re an expert salad meal prep person, you have those little containers on the side for your dressing and crunchy toppings so you don’t have to have soggy wonton strips.What is Chinese chicken salad?
Anyway, back to this salad, which we’re calling Chinese chicken salad even though I’m Chinese and I have no idea why everyone on the internet calls it that. I’m rolling with it, though. Chinese chicken salad is essentially a leafy green salad with chicken and a ginger-sesame dressing. Typically there are crunchy things too, like deep-fried noodles, deep-fried wonton strips, sliced almonds, and toasted sesame seeds. There are usually lots of herbs and sometimes mandarin oranges. It’s a refreshing, hearty salad, and it’s really, really good! It kind of is slightly reminiscent of a Chinese dish of shredded chicken, but also, not really. Really, I’m pretty sure it’s called Chinese chicken salad because it’s been popularized that way by chain restaurants like Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang’s. Questionable origins aside, this salad is a keeper and in my regular salad rotation.How to make Chinese chicken salad
Like all salads, this one takes some prep. If you’re not a person who finds washing and cutting vegetables a zen activity, by all means, buy those bagged prepped cabbage mixes or shredded carrots. If you think cutting vegetables is fun (I do because I’m a monster), then for this salad you need to:- Prep the vegetables: wash, dry, and shred the lettuce; wash, dry, and shred the cabbage; peel, wash, dry, and julienne the carrots; wash, dry, and slice the green onions; wash, dry, and chop the cilantro; and drain (or peel) the mandarin oranges.
- Shred the chicken: This salad is begging for leftover chicken. Shred up any extra chicken you might have, or if you need to meal prep some chicken breasts, use your go-to recipe or give air frying a try.
- Make the crunchy bits: You can opt to buy crunchy noodles at the store, or you can make them at home. If you’re making them at home, you can either use wonton wrappers that you slice up or egg noodles. For both, heat up about an inch of neutral oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmery, add a small amount of the wonton wrappers or egg noodles and fry until golden and crispy. They’ll crisp up quite quickly. Move and flip them as needed, and after a minute or two, remove them from the oil, drain and cool.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, a bit of neutral oil, a touch of sugar, minced ginger, and garlic. Taste and adjust if needed.
- Assemble: Add the shredded greens, carrot, herbs, and chicken (and oranges if using) to a bowl. Add the dressing and toss well.
- Enjoy: Finish the salad by topping it with the crunchy bits and enjoy!
Chinese chicken salad ingredients
Greens - shredded lettuce, cabbage, and carrots are the bulk of this salad. Personally, I love a mix of green and red cabbage and shredded romaine. I’ve also fallen in love with raw savoy cabbage recently—it’s a bit more tender and sweet and so, so good. So many cabbages, so little time. Herbs - a mix of thinly sliced green onions and chopped cilantro add a bit of fresh herbaceousness. oranges - this is something I’ll put in if we have it at home, but not something I’d go out and buy. But, when you have them, it does add some sweet juiciness that makes this salad elite. chicken - any kind of shredded chicken works for this salad. Leftovers or freshly cooked, it’s all good. For me, I like salads that have protein in them, so when I can, I almost always double the amount of protein called for in a salad. Luckily we eat a lot of chicken, so we almost always have some on hand. crunchy bits - arguably the best part of any salad, the crunchy bits are what keep it interesting. I definitely think thinly sliced almonds are a must. I like the thinly sliced ones with skin on, for some reason, they’re much more delicate and crunchy. For the other crunchy parts, I like to go with either homemade deep-fried wonton strips or homemade deep-fried egg noodles. They’re both super quick and easy to make at home. Or, you can buy them - they’re either with the salad toppers or in the Asian aisle in a bag - they’re packaged to look like chips. dressing - the dressing for this salad is pretty straightforward; the only thing that is a little bit annoying is finely mincing the garlic and ginger. Normally I’m a huge fan of using granulated garlic and ginger, but for this dressing, fresh is what you need. To your freshly minced garlic and ginger, we’re going to add soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, a touch of sugar, and a bit of neutral oil.Chinese chicken salad dressing
This dressing is zingy and full of flavor. It’s super simple to make and takes all the ingredients in this salad and makes them sing. Typically, Chinese chicken salad dressing is an oil vinaigrette with sesame, ginger, and ginger overtones. It’s incredibly addictive and will cause you to eat so much salad, in a good way.The best kind of chicken for salad
Leftover chicken is the best! I know a lot of people who actually buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that up, but usually we just get bone-in, skin-on thighs. I’ll skin and debone them (and save all that to make Hainanese chicken) and simply boil and then shred them. Chicken thighs are truly the most flavorful part of a chicken, but any kind of cooked, shredded chicken will do. For this particular salad, I did chicken breast poached in a gingery, garlicky stock, and they turned out super juicy.What are the crunchy things in Chinese chicken salad?
The crunchy bits vary, but they’re typically deep-fried wonton strips, slivered almonds, or crunchy chow mein noodles. For us, we prefer a combination of crunchy wonton strips and almonds. It’s super easy to make them at home yourself, and you don’t even need a lot of oil. If you don’t want to add an extra step, you can grab a bag of fried noodles at the grocery store in the Asian aisle. They look like short little golden fried noodles in a bag, kind of like chips, but noodles.How to meal prep Chinese chicken salad for the week
This salad is great for meal prep because you can do all the prep on Sunday, pack everything up, and have salad throughout the week. The key is to pack it up like they pack up salad kits in the grocery store. All the green things go together, the dressing goes in a little cup, and the crunchy bits are in a container, ready to go on at the end. It helps if you have the right containers. I love these guys for dressing and the crunchy bits and as for the vegetables, you can use any container you have on hand. It’s best if you put the chicken in a separate container too so it doesn’t wilt the vegetables too much, but it’s not absolutely necessary.What to serve with Chinese chicken salad
I think this salad is a meal in itself, but if you’re looking to have a salad party, try some of these as well:- super refreshing, crunchy cucumber salad
- a hearty, also chicken salad, but Caesar style with romaine and kale
- the most refreshing combination of watermelon, feta, and cucumber
- broccoli salad is a sleeper hit, it’s hearty, crunchy, and filling
- a super savory cabbage and chicken salad dressed with the most umami dressing you’ll ever have
Chinese Chicken Salad
The best Chinese chicken salad: fresh, crunchy lettuce and cabbage, sweet carrots, juicy oranges, chicken, herbs, and crunchy almonds.
Dressing
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp fresh ginger (minced)
Salad
- 4 cup lettuce (of choice, shredded)
- 1 1/2 cup cabbage (shredded)
- 1 medium carrot (julienned)
- 1/4 cup green onions (sliced)
- 1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
- 1 cup mandarin oranges (canned, optional)
- 2 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup crunchy deep-fried wonton strips
- 2 tbsp sliced almonds
In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
Toss the lettuce, cabbage, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and oranges (if using) in a large bowl. Add the chicken and dress the salad to taste.
Top with crunchy wonton strips and sliced almonds and enjoy!
I Am... A home Korean BBQ party is in your future
A Korean BBQ at home is the best kind of dinner party and way easier than you think. It's easy, it's quick, and it's fun. This is a little 101 on all things Korean BBQ at home. What it is, what you should buy, how you should set the table, and how you do it. Bonus, if you have a Korean grocer nearby like H-mart it's the easiest 'fancy' dinner you could ever have.
Why you should throw yourself a Korean BBQ party
Korean barbecue is all about balance and contrast between flavors and textures. It’s completely customizable so that everyone at the table can eat exactly what they want. Here’s what happens when you go out for KBBQ: You sit down and a bunch of tiny plates that you haven’t ordered come out. These are banchan: little side dishes that go with Korean BBQ. You order your meats and they come to the table, raw. You grill them, wrap them up in lettuce, dip/top them, then eat them up. Everything is smoky, meaty, savory, and delicious. Eat meat, drink copious amounts of alcohol, and repeat! Sounds fun right?! Mike and I LOVE going for Korean barbecue. It’s one of our things – late night grilling and chatting the night away. I like the interactive part of it and Mike likes the meat and alcohol. We both love the food. We’ve eaten at countless Korean barbecue restaurants and earlier this year, when everyone was in lockdown, we were really, really missing Korean barbecue. It was an itch we just had to scratch. So we did the thing: the ultimate way to KBBQ, right at home.Table of Contents
- What is Korean BBQ
- How to make Korean BBQ
- How to eat KBBQ
- What kind of grill for Korean BBQ?
- Where to buy the best korean bbq meats
- The best cuts of meat for KBBQ
- Banchan/Side dishes
- Korean BBQ Sauces
- Recommended Vegetables
- How much food should I make?
- Drinks for KBBQ
What is Korean BBQ
Korean BBQ is the popular method of grilling meat right at the dining table. Korean BBQ restaurants have gas, charcoal, or portable stove grills built into the tables. Marinated meats like bulgogi and kalbi are grilled and eaten along with various small Korean side dishes called banchan.This is a really long post, but the gist of it is: grill meat at the table, pop it into a leafy vegetable, top it off with sauce and enjoy.
At the very minimum you’ll need:- A grill/hot plate.
- Marinated meats.
- Vegetables + sauce.
- Banchan or side dishes. This is optional, I guess, but it’s not really Korean BBQ with out it.
- Drinks. A key part of KBBQ.
How to make Korean BBQ
- A few hours before you want to eat, or the day before, marinate the meats, prep the vegetables, buy the banchan, and make the sauces in this post. Buy the liquor you need and refrigerate because no one should drink warm soju if they can avoid it.
- When you are ready to eat, make the rice and the noodles and set the table up with banchan, dipping sauces, rice, and noodles.
- Heat up your grill or hot plate. Make sure the windows are open if you’re inside.
- Brush some oil on the grill.
- When it’s hot, add some slices of meat. Flip as needed.
- As the pieces are cooked, take them off the grill, wrap it up, top it, sauce it, and eat it. See below for details. You can also take the cooked pieces off the grill and place them on a plate. Cook, eat, and repeat.
How to eat KBBQ
Korean BBQ is traditionally eaten in ssam form. Ssam just means wrap, but the implication is a one-bite-sized wrap of fresh cold lettuce with a small piece of grilled meat and topped with sauce (ssamjang).- Grill some meat (above). If it is too large to eat as one bite (as in the case of short ribs) use a pair of kitchen shears to cut it down. This is traditional.
- Wrap it up in lettuce and perilla.
- Top or dip it in sauce.
- One bite it.
- Savor and repeat!
What should I buy for Korean BBQ at home
To be honest, you can probably buy everything you need at H-Mart or a local Korean grocery store. They’ll even have marinated meats for you. If you don’t live near a Korean grocery store, you can buy meat and marinate it yourself. Don’t sweat it if you don’t have any banchan. At its core, Korean barbecue is about wrapping delicious meat in lettuce and dipping it in ssamjang.What kind of grill do you need?
The most important thing you’ll need for Korean BBQ is a grill or hot plate. A korean BBQ grill is specifically designed to let the fat safely run off without flaring up so that you can cook indoors, and also not let any thinly sliced or tiny pieces of meat fall through. They sell a bunch of different ones online and they also sell them at Asian grocery stores. Besides the grill, you need a heat source. Your options are:- Charcoal - best tasting but you can't use charcoal indoors or on balconies and it's the biggest pain to get charcoal lit, let it cool down after, and dispose of properly. If you have a backyard and want to take things to the next level, you should give it a try though!
- Induction - induction is nice because it's safe and easy to clean, but it doesn't get as hot as Korean BBQ should get, and you have to use induction specific metal that can be hard to find in Korean BBQ grill pan shapes. We have an induction cooktop but we don't use it because the next option is the best.
- Portable Butane Stove - these can be used indoors (with proper ventilation) and get plenty hot. They have combo grills too where the grill is attached to the element. The best thing to do though is to buy a separate stove and grill from the same company so that its a tight fit but you can just throw the grill pan into the sink or dishwasher later. We have this Iwatani butune stove and this Iwatani Korean BBQ grill pan and we love them. If you mix and match, sometimes the grill and the stove won't be a good fit and the grill can slide right off. The difference between a $20 grill and a $50 grill is immense, by the way.
Pro tip
You’ll want to keep a window open during your KBBQ party no matter what grill you use because it will get smoky. If you have a backyard, you can do a backyard KBBQ party but if you don’t, you can do it at home too, just keep your hood fan on and know that you’ll need ventilation. Maybe keep a stick around to press the hush button on your smoke detector if you have crazy tall ceilings. Read more in the smoke section below. Aside from the grill/hot plate, you’ll need a bunch of tiny dishes for your banchan, small individual dipping dishes for sauces, tongs, scissors (for cutting the meat into smaller pieces) and plates and bowls for eating. And the food, of course!Where to buy the best korean bbq meats?
If you have access to H-Mart, a nation-wide Korean grocery store, it’s going to be the absolute best place to buy the best KBBQ meats. They will have all the right cuts and they even sell the meats marinated, if you want a super easy chill vibes BBQ night: After H-Mart, most Asian grocery stores will have a selection of pre-sliced meats in the frozen section that are probably meant for hot pot but will work great for KBBQ. And, finally, you can hit up the regular grocery store or a butcher. You can buy a rib-eye, pop it in the freezer and thinly slice it. Instead of Korean flanken-cut short ribs, get some boneless short ribs and slice those thin as well. Most grocery stores carry pork belly slices (sometimes called side pork) and chicken is always a good choice too, especially when you marinate it in the spicy bulgogi marinade.The best cuts of meat for KBBQ
Beef
- Kalbi/Short Ribs: These ribs are cut specifically for KBBQ, which are flanken cut short ribs, where the ribs are cut thin across the bone. You can also do boneless short ribs too, which are usually cut a bit thicker.
- Bulgogi: Bulgogi actually refers to the sweet and savory marinade/sauce, not the cut of meat, but most commonly used are thinly cut slices of sirloin, ribeye, or brisket.
Bulgogi vs Kalbi
Even though they’re both beef, they’re not the same. The biggest difference is the cut of meat used. Bulgogi is made with thinly sliced meat and kalbi are short ribs. The marinade is essentially the same.Pork
- Samgyeopsal/Pork Belly: Samgyeopsal is probably the most popular pork item because pork belly. It comes either marinated or plain and can be thick cut or thin.
- Hanjungsal/Pork Jowl: This might be my favorite cut of pork ever. Pork jowl is chewy, juicy, and perfectly marbled. It doesn’t flare up on the grill up as much as pork belly because the fat is more marbled throughout the meat. If you see it at the store, buy some, you won’t regret it! I recommend keeping hanjungsal unmarinated/plain.
Chicken
- Cheese Buldak: Chicken is not as popular at KBBQ, but they do have it, usually prepared cheese buldak style: chicken thighs marinated in a spicy gochujang fiery sauce. The thighs are grilled then, smothered in melty mozzarella cheese. I love this dish! It’s usually brought to the table in it’s own little skillet, already cooked.
- Chicken Bulgogi: If you do want to grill chicken at the table, it’s usually thighs marinated in bulgogi sauce.
Banchan for Korean Barbecue
If you've ever been to a Korean restaurant you know Banchan. They are absolutely a key part of Korean barbecue. Banchan, or side dishes, are placed around the grill for everyone to share. I always judge Korean barbecue restaurants for their banchan because you know if they’re taking care with their banchan, they’re taking care with everything else. You can make your own banchan (please check out Maangchi for some great recipes!), but if you’re lucky enough to have an H-Mart in your town or close by, it’s worth it to go there because they have a whole HUGE refrigerated section of prepared banchan. Plus you can get some Melona ice cream bars and roasted seaweed snacks that are 10 times cheaper than the seaweed snacks at Whole Foods.Some common banchan are:
- Kimchi: This comes in several varieties and most Korean bbq places will give you more than one kind. Buy a couple of different kimchi varieties at a local Korean grocery store. Otherwise, most large supermarkets have the standard baechu kimchi (napa cabbage). Kkakdugi, or cubed radish/daikon is super popular and oi sobagi, or cucumber is always a good choice.
- Kongnamul: These are soy bean sprouts that are seasoned with sesame oil, soy, scallions and garlic.
- Danmuji: These iconic picked yellow daikon are the kind that you find in kimbap! Crunchy, sweet and sour, and so addictive.
- Gim/Seaweed: There are a bunch of different seaweed banchan you can get: seasoned seaweed salads made with roasted seaweed (doljaban muchim), seaweed stems (miyeok julgi bokkeum), wakame (miyeok muchim).
- Gamja/Potatoes: This is my FAVORITE banchan umbrella - all the potato side dishes. There’s potato salad (gamja saelleodeu), sweet and savory braised potatoes (gamja jorim), and sticky soy glazed potatoes (gamja bokkeum). Give me ALL the gamja!
- Eggs: Gyeran jangjorim, or soy marinated eggs (either regular or quail) make for a cute and tasty side dish. Rolled omelette (gyeran mari) is what I consider a premium banchan because who doesn’t love a rolled omelette studded with vegetable confetti?! I also love gyeranjjim, which are steamed eggs that come in a little stoneware pot.
- Jeon/Pancakes: Again, this is a premium banchan! If you want to go ALL out, break out the jeon, which are savory pancakes/battered pan-fried deliciousness. The classic is pajeon (green onion pancake) or kimchijeon (kimchi pancake), but there are haemuljeon (seafood), and even gamjajeon (potato ?)
My favorite banchan to make at home: gyeran mari
Rolled omelette/gyeran mari is the best banchan because they’re pretty and taste amazing too! How could you not love rolled eggs with tiny vegetable confetti?! Here’s how you make it:- Finely chop some scallions and carrots, you want about 1 and a half tablespoons of each.
- Lightly whisk together 4 eggs and season with salt, making sure they’re evenly mixed.
- Stir in the finely chopped vegetables.
- Use a small nonstick frying pan and heat up a bit of oil over medium low heat.
- Add about 1/3 of the egg mix and swirl to coat the pan.
- Cook until the egg just starts to set then use a spatula to fold the egg over about 2 inches. Continue to fold and roll it, then push it to one side of the pan.
- In the empty spot in the pan, add some more of the egg mix, letting it cook until it is just about set but still runny on top. Roll the egg up and push it to one side of the pan.
- Repeat until you finish the egg mix.
- Remove from the pan, let cool slightly, and slice into thick slices.
- Enjoy along with your KBBQ!
Korean BBQ Sauces
It isn’t a KBBQ party without sauces! The table needs sauces and seasoning so everyone can customize to their hearts content.- Ssamjang: This translates to wrap sauce and that’s exactly what it is, sauce to put on your ssam/wrap. It’s made up of soybean paste/doenjang, hot pepper paste/gochujang, sugar, green onions, garlic, toasted sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Every one has their own recipe so don’t be afraid to riff and adjust to what you like. Ssamjang is savory and sweet and touch spicy and really, really good.
- Toasted sesame oil: A little dipping bowl of toasted sesame oil is a pro-move. Use this, with a bit of salt sprinkled on top when you want to really taste the pure flavors of the meat. I love it with pork, especially pork that hasn’t been marinated.
- Salt: Just a little dish of salt for sprinkling onto the un-marinated meats to bring out their meaty flavors. Flakey sea salt is extra luxe.
- Toasted sesame seeds: A sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds can add an extra hit of savory nuttiness to your ssam.
Here are three KBBQ dipping sauce recipes to get you started
Sesame oil, salt, and pepper
A super savory sauce that lets the flavors of the ingredient that you’re grilling shine through. 2 tsp toasted sesame oil plus 1 small pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper.Ssamjang
This is a thick sauce that works best when you scoop it in your ssam! 1 teaspoon each doenjang, gochujang, toasted sesame oil, honey, toasted sesame seeds and 1 clove garlic, minced.Sweet and spicy gochujang
This is a basic sweet and spicy sauce that goes well with everything. 1 tablespoon each of gochujang, sugar or honey, and rice vinegar, plus a squeeze of fresh lemon and thinly sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds.Vegetables
- Lettuce: You’ll need lots of lettuce and perilla to wrap up your grilled meats in little bites. I like providing a bunch of different lettuces. Lettuces for for Korean barbecue to try: red leaf, green leaf, butter, romaine, iceberg, really, any lettuce you enjoy can be used as a wrap.
- Perilla: Pick up some perilla when you’re at the Korean market. It's a flat wide leaf that is sometimes labeled as sesame leaves. Perilla are in the mint family but they don’t quite taste like mint, more like Japanese shiso (if you’ve had that) or a fresh herby flavor with a hint of anise.
- Chili: It wouldn’t be Korean food without a bit of spice. Most Korean restaurants will have sliced Korean green chilis, but you can sub sliced jalapeños or serranos.
- Green onions: A huge pile of slivered or shredded green onions adds freshness and flavor. Usually the green onions are tossed in a bit of soy, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and sesame seeds for a quick green onion slaw that tastes amazing with pork.
- Crunchy vegetables: You can also add some vegetable sticks or slices like cucumbers and carrots.
- Garlic: Raw garlic slices for those garlic lovers out there - just pop a slice on top of the meat in your ssam
Rice or noodles
You’ll probably be full after all the meat, but most KBBQ places offer rice and noodles at the end, just as an ending to the meal. Mike actually loves putting rice into his ssam, so if you like, serve up some bowls of rice with your KBBQ. As for noodles, well, who doesn’t love noodles? Super popular is naengmyeon, or cold noodles, because after all the heat, you’ll want to cool down with a bowl of slippery, savory icy cold noodles.How much food/meat do you need?
- Meat Plan on 1/2 to 3/4 pound of meat per person. If you have big meat eaters, plan on 1 pound of meat per person. If you’re having bone-in short ribs, double the amount of short ribs, because of bones.
- Vegetables Get at least 1 head of lettuce and 1 pack/bunch of perilla leaves between two people.
- Banchan Plan on 1-2 ounces of each kind of banchan and aim for 4 (or many more) varieties.
- Rice Make 1/2 cup of uncooked rice per person, which will give you about 1.5 cups cooked.
Do you really need to marinate?
You don’t have to! Lots of times Korean BBQ actually comes naked so you can appreciate the pure flavors of the meats. This is actually how Japanese people like to do Korean BBQ at yakiniku. We kept some of the meats plain so we could enjoy them with salt and sauce.What about smoke?
Not going to lie, if you’re grilling meat, there is going to be smoke, especially if your meat is marinated. KBBQ restaurants have very powerful hood fans that suck up the smoke so you don’t notice it when you’re eating there. To keep smoke at a healthy level at home, make sure your windows are open and your hood fan is on. Better yet, now that it is summer, have your KBBQ feast outside! Heck, even in the winter it’s fun to grill outside, underneath blankets. In Seoul, they have outdoor places where there are heaters and blankets for a cozy experience. To minimize smoke, always cook unmarinated meats first, then move on to marinated meats. If it starts to get extremely smoky, take a break and change or clean the grill plate. If your smoke detector goes off, there's often a button you can use to tell it that everything is fine. It's all part of the experience!How to set the table
Aside from the grill and the ingredients, there are a couple of things that will make your KBBQ night go smoothly.Table
- This is pretty obvious, but it goes without saying that KBBQ takes up a lot of room so a big table is optimal. If you have a smaller table, keep some of the meats and banchan near by on the countertop and replenish as needed. The table will get oily due to some splatter so you might way to lay down something to protect the surface.
Utensils
- Tongs - These are for both grabbing meats to put on the grill and using them to grill the meats on the grill. Usually you’ll only get one or two sets of tongs at the restaurant and someone will take care of the grilling while everyone else relaxes and eats. Two pairs ensures that you use one for raw meat and one for meat that is cooked.
- Chopsticks - Metal chopsticks are traditionally Korean but a lot of people have a hard time using them because they’re flat instead of round or squared off. I recommend wooden chopsticks!
- Scissors - These are for cutting pieces of meat into smaller pieces either for them to cook faster or to cut cooked pieces of meat into more manageable pieces. Use them copiously!
Dishes
- Small bowls - small round bowls are perfect for rice and banchan and don’t take up too much premium table space.
- Small plates - mini plates mean you can fit more banchan on the table.
- Dipping bowls - you’ll need dipping bowls for the sauces, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt.
What to drink with KBBQ
Most people like drinking beer and soju. Of course makgeolli, a sweet milky rice wine, is super popular too. You can also do mixed drinks like Yakut and soju, Melona and soju, or soda and soju. If you’re going non-alcoholic, iced teas are perfect. I hope this post has inspired you to do Korean barbecue at home. Really, it’s a ton of fun and SO delicious.Korean BBQ at Home
A complete guide to Korean BBQ at home featuring Kalbi short ribs, bulgogi brisket and spicy bulgogi pork belly, as well as all the fixings needed for a night of celebration, fun, and meat.
Kalbi/Bulgogi Marinade
- 1 medium onion (chopped, roughly 2 cups)
- 1 pear (cored, Asian pear preferred, roughly 1 cup)
- 8 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp ginger (crushed)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
Meats
- 2 lb bone-in short ribs (Korean cut (thinly sliced), use 1/2 the amount if boneless)
- 1 lb brisket (thinly sliced, sirloin or ribeye ok as well)
- 1 lb pork belly (thinly sliced)
Ssamjang (dipping sauce)
- 1 cup doenjang (Korean fermented soy bean paste)
- 1/2 cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
- 8 green onions (thinly sliced)
- 8 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Pajeori (Green Onion Slaw)
- 6 green onions
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes, optional)
Assembly
- 4-8 oz Banchan (at least 4 kinds, see post)
- 2 heads lettuce (mix/match of red leaf, green leaf, butter, romaine, iceberg)
- 2 packs perilla leaves
- 1 cup crunchy vegetables (julienned)
- 6-8 cloves garlic (raw, sliced)
- 2-3 jalapeños (sliced)
- 6 cups cooked rice
- 16 oz naengmyeon (Korean cold noodles, prepared, optional)
- 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 4 tsp flaky sea salt
Well before you want to eat, make the marinade: In a blender, blend the onion, pear, garlic, and ginger with 1/4 cup water, then combine the onion-pear mix with the soy sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, and black pepper. Marinate your meats for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight:
Kalbi short ribs: use 1/3 of the marinade with the Korean cut short ribs
Bulgogi brisket: use 1/3 of the marinade with your thinly sliced brisket (or sirloin or ribeye)
Spicy Bulgogi pork belly: finally, add 1 tbsp gochujang (or more, if you want it spicier) to the remaining marinade and combine with the pork belly.
Combine the ssamjang ingredients to make the ssamjang. Set aside, covered, in the refrigerator so the flavors can meld.
Make the green onion slaw: Trim the green onions then cut into 3 inch lengths. Slice each piece longways so you get shredded green onions. Soak in cold water for 5 minutes, drain well, then toss the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
When you are ready to eat, lay out the banchan on small plates, cook your rice, and divide your ssamjang and other seasonings up among the table.
Cook the meat on the hot plate/grill pan, flipping as needed. Enjoy as ssam!
Makes about 3 cups marinade.
You aren’t restricted to these meats, feel free to buy whatever strikes your fancy or is easy/comfortable! For chicken, try chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces. For pork, try pork jowl if you can find it!
This is probably actually enough food for 6 but it's better to have leftovers vs. running out of food at a Korean BBQ.
Estimated nutrition doesn’t include side dishes, sauces…or alcohol.
I Am... Easy One Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice
If you’re looking for your next hands-off, delicious one pot dinner, this is it: Hainanese chicken rice. Have you ever had Hainanese chicken rice before? Are you as obsessed with it as I am? I’m guessing the answer is no because I have a lifelong, deep obsession with chicken rice. It’s my ultimate comfort food, my all-time-favorite go to meal, my version of Anton Ego’s mom’s ratatouille. You know, the scene in in the Pixar movie where Anton is taken back to his mom’s kitchen and she serves him ratatouille and all is right with the world. That's Hainanese chicken rice for me.
What is Hainanese chicken rice?
Hainanese chicken is deceptively simple but somehow complex. It originated in Hainan in Southern China, but its spiritual home is Singapore, where you’ll find renditions of the ever popular dish everywhere, from hawker stands to high end hotels. I would fight to the death to say that Hainanese chicken rice is the best rendition of chicken and rice out there. It’s so humble, so flavorful, and so pure. At its heart, Hainanese chicken rice is just that: chicken and rice. The chicken is poached in a simple yet flavorful broth scented with ginger, garlic, and scallions and is silky, firm, and tastes like the most perfect chicken you’ll ever have. The rice that comes with it should stand on its own: full of chicken flavor, slicked with fat, savory, and fragrant.What’s so special about the rice?
You’ve got to taste it to believe it, but I think the secret to why Hainanese chicken rice is so good is the rice. And the secret to the rice is chicken fat. Any good cook knows that when you cook rice in broth, the broth infuses the inside of the grain, giving it extra flavor. A lot of cultures do this, like how Mexican rice is cooked in tomatoes and onions. Chicken rice goes one step further by frying uncooked rice in chicken fat with garlic, shallots, and ginger before cooking in chicken broth, giving the rice another layer of toasty, aromatic deliciousness. The rice should be glossy, luscious and full of flavor.The best chicken rice is the one you like making
There are a lot of Hainanese chicken rice recipes that call for 24 hour (or more) cures and other very complicated steps. It doesn't need to be this way, especially if you just want good chicken rice and you're not competing with a dozen other chicken rice hawkers at a market. It's the rice that you need to pay careful attention to, and that's an easy thing that doesn't take much extra time. Personally, I love making chicken rice, I find it therapeutic somehow. But sometimes I just want to eat chicken and rice without cooking a whole chicken. This easy recipe is for those times: skin-on boneless chicken thighs and rice are cooked in one pot for ease and fewer dishes to wash. Win-win!The secret to great Hainanese chicken rice
This is a basic one pot Hainanese chicken rice with all the flavor and none of the fuss. The recipe starts with chicken fat. If you’re like me and love chicken rice and make it on the regular, you’ll want to keep a jar of rendered chicken fat in the fridge. Even if you’re not like me and don’t want to make chicken rice every day of the week, you’ll want to keep a jar of chicken fat in the fridge. Chicken fat is PURE FLAVOR. Chicken fat is what makes the rice part of chicken rice taste so good. But, if you don’t have any chicken fat, don’t worry, toasting your rice in any fat is going to give it a glossy, delicious flavor coat. The key is cooking the ginger, garlic, and shallots in fat so that the aromatics release their deliciousness into the rice.How to render chicken fat
Chicken fat is the key to a good Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken fat adds so much flavor to the rice, you won’t believe it.- Collect. Trim excess skin off the chicken thighs. Every time you have a recipe that calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs, just buy skin-on, bone-in chicken. Debone and save the bones for stock and save the skin for rendering. I like to freeze a sizable amount then make a big batch of chicken fat and crispy chicken skin.
- Chop. Use a sharp knife and chop the chicken skin into small 1/2 inch pieces. You can use a pair of scissors for this too.
- Slowly render. Put all of the chicken skins in a non-stick (or cast iron) skillet, pot, or pan. I like using a pot to keep everything from splattering but it’ll be faster in a pan or skillet. Cover and cook on medium low for 15 minutes. The fat will start to render out and collect.
- Crisp. After you have a pretty pool of glistening fat, uncover the skillet and turn the heat up to medium. Let the skin and fat cook, stirring and breaking up occasionally, until the chicken skins start to crisp and brown.
- Strain. After all the skins are brown, remove the pan from the heat and use a fine mesh strainer over a heat proof liquid measuring cup to strain out the crispy skin. The rendered chicken fat is pure flavor. If desired, return the skin to the pan and crisp up further. The crispy chicken skins are the BEST. They’ll continue to crisp up as they cool, so don’t cook them too long. Store the strained fat in a jar in the fridge for several weeks and use to make chicken rice!
Chicken thigh vs chicken breast
But what about the chicken? Do you need a whole chicken? Should you use dark meat or light if you're just going with individual pieces? Again, this is personal preference, but I think the whole chicken isn't necessary. The only question is, do you go with thigh or breast? When you’re in Singapore, you have to pay extra for dark meat (thighs and drumsticks) because the meat is silkier and more tender. I definitely prefer thighs to chicken breasts when making chicken rice but sometimes I like the texture of breasts too.What kind of chicken for chicken rice?
Chicken thighs are clearly superior but they don’t tend to sell skin-on boneless chicken thighs. What I do is buy bone in skin on thighs and trim the bones out myself.How to debone chicken thighs
There’s only one bone to remove from a chicken thigh, making it super simple.- Place the chicken thigh, skin side down on a cutting board.
- Find the bone that runs along the length of the thigh. Use a sharp boning knife or paring knife along the side of the bone to reveal it.
- Use the knife to scrape along both sides of the bone, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Angle the tip of knife underneath the bone and run the knife alongside the bone to cut the end of the thigh away. Repeat on the other side.
Chicken and Rice
All cultures have some sort of chicken and rice. The Japanese have oyakodon, Latin Americans have arroz con pollo, and Southeast Asians (and Hainanese people) have Hainanese chicken rice. Like most chicken and rice dishes, it’s simple at heart: poached chicken and seasoned rice served with a variety of sauces. Like lots of immigrant adapted foods, there are actually a bunch of different types of Hainanese chicken rices: Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Thai. Growing up, it was a staple in our house. Chicken rice is the food that can bring me back to my childhood and transport me to some of my favorite memories as an adult. I’m not embarrassed to say that chicken rice is my everything.How do you eat Hainanese chicken rice?
Everyone eats it differently! Some people like to pour all three sauces on top and mix it all up, some people only use certain sauces, really, it’s up to you. Authentically, like with curry rice, it’s usually served on a plate with a spoon and fork – NOT a bowl and chopsticks – to scoop everything up.What to serve with Hainanese chicken rice
Traditionally it’s served with the poaching broth the chicken was cooked in, as well as chili sauce, scallion-ginger sauce (I kept it simple here with a scallion only sauce), and dark soy sauce. If you’re in Singapore, they’ll probably give you a couple pieces of cucumber, and a sprig of cilantro on top.Homemade Hainanese scallion oil
Sometimes I keep it simple with a pure scallion oil, but if you have the time to chop up some more aromatics, a ginger garlic scallion oil is an unforgettable umami bomb you’ll want to put on EVERYTHING. Ingredients- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup scallions
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- In a food processor - or by hand, you wizard you - chop up 4 cloves garlic, 2-3 scallions (about 1/2 cup), and 1 tbsp fresh ginger. Place everything in a deep heat proof bowl.
- In the smallest pot you have, heat up 1/4 cup neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, canola) over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. You can also test the heat by placing an uncoated wooden chopstick in the oil. If you see tiny air bubbles escaping from the chopstick in the oil, it should be hot enough.
- Carefully remove the pot from the stove and pour over the scallion mix. It will sizzle and bubble. Stir so everything is coated and season with salt to taste.
Hainanese chili garlic sauce
Ingredients- 2 fresno peppers (or other red pepper)
- 1 Thai chili pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1" ginger
- 2-3 tbsp chicken stock
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- In a food processor, chop 2 fresno peppers, 1 Thai chili, 2 cloves garlic, and a 1 inch piece of ginger until it comes together in a paste. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of chicken stock, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Add salt to taste.
Hainanese ginger sauce
This is different from the scallion oil and I make it when I want a pure ginger taste. It’s not too spicy because cooking the ginger mellows it out. It’s a perfect “clean” tasting sauce for those Hainanese chicken rice purists out there. Ingredients- 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 2 tsp rendered chicken fat
- salt, to taste
- In the smallest pot you have, heat up 1/4 cup neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, canola) over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. You can also test the heat by placing an uncoated wooden chopstick in the oil. If you see tiny air bubbles escaping from the chopstick in the oil, it should be hot enough.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the ginger. It will sizzle and bubble. The ginger should be soft and tender. Stir in the rendered chicken fat and season to taste with salt.
Pro-tips
Here are some of my tips for making chicken rice. I do it so much that it’s pretty much second nature to me!Use a food processor
I like doing prep work but a food processor makes everything easier and more enjoyable. There are a lot of aromatics in Hainanese chicken rice and it’s the aromatics that make everything taste amazing so you don’t want to skip out. A food processor will cut your prep time in half. This is the mini one we use on the regular.Save your chicken fat!
I have a little freezer bag of frozen chicken fat/skin in the freezer. This is probably not that strange to people who know how amazing chicken fat is. I add to it whenever I’m trimming chicken or if I need skinless chicken in a recipe. Skin on chicken is so much cheaper that skin-off so I just de-skin at home and happily add to my stash. When the bag is full, I render the fat, stash it in the fridge in clean jar and scoop it out to use whenever I have a chicken rice craving. The crispy chicken skins get eaten pretty much right away. Having a stash of chicken fat in the fridge means you’re never too far away from chicken rice.Use homemade chicken stock
This is my cheat version of Hainanese chicken rice, which is why it calls for store-bought chicken stock. But the truth is, like my endless supply of chicken fat, I also have an endless supply of Hainanese chicken stock in my freezer. To make homemade Hainanese chicken stock, use trimmed chicken bones:- Place as many trimmed chicken bones as you have in a deep pot and cover with water until it is covers the bones by 2 inches.
- Add 1 inch ginger, sliced; 1 shallot, halved, 2 cloves garlic, crushed; and 1 whole green onion.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and when there are lots of tiny little bubbles, cover and turn down the heat.
- Simmer for 1 hour. When the hour is done, strain the stock. Use homemade Hainanese chicken stock as directed in the recipe.
Make it in the rice cooker
If you’re not a fan of cooking rice on the stove you can still make this one pot chicken and rice:- Fry up the rice in chicken fat, along with the ginger, garlic and shallot until glossy.
- Add the fried rice to your rice cooker and add in the chicken stock, chicken, and green onion.
- Set the rice cooker and cook until the rice is finished cooking.
- Let the rice and chicken keep warm (on the keep warm setting) for 10 minutes before opening, fluffing, and enjoying.
Perfectly cooked chicken
I prefer to use boneless chicken for this quick and easy version because boneless thighs finish at the same time as the rice, making this quick and easy. If you want to use bone in chicken, make sure the chicken is tempered (not straight from the fridge) when you’re adding it to the pan. Cook the chicken and rice for 5 more minutes and let it steam with the lid on for an extra 5 minutes as well. The rice will be on the more tender side.Super silky Hainanese chicken skin
Something people really love about Hainanese chicken is the super silky smooth chicken skin. It’s delicate, tender, and delicious. In Singapore, if the chicken is gelatinous and silky, it’s considered perfect. The secret to super silky chicken skin is a combination of salt scrubbing and temperature control. Because we’re making a one pot Hainanese chicken I’m going to talk mostly about salt scrubbing, but I will lightly touch on the importance of an ice bath too.Salt scrub
The first thing you should do, if you’re looking for super smooth skin is to give your chicken a nice salt rub. Sprinkle on a generous amount of coarse salt and exfoliate the heck out of the chicken skin, making sure that the salt gets into every nook and cranny of the skin. After exfoliating, rinse the excess salt off the skin (so the chicken doesn’t end up too salty) and the chicken skin should look tighter, cleaner, and generally very pretty. This works super well on whole chickens but it also works on cut pieces of chicken to. Do it, it will definitely make a difference.Temperature Control
As for the other key aspect of silky skin, it’s temperature control. This recipe is for a super simple Hainanese one pot chicken and rice but when you’re making it traditionally (as I do quite a lot as well) you using a whole chicken and poach it gently. After scrubbing and exfoliating with salt, the chicken is gently submerged in a pot of just simmering water and aromatics (scallions, ginger, garlic, shallots) until it cooks through. Immediately afterwards, the chicken is put into an ice cold water bath. The hot then cold shocks the chicken skin, pulling it tighter against it’s body. The skin will be silky and perfect! When chicken rice is done well, you almost don’t need the chicken! Mike pretty much just eats giant bowls of the rice with no chicken at all, that's how good it is. I hope you give this recipe a try, it’s the perfect comfort food for chilly fall days. Chicken rice forever and always, xoxo stephOne Pot Hainanese Chicken and Rice Recipe
Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken and rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now!
Chicken Rice
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp rendered chicken fat or neutral oil
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/2 small shallot (finely diced)
- 1 cup white jasmine rice
- 1 cup chicken stock (low sodium)
- 2 green onions (whole)
Green Onion Oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- salt (to taste)
To Serve
- chili sauce
- sliced cucumbers
Rub the chicken skin with the salt and set aside.
In a pan or pot with a lid, heat up the chicken fat or oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and shallot. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the rice and fry gently until glossy.
Add chicken stock, then place the chicken, skin side up, in the pan. Add the green onions on top. Bring to boil over medium high heat and when it starts to simmer, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 17 minutes, turn off the heat, and let rest for 10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, make the green onion oil: place the green onions in a deep heat proof bowl and set aside.
In a small pot, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. Remove the pot from the stove and very carefully pour over the green onions – they will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in salt to taste.
When the 10 minute rest is up, remove and discard the green onions. Remove the chicken and slice. Fluff up the rice and serve with thinly sliced cucumbers and green onion oil. Enjoy immediately!
Estimated nutrition facts don't include the green onion oil.
I Am... How to Make the Crunchiest Asian Fried Chicken in an Air Fryer
Every culture has fried chicken, and Asian fried chicken is some of the most celebrated around. From the ubiquitous orange chicken, sesame chicken, or honey garlic chicken, to favorites like chicken karaage or taiwanese popcorn chicken, it’s clear that the world loves all the Asian fried chickens. And, believe it or not, along with being quick and easy, the air fryer is one of the best ways period to make any Asian fried chicken recipe.
How is Asian fried chicken different?
Asians love texture to a fault; it’s just a fact. I have a running joke that if I ask Steph how good a Chinese restaurant is, she will only describe their textures, like “they make really crispy fried chicken” or “they have really chewy noodles”. It’s taken for granted that the food tastes good. So likewise with the wings, Asian fried chicken emphasizes texture. Sometimes this means crisp shattering crunch, but sometimes it also means “used to be crunchy but now saucy”. You have to taste it to understand that one.How to make the best fried chicken
Almost all Asian fried chickens are made the same way:- First you marinate the chicken (if it’s not being coated in a sauce).
- Then it’s dredged in a flour or starch coating, then fried
- Then sauced while hot or dusted with spices, if needed.
The best coating to use for fried chicken: potato starch vs cornstarch vs flour
Most of the time, we use potato starch or cornstarch. Potato starch can be hard to find (although Amazon is now a thing, and Bob’s Red Mill is carried everywhere) but produces the best, lightest, crispiest results. Cornstarch comes in a close second and you can get it everywhere. Sometimes, we will use rice flour or cake flour. Unless you really have nothing else, try to avoid all purpose or bread flour. The lower the gluten, the lighter and crispier the wings.How to make Asian fried chicken in an air fryer
The air fryer is perfect for making light, crispy wings. The fan movement of the air allows an even cooking, while the lack of extraneous oil means you get a lighter final product. Here’s how you do it:- Season and marinate the chicken (optional). Salt and pepper your chicken and let stand for 5 minutes or so. If you are making a chicken that requires a marinade, do it now as well.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Water generates steam, and steam is our enemy right now.
- Lightly oil the chicken. This is to help promote even browning. You can/should use a spray oil for this, but you can also just toss the chicken in 1 tablespoon of a high heat oil as well.
- Toss the chicken in potato/corn starch. I like to use a ziplock bag or, even better, a compostable produce bag.
- Air fry the chicken. Oil the basket of your air fryer with the spray bottle or a brush. Then arrange the chicken on a single layer with at least 1/4” spacing between each piece.
- Flip the chicken. I don’t like the shaking method, I’ve found that it’s better to just use tongs to flip the chicken so that the other side is consistently even. Besides, you need the tongs to take the chicken out later anyway.
- Sauce or salt? Remove the chicken immediately so that a) it doesn’t overcook and b) the sauce or spice dusting will stick to it better.
What can you make with this recipe?
- Vietnamese Fried Chicken: After frying, dust with our Vietnamese chicken spice (equal parts sugar, white pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder).
- Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken: Toss with 1 teaspoon soy sauce, then marinate with 1 teaspoon white pepper and 1 teaspoon five spice. After frying, dust with another 1 teaspoon white pepper and 1 teaspoon five spice.
- Korean Fried Chicken: After frying, coat with korean spicy chicken sauce (1 tablespoon each ketchup, gochujang, honey, brown sugar, and garlic, and half tablespoon each of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and minced ginger).
- Japanese Karaage Wings: Marinate with 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, sake, minced ginger, and crushed garlic, as well as 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Thai/Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings: After frying, coat with our fish sauce vinaigrette (1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 cloves garlic, 1 Thai chili).
- Orange Chicken: After frying, coat with our 5 ingredient orange chicken sauce (1/4 cup each of orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar, plus a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken).
Tips for the best fried chicken
- Always season your chicken
- Dry your chicken as well as possible, steam is the enemy of crunch
- For ultimate crispiness, you can double fry the chicken by letting the chicken rest for 5 minutes after frying both sides, then putting it back in for another 5 minutes.
The Best Air Fryer Asian Fried Chicken Wings
- 1 lb chicken wings
- 1 tbsp oil
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- salt and pepper
Coat the chicken with the oil, then season with salt and pepper. Toss with corn starch.
Spray the air fryer basket with oil or use a brush/paper towel to apply a thin coat of oil onto it. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and air fry the chicken at 400ºF for 15 minutes. When the 15 minutes is up, flip the chicken and air fry another 5 minutes.
Remove chicken immediately. Sauce or dust as needed.
I Am... Cinnamon Rolls
Super soft and ooey gooey homemade cinnamon rolls are my love language. I mean, all food is my love language but cinnamon rolls are just the ultimate in comfort. Sometimes I wish I could just roll myself up in a soft and gooey cinnamon roll blanket and eat it whenever. But really, that would be kind of weird. So maybe I just want to wrap myself in a blanket that looks like a cinnamon roll while I eat warm soft cinnamon rolls right out of the oven!
How to make cinnamon rolls
- Activate the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast on to warm milk and let foam.
- Add sugar, eggs, and melted butter and mix throughly.
- Stir in the flour until everything comes together into a ball of dough.
- Knead the dough until smooth, then pop into a lightly oiled bowl so it can proof for an hour.
- After the dough is puffy and proofed, tip it out onto a floured surface and roll it into a rectangle.
- Spread out some soft butter and sprinkle on brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll it up tightly, cut into even pieces, and place in a pan and let proof until doubled.
- Bake until gooey and golden.
- Top it off with cream cheese glaze and enjoy!
Homemade cinnamon roll ingredients
- Yeast - this recipe uses active dry yeast which needs to be dissolved in a bit of liquid before using - in this case we’ll sprinkle it on to milk. If you have instant yeast, you can use it too, there won’t be much of a difference; your rolls might rise a bit faster, depending how warm your kitchen is.
- Milk - I use 2% milk but any milk will work here, even almond or oat milk. Warm the milk up slightly in the microwave (I usually pop it in the microwave in 20 second increments) You want it between 105-115°F, which feels like a warm bath.
- Eggs - not all cinnamon bun recipes have eggs in them, but this one does and it adds extra richness and flavor because the cinnamon roll dough is enriched instead of just regular. Make sure you take your eggs out of the fridge and let the come to room temp. If you forget, just pop them into a bowl with hot tap water, which will bring them to room temp faster.
- Bread flour - this one is important. You might be tempted to just use all purpose, and well, you can do that, but if you use bread flour your rolls will be soft and fluffy with just the right amount of chew. Bread flour has a higher protein content than regular all purpose – the resulting dough has more gluten in it which helps the rolls stay soft and chewy.
- Cinnamon - obviously cinnamon rolls need cinnamon. But the kind of cinnamon you use is important too. Cinnabon’s cinnamon (if you’re looking to create a copycat cinnabon) is a special super cinnamon-y proprietary blend called Makara - they sell it! If you don’t want to get cinnabon cinnamon, go for Ceylon cinnamon if you can.
Why are cinnamon rolls so good?
These particular cinnamon rolls are super soft, fluffy, and perfectly chewy, with so much gooey brown sugar cinnamon and luxurious melty cream cheese icing. The sweet, sweet smell of brown sugar and cinnamon and butter while you’re baking is absolutely irresistible. These are my DREAM rolls. If you love sweet, bread-y things, these cinnamon rolls are for you.Cinnamon roll icing
Is cinnamon roll icing the best part of a cinnamon roll? I think the little medium rare nugget in the middle is the best, but gooey, drippy cream cheese icing comes close. Make sure you ice your rolls when they’re still warm so the icing nestles itself into all the noodles and crannies.To make cinnamon roll icing
Simply mix together room temp cream cheese, soft butter, and powdered sugar. The key is to use room temp cream cheese so you don’t get any cream cheese lumps. You can also add a touch of vanilla.Overnight cinnamon rolls
To make overnight cinnamon rolls, after shaping and cutting the rolls, pop them in the pan and wrap well with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise overnight in the fridge. The next day, 1 hour before you’re going to bake, let them rest on the counter top, then bake as directed.How to freeze cinnamon rolls
You can freeze these 2 ways, before baking and after baking:Before baking
After cutting the rolls, place them in the pan, then immediately cover with plastic wrap and freeze - don’t let them proof. The night before you’re going to bake, let the rolls rise overnight in the fridge. The next day, 1 hour before you’re going to bake, let them rest on the counter top, then bake as directed.After baking
Let the rolls cool completely and leave them unfrosted. Wrap up the entire tray or separate them out individually. Defrost at room temp then warm in a 350°F oven until warmed through, about 10 minutes, or microwave for 20-30 seconds.How to store cinnamon rolls
Keep them in an air tight container on the counter top for up to 3 days. After that, store them in the fridge for up to a week and make sure you reheat before enjoying!How to reheat cinnamon rolls
Heat in the microwave for 20-25 seconds or in a low oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.Cinnamon rolls or cinnamon buns?
Do you think there’s a difference between cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns? Personally I use the terms interchangeably. They’re both soft and squishy and delicious. But, did you know that the youths refer to people as “cinnamon rolls”? When someone calls you a cinnamon roll, it means you’re soft and cute. It’s a good thing!Other Cinnamon Roll Variations
- Small Batch Copycat Cinnamon Streusel Starbucks Coffee Cake Recipe
- Cinnamon Roll Mugs: The Best Ever Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- Easy 6 Ingredient Vegan Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- Coconut Cinnamon Buns
- Sunday Brunch: 1 Hour Mini Cinnamon Buns with Whisky Cream Cheese Frosting
- The Best No-Knead Cinnamon Roll Recipe
- Tiktok Cinnamon Rolls
And other things to bake with cinnamon!
- Small Batch Copycat Cinnamon Streusel Starbucks Coffee Cake Recipe
- Caramelized Cinnamon Toast Recipe
- Best Ever Cinnamon Toast Recipe
- The Best Snickerdoodles
Cinnamon Roll Recipe
Super soft, fluffy, and perfectly chewy cinnamon rolls with so much gooey brown sugar cinnamon and luxurious melty cream cheese icing.
- 3/4 cup warm milk (110°F)
- 2.25 tsp active dry yeast (1 envelope)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg (plus 1 extra egg yolk, room temp)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 3 cups bread flour (or 360g all purpose flour + 3.57g vital wheat gluten)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 1.5 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 4 oz cream cheese (room temp)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (room temp)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the milk and sprinkle on the yeast. Let sit until the yeast starts to foam, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the sugar, egg, egg yolk, and melted butter then stir in the flour and salt with a wooden spoon until everything comes together into a ball of dough.
Knead with the dough hook on medium for 8 minutes. Alternately, knead by hand for 8-10 minutes on a floured surface. Lightly oil and large bowl and place the dough inside.
Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise for 1 to 1 and a half hours or until doubled in size.
On a lightly floured surface, tip out the dough and roll out to a large, long rectangle, about 14 x 20 inches. Spread the butter evenly, all the way to the edges. Whisk together the cinnamon and sugar in small bowl then spread evenly onto the dough.
Roll into a tight roll, and cut into 9 even pieces for an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 inch pan. If using a 11 x 7 inch pan, cut into 6 pieces for giant rolls or 12 for smaller rolls. Place the rolls into the pan.
Cover loosely with plastic and let rise in the fridge overnight. Or, if you’re wanting to bake right away, cover and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled.
When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the fridge and heat the oven to to let come to room temperature as the oven is heating up, about 30-45 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until slightly golden and just cooked through or the internal temp comes to 190°F.
While the rolls are baking, make the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla (if using) until light and fluffy. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes, then frost. Enjoy!
Inspired by Ambitious Kitchen
I Am... Big Mac Tacos (Smash Burger Tacos)
Big Mac tacos, smash tacos, big mac smash tacos, smash big mac tacos, Tiktok big mac tacos, smash burger tacos – no matter what you call them, they are delicious! If you love tacos, Big Macs, and smash burgers, this mash up smash taco recipe is going to bring a smile to your face and a hum in your tum. Crispy and soft flour tortillas, a juicy smashed burger patty, bright and zesty big mac sauce, briny pickles, and fresh crunchy lettuce all combine together into a perfect handheld bite. If you’re on foodtok you’ve definitely seen Big Mac Tacos. Maybe you’ve even made them but want to make them even tastier. We’re here to help! The marriage of Big Mac and taco is not something to just smash together. We’ve got all the tips and tricks for making the best big mac tacos out there.
What is a big mac taco?
It’s essentially all the perfection of a Big Mac in taco form: a juicy beef patty, special sauce, melty American cheese, shredded lettuce, a pickle slice, and diced onions, tucked into a crispy flour tortilla.How to make big mac tacos
- Smash - portion out tiny balls of ground beef and smash/press them onto flour tortillas, so they’re super flat and thin. Lightly season the beef with salt and pepper.
- Grill - heat up a pan over medium-high heat and place the tortilla burger meat side down. The beef will cook through completely while pressed up directly against the hot pan. When the beef forms a golden brown crust and cooks through, lower the heat and flip the tortilla over so the tortilla crisps in the pan.
- Melt - while the tortilla is crisping up, add a slice of American cheese and cover the tacos so the cheese melts.
- Sauce - Mix together all the Big Mac sauce ingredients (mayo, ketchup, sweet relish, mustard, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika).
- Finish - when the cheese is melty and the beef is ready, remove the tacos from the pan and top them with a slice of pickle, Big Mac sauce, shredded lettuce, diced onions, and an optional sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
- Enjoy - fold them up, devour, and enjoy!
Big mac taco ingredients
- flour tortillas - mini flour tortillas are sitting in for buns. Flour tortillas are where it’s at for these tacos, they stay plush and soft, while getting a little bit golden and crispy in the pan.
- ground beef - you’ll want a standard 80/20 ground beef for your tacos so the patties stay juicy and moist.
- Big Mac sauce - it’s not a Big Mac without special sauce. You can make an amazing copycat recipe at home, more on that below.
- toppings - classic toppings for a Big Mac are: melty American cheese, sliced pickles, diced onion, and shredded iceberg lettuce. I added a tiny sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds to give it the sesame seed bun finish, but this is completely optional.
What kind of tortillas for Big Mac tacos?
Definitely use flour tortillas to emulate a bun. If you only have corn tortillas you could use those too, but I really feel that flour tortillas are perfect for Big Mac tacos. Street size flour tortillas, that are about 4.5 inches across are perfect.Who invented big mac smash tacos
I’m not sure who invented them, but I think the first Big Mac smash taco that I saw wasn’t actually on Tiktok! It was on instagram on thenaughtyfork’s page. From there I’ve been seeing them pop up everywhere. If you know who invented them, let me know in the comments.Big mac sauce recipe
Big mac sauce is what makes a Big Mac a Big Mac. That and well, the “two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun”. Big Mac sauce is essentially a burger sauce made from regular condiments. If you’re really crazy, I think you can go to McDonald’s and ask them if you can buy some of their sauce. McDonald’s Big Mac sauce ingredients include: sweet relish, sugar, vinegar, onion powder, mustard seed, garlic powder, paprika, and a bunch of preservatives and additives. Surprisingly there are no tomatoes or ketchup in it. For our homemade purposes, we’re going to use ketchup, because ketchup has a lot of the ingredients that is in Big Mac sauce (high fructose corn syrup, vinegar, and onion powder). Big Mac sauce is creamy, sweet, and tangy. You can make an amazing copycat Big Mac sauce at home with pantry ingredients. You’ll need sweet relish, mayo, vinegar, yellow mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and yes, in this case, the oh-so-controversial ketchup. Mix everything up, let the flavors meld, and enjoy your at home Big Mac genius.What to serve with big mac tacos
To be honest, these guys are perfect on their own, but you could also serve them up with: And you can also use that delicious homemade big mac sauce anywhere and everywhere! Happy taco-ing! xoxo stephBig Mac Tacos
This mash up recipe is going to bring a smile to your face and a hum in your tum
- 1 lb ground beef (lean or extra lean preferred)
- 12 flour tortillas (street/mini size preferred)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 12 slices American cheese
- 2 cups lettice (shredded, iceberg preferred)
- 12 slices pickles
- 1/4 onion (chopped)
- toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Big Mac Sauce
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp sweet relish
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
Mix together the mayo, ketchup, relish, mustard, vinegar, sugar, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Cover and place in the fridge to let the flavors meld. The longer the sauce melds, the tastier, but you can use it right away after the tacos are ready.
Make the smash tacos by dividing the beef into 12 equal portions that are ball shaped. You can eyeball it or use a scale to divide it into 1.3 ounce portions. Lay out a tortilla and place a portion of beef on top.
Use clean or gloved hands to press the meat onto the tortilla, flattening it out to the edges. Alternatively, you can use the bottom of a glass that’s lightly moistened with water or a burger press to press the meat flat. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a touch of oil, swirling to spread it out. Add as many tacos as you can, without crowding too much, beef side down. Cook without moving for 2-3 minutes or until the beef gets a good golden brown crust. When the patties are ready, flip them over and lower the heat to medium low.
While the beef is cooking, remove the slices of American cheese from the wrappers. Top the cooked patties with a slice of cheese each, then cover with a lid and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese melts and the tortillas are gold and crisp. Remove from the pan and keep warm in a low oven or top immediately and enjoy.
To finish the Big Mac tacos, add pickles, Big Mac sauce, shredded lettuce, diced onions, and an optional sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately!
I Am... Huevos Rancheros
Huevos rancheros might be the greatest breakfast out there. Fried eggs, warm crispy tortillas, refried beans, and salsa come together in a beautiful medley of flavors and textures. So satisfying and truly the best way to start the day. Like most beloved breakfasts, there are many, many ways to make huevos rancheros and every family has their own way. That being said, all huevos rancheros plates include: sunny side up eggs, salsa, and tortillas. This iteration is our ultimate huevos rancheros and it’s absolutely one of my all time favorite breakfasts. Making huevos rancheros from scratch is one of the most satisfying breakfasts you can make, and it's so easy, whether you use fresh made or store bought salsa.
What are huevos rancheros?
Huevos rancheros is a Mexican breakfast that consists of lightly fried tortillas, refried beans, sunny side up eggs, and salsa. It can be spicy or mild and dressed up with cheese, avocados, cilantro, and all the extra toppings. Huevos rancheros means “ranch style eggs” and essentially, it’s a super hearty breakfast that ranch/farm hands ate to keep up their strength throughout the day.How to make huevos rancheros
Most great breakfast foods (just like French toast or chilaquiles), are a clever way to use up leftovers in a new dish and huevos rancheros is no exception. It awesome in two ways. One, because you’re using up ingredients already in your fridge. And two, because many of the components are already ready, it makes getting breakfast on the table even faster. Of course, you can go the more complicated route and make everything from scratch too. I will go through both methods so you can choose your own huevos rancheros adventure.- Make the salsa. In a sauce pan, lightly fry chopped onions and add fire roasted tomatoes, chopped chiles, broth, cumin, and oregano. Simmer until slightly thick and aromatic.
- Fry the tortillas. Lightly crisp up the tortillas in hot oil until golden and crunchy on the edges.
- Fry the eggs. Fry the eggs sunny side up with firm whites and creamy yolks.
- Assemble. Lay out the crisp tortillas and top them with some warm salsa.
- Add a fried egg and top with even more salsa.
- Finish with a bit of queso fresco and cilantro and add a side of refried beans.
- Enjoy. Dig in, making sure to get a bite of everything: crispy tortilla, savory salsa, and creamy egg!
Huevos rancheros ingredients
Salsa
Salsa means sauce in Spanish and for huevos rancheros you can use your favorite sauce of choice, either store bought or homemade. I like making a simple homemade ranchero salsa with canned fire roasted tomatoes, onion, and roasted green chile simmered in chicken broth, but store bought salsa works too. Keep in mind, salsa here means sauce. The salsa can be either roja (red), verde (green), or both (divorciados/Christmas). If you happen to have some rojo chile or chile verde leftover in your fridge, they make a delicious choice. If you’re buying store bought sauce, I recommend cooking it on the stove for a little bit with some added cumin and (Mexican) oregano to deepen the flavors.Beans
Refried beans are optional, but often seen on the plate, either on the tortillas themselves or served on the side. They’re not essential, but I love the combination of creamy beans with salsa, eggs, and tortilla. It’s totally up to you! If you want to go all out, you can make your own refried beans, use leftover refried beans you have in the fridge, or just go store bought.Tortillas
Huevos rancheros comes with small corn tortillas lightly fried into tostadas, but if you only have flour tortillas, you can use those too. Or, if you’re in a hurry, you can use store bought tostadas as well. Frying your own corn tortillas at home is what takes this dish to the next level and lets you control just how crispy and soft they are and it’s the combination of crispy edges and a tender center that is key.Eggs
You can’t have huevos without eggs! Sunny side up is classic. I like mine with crispy lacy edges and a gloriously sunny, creamy yolk.Toppings and sides
- Avocados (either sliced or guacamole)
- Cheese (Queso Fresco is the way to go here)
- Mexican rice
- Pico de gallo
- Sliced jalapeños
- Cilantro
- Carnitas
- Barbacoa
- and even Birria
Huevos Rancheros
Huevos rancheros might be the most ultimate breakfast out there.
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1/4 medium onion (chopped)
- 14.5 oz fire roasted tomatoes (1 can)
- 1/4 cup roasted green chile (or 1 jalapeno, chopped)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth, no sodium preferred)
- 1 tsp oregano (Mexican preferred)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cups refried beans (optional)
- 8 eggs
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 2 tbsp queso fresco (crumbled)
Add about 1 tbsp neutral oil to a sauce pan. Add the onions and sauté until soft, but not brown. Add the tomatoes, chiles, chicken stock, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a simmer and reduce until slightly thick, 7-10 minutes. Taste and season with salt.
Warm up the refried beans, if using.
Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tbsp of neutral oil in a heavy skillet. When the oil is hot, carefully fry the tortillas until lightly crisp and golden, flipping once, 15-20 seconds per side. Let drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
Once the tortillas are finished, fry the eggs sunny side up to your preferred doneness in the same pan.
To assemble: Lay the fried tortillas on a plate, slightly overlapping. Top with salsa and an egg on each tortilla. Top the eggs with a touch more salsa. Serve with refried beans on the side and finish with cilantro and queso fresco and enjoy!
I Am... Rabokki
Sometimes I scroll through the rabokki hashtag on Tiktok to see how other people make their rabokki. Inevitably I get hungry, and ask Mike if he wants to share a bowl so I don’t feel so guilty eating a huge amount of carbs when most people are snug in bed. Always so worth it though!
What is rabokki?
Rabokki is a popular Korean street food that is ramen and tteokbokki in one dish. Ramen and rice cakes is carb on carb action and I am here for it.Ramen + tteokbokki = rabokki
Sometimes it’s called rapokki as well. It’s a sweet and spicy, super savory delicious dish, perfect for warming up with and a quick satisfying meal. The combination of instant noodles, Korean rice cakes, and savory spicy-sweet sauce comes together incredibly quickly so it’s great when you’re craving something spicy, filling, and delicious. It goes awesome with beer and late night rabokki is one of my favorite late night treats, especially with cheese. The slurpy noodles, chewy rice cakes, and spice are a match made in heaven. Rabokki is incredibly popular, both as street food and as an easy meal you can make at home. They even have Costco rabokki!How to make rabokki from scratch
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix together gochujang, sugar, soy sauce, minced garlic, and a bit of gochugaru.
- Simmer the soup with the rice cakes. Add the sauce with the rice cakes to a pot of water and bring to a simmer.
- Cook the ramen. When the rice cakes are soft and chewy, add the ramen and cook it. If you like, add some Korean fish cakes.
- Top and serve! Serve everything up topped with scallions and maybe a boiled egg and some cheese!
How to make instant rabokki
- Make the soup. Open up the instant seasoning packet and add it to a pot with 2 cups water and 1 tbsp brown sugar and bring to a simmer.
- Make the “rice cakes.” Lightly soak a piece of rice paper in warm water and tightly roll up. Cut it into 2-3 inch pieces. Repeat with one more piece of rice paper.
- Cook the noodles. Add the noodles to the soup and cook for 2 minutes. Add your homemade rice cakes and simmer for 1 more minute.
- Enjoy! Top with toasted sesame seeds, scallions, and a slice of cheese and enjoy!
Which one is better?
Truthfully it depends on time of day. For me, after about 10pm the instant version starts looking pretty darn good. The rest of the time, I'd have to go with the traditional-with-real-ingredients version though.Ingredients
- Instant ramen. You need the noodles from an instant ramen pack, but not the seasoning pack. I like using Shin Ramyun noodles because they’re thick and chewy.
- Korean tteokbokki rice cakes. You can find Korean rice cakes freshly made, packaged in the refrigerated section, or frozen in the freezer aisles at a Korean grocery store. If you can’t make it to the Korean grocery store, I have a tteokbokki substitute for you!
- Gochujang. A spicy Korean sauce. It’s savory, sweet, spicy thick fermented paste made from chili powder and sticky rice. It adds sweet and heat and a ton of flavor. Traditionally it comes in tubs, but these days you can find it in convenient squeeze bottles in the Asian aisle of literally any grocery store.
- Gochugaru. Korean chili flakes. Korean chili flakes are fruity, sweet, smoky, sun dried bright red flakes. They’re not too spicy and their heat is gentle and delicious. I always buy coarse gochugaru which looks like flaky sea salt. They usually come labeled with mild, medium, or hot, so you can buy them according to your spice preference. https://amzn.to/3sMzY6e
- Sugar, garlic, soy sauce. A bit of sugar makes the sauce sweet, garlic adds a hit of raw spiciness, and the soy sauce adds umami and salt.
Is rabokki spicy?
It really depends on your spice tolerance. I would say they are a little bit on the spicy side but they’re also a touch sweet. If you add cheese that helps cut the spice too. They’re spicy in an addictive way! If you like spicy, hot food, they won’t be too spicy for you and you can always adjust the sauce to adjust for your spice level.Best instant ramen for rabokki
You’re just going to be using the ramen and not the spice pack (unless you’re making instant rabokki) so the flavor doesn’t matter much, but if you’re going to be making the easy version of rabokki, I recommend either Nong Shim Shin Ramyun Black for regular spice or Samyang Buldak if you’re a spice fiend.Where to buy Korean rice cakes
You can find tteokbokki rice cakes at Korean markets. They’ll usually come freshly made by the store, commercially made fresh and packaged, or frozen. If you can get ones that are fresh, they are the top choice, but packaged and frozen are good too.Korean rice cake substitute
If you can’t make it to the Korean grocery store, I have the perfect rice cake hack for you. All you need is Vietnamese rice paper. They sell rice paper at most grocery stores in the Asian aisle. Just soak the rice paper, roll it up tightly, wait for minute and then slice them into rice cake lengths. Not the same as tteokbokki but a really good sub!- Place some warm water in a shallow bowl.
- Lightly soak the rice paper.
- Place the rice paper on a cutting board and roll it up tightly.
- Slice the rolled rice paper into 2-3 inch lengths.
- Use the rice rolls in your rabokki.
Rabokki toppings
Toppings make the rabokki! You can keep it simple with just ramen and tteokbokki or you can all all the mix-ins and toppings for a super luxe and filling rabokki.- Onions - Add some onions to the mix, they add sweetness and onion vibes.
- Cabbage - if you want a little bit of health, add sliced cabbage when you’re simmering everything together. The crunch and softness are perfect with the spicy sauce.
- Dumplings - Go wild and add some mandu/Korean dumplings for an extra filling rabokki.
- Fish cakes - add sliced Korean fish cakes while you’re simmering the ramen and tteokbokki.
- Scallions - a sprinkle of sliced scallions add freshness.
- Eggs - soft or hard boiled eggs add some protein and are so good in the sauce.
- Cheese - melted cheese is AMAZING on rabokki. Go for a classic American slice or mozzarella, something super melty for cheese pulls.
- Toasted sesame seeds - adds a nice nuttiness
- Seaweed - adds crunch and saltiness
More fun Korean inspired recipes
I hope you enjoy! I know what my next meal is… Rabokki forever, xoxo stephRabokki Recipe
Rabokki is instant noodles, rice cakes, and spicy-sweet sauce that's great when you’re craving something spicy, filling, and delicious.
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp gochugaru
- 8 pieces tteokbokki tteok
- 1 package instant ramen (Korean brand preferred)
In a small bowl, mix together the gochujang, sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and gochugaru.
Add the sauce to a pot with 2 cups of water and bring it to a simmer. Simmer the tteokbokki until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the ramen noodles to the pot and cook according to the time on package instructions.
Scoop everything out into a bowl and top with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Add additional toppings as desired. Enjoy!
EASY VERSION
1 package spicy Korean instant ramen
2 pieces rice paper
In a pot, add the spice packet to 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
While the soup is coming to a simmer, make the rice cakes. Place some warm water in a shallow bowl and lightly soak the rice paper. Place the rice paper on a cutting board and roll it up tightly. Slice the rolled rice paper into 2-3 inch lengths.
When the water is boiling, add the rice paper rolls and the noodles. Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
Scoop everything out into a bowl and top with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Add additional toppings as desired. Enjoy!
Estimated nutrition does not include instant noodles of choice.
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