Korean BBQ Night at Home: Menu, Tips & Recipes in 1 Guide
Korean BBQ is not a meal you eat; it is an evening you live. Everyone sits around the same table, the grill sits in the middle, and the night stretches on for hours. Korea's BBQ tradition is winning fans far beyond its borders, and once you have hosted one of these evenings yourself, you will understand why.
This guide walks you through hosting a Korean-inspired BBQ night at home: the atmosphere, the menu, the banchan (small side dishes), the dipping sauces, and how to get the perfect result with The Rub Kitchen's Korean rub.
Indoors, use only equipment approved by the manufacturer for indoor use. Never use a charcoal BBQ or an outdoor gas BBQ indoors, even beside an open window. Keep raw chicken covered in the fridge until cooking. Use separate tongs and plates for raw and cooked chicken, wash your hands after handling raw chicken, and keep banchan and dips away from raw meat juices.
What exactly is Korean BBQ?
In Korea, BBQ goes by the name "Gogi-gui", literally grilling meat. The defining feature is the grill in the middle of the table, built in or as a tabletop model, with everyone grilling together as they eat. There is no fixed order: meat, rice and banchan (small side dishes) arrive together and get eaten side by side.
Well-known dishes include bulgogi (marinated beef) and galbi (ribs, such as beef short ribs). Dakgalbi is known for chicken in a gochujang marinade cooked with vegetables on a hot plate; charcoal-grilled versions also exist. The dry-rub chicken in this menu is our own Korean-inspired grill recipe. At home, use a suitable electric tabletop grill, a cast-iron pan or an ordinary BBQ outdoors.
You never eat Korean BBQ alone. It is a social meal where talking, drinking and grilling blend into one, and the evening lasts at least 2 to 3 hours. Don't plan anything urgent afterwards.
Setting the mood
Korean BBQ is as much atmosphere as it is food. A few small touches set the tone for the whole evening.
Low lighting
Candles or dimmed lamps; no bright ceiling lights.
K-pop or jazz
A Korean playlist on Spotify or quiet jazz in the background.
Chopsticks
Metal Korean chopsticks if you have them; wooden ones work fine too.
Soju or beer
Korean rice beer or a glass of soju, or ginger lemonade for an alcohol-free option.
Small bowls
Serve the banchan in lots of little bowls on the table. The more bowls, the more authentic.
Lettuce leaves
Koreans wrap their meat in lettuce leaves with rice and sauce. Put a bowl of fresh lettuce on the table.
The menu
A Korean BBQ evening has three parts: meat from the grill, rice and banchan. Here is a complete menu for 4 people.
Korean-inspired grilled chicken
1.5 kg chicken wings or thighs with The Rub Kitchen's Korean rub. Sesame oil as the binder, at least 4 hours of rest. This is the centrepiece.
Steamed white rice
The neutral base of Korean BBQ: rice soaks up the flavours of the sauces and meat. Use japonica or sushi rice for the right sticky texture.
Fresh lettuce leaves
Butter lettuce or lollo rosso. Wrap meat, rice and sauce inside for the traditional way of eating: fresh, and a breather between the heat.
Grilled spring onion
Whole on the grill, 3 minutes per side. Eat them whole or chop them finely over the meat. Nutty and lightly sweet once grilled.
Want more chicken inspiration? Also check out the Korean BBQ chicken recipe with gochugaru or the chicken cooking time guide.
Banchan: the small side dishes
Banchan are the small side dishes that land on the table with every Korean meal. Serve at least three, and more is better. Everyone at the table shares them.
Kimchi
Ready-madeFermented cabbage with gochugaru and garlic; buy it at an Asian supermarket. The one banchan you cannot do without.
Cucumber salad
5 minutesThin cucumber slices with sesame oil, rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar and sesame seeds. Fresh and cool, the perfect counterpoint to the spicy meat.
Spinach with sesame
10 minutesBlanch the spinach for 1 minute and squeeze dry. Toss with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and sesame seeds. One of Korea's most-eaten banchan.
Seasoned green beans
5 minutesBlanch green beans briefly and rinse cold. Toss with sesame oil, soy sauce and a pinch of chilli powder. Simple and delicious.
Pickled radish
The day beforeThin radish slices with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Rest for 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge. Adds freshness and crunch.
Fried tofu
15 minutesFry tofu cubes in sesame oil until golden brown. Serve with soy sauce and spring onion. Great for anyone skipping the meat.
You will find kimchi at Asian supermarkets and toko's, and at large supermarkets such as Albert Heijn, in the chiller with the Asian products. Always choose refrigerated kimchi, not the shelf-stable kind.
The dipping sauces
Dipping sauces are essential at Korean BBQ: you dip the meat in them before wrapping it in a lettuce leaf with rice.
Ssamjang
- ✓ 2 tbsp doenjang
- ✓ 1 tbsp gochujang
- ✓ 1 tsp sesame oil
- ✓ 1 tsp honey
- ✓ 1 clove garlic, grated
The classic Korean BBQ dip. Find doenjang and gochujang at an Asian supermarket.
Soy-sesame dip
- ✓ 3 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
- ✓ 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ✓ 1 tsp sesame oil
- ✓ 1 tsp honey
- ✓ 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Easiest to make, and also the official dipping sauce for The Rub Kitchen's Korean rub.
Sriracha mayo
- ✓ 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- ✓ 1 tbsp sriracha
- ✓ 1 tsp lime juice
- ✓ Pinch of salt
Not traditionally Korean, but wildly popular at Korean BBQ tables worldwide. Creamy and spicy.
Yogurt-garlic dip
- ✓ 200g Greek yogurt
- ✓ 1 clove garlic, grated
- ✓ 1 tsp lemon
- ✓ Salt and pepper
Cool and creamy, the perfect antidote to the 5,450 SHU Korean rub.
Preparing the chicken: step by step
With The Rub Kitchen's Korean rub you make our own Korean-inspired grilled chicken. This is a dry-rub recipe, not a classic dakgalbi recipe with gochujang and vegetables. For more detail, see the full Korean BBQ chicken recipe.
The evening before: apply the rub
Pat 1.5 kg of chicken wings or thighs dry. Brush a thin layer of sesame oil over the meat and work 60g of Korean rub in firmly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
30 minutes before grilling
Keep the raw chicken covered in the fridge while you prepare the banchan, set out the dips and lay the table. Start the rice. Take the chicken out only when you are ready to grill.
Bring the BBQ or grill up to temperature
Preheat the BBQ to about 175–185°C with two zones: indirect for cooking and direct for an optional brief finish. Avoid flare-ups and blackened sugar or spices; check regularly rather than relying on a single temperature limit.
Indirect grilling
Cook the chicken indirectly with the lid closed, turning during cooking. Start checking wings after about 20 minutes and thighs after about 25–30 minutes. These are checking points, not fixed finishing times: size, bones and actual heat affect the cooking time. The red colour of the gochugaru does not tell you whether the chicken is cooked.
Finish direct and serve
If desired, finish briefly over direct heat and watch continuously; move the chicken back to the indirect zone if flames flare up or the seasoning gets too dark. Cook every piece to at least 74°C in the thickest part, without touching bone — always use a meat thermometer. Spring onions straight on the grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes, then bring everything to the table at once.
The Korean rub measures 5,450 SHU: clearly spicy but perfectly eatable. Always put the yogurt-garlic dip on the table as a cooling station. Not suitable for young children — for a family BBQ, Carolina Gold or Memphis is the better choice.
Drinks with Korean BBQ
In Korea, something is always in your glass at the BBQ: soju, beer, or the two together.
Hite or Cass beer
Korean lager, available at Asian supermarkets. Light and crisp, perfect next to spicy meat.
Soju
Korean distilled rice spirit at 20 to 25% alcohol. Light and neutral in taste. Drink it cold and neat.
Iced tea
Cold-brewed green tea over ice cubes. Fresh, slightly bitter and perfect with grilled meat.
Ginger lemonade
Fresh with a gentle kick, the best alcohol-free alternative. Ginger echoes the ginger component in the Korean rub.
In Korea, "somaek" is a firm favourite: soju and beer mixed in one glass, 3 parts beer to 1 part soju. Your toast is "Geonbae" in Korean.
Shopping checklist and preparation order for your chosen menu
Choose your banchan and one or two dips first. You do not need to make every option in this guide. Use the list below as a checklist and take quantities from the preparations you actually choose. The existing chicken method uses 1.5 kg chicken and 60 g rub; adapt the other dishes to your guests and chosen accompaniments.
Menu essentials
Chicken and Korean rub according to the method above, sesame oil, white rice, lettuce leaves and spring onions. Decide how much rice to cook using the serving guidance on the packet.
Only for your chosen banchan
Kimchi if serving it. For the other options: cucumber, spinach, green beans, radish or tofu, plus sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, garlic, salt and optional chilli powder according to the preparation you choose.
Only for your chosen dips
Ssamjang: doenjang, gochujang, sesame oil, honey and garlic. Soy-sesame dip: soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey and fresh ginger. Sriracha mayo: mayonnaise, sriracha, lime juice and salt. Yogurt-garlic dip: Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Drinks and equipment
Water and your chosen drinks; alcohol is not needed for this menu. Set out clean serving dishes, separate utensils for raw and cooked chicken, and a probe thermometer.
What should you prepare when?
- Choose the menu in advance and ask about allergies and dietary requirements. Check labels: depending on the product, ingredients may include soy, wheat, sesame, egg, milk, fish or shellfish. Tofu or kimchi does not automatically make the whole menu vegetarian or vegan.
- If seasoning the chicken ahead, follow the existing chicken method and refrigerate it covered. Keep preparation of ready-to-eat dips and banchan separate from raw chicken.
- Prepare your chosen cold dishes with clean utensils, cover and return them to the fridge. Follow product instructions; this plan does not add any storage time. Cook the rice according to the packet and time it for serving.
- Grill the chicken according to the steps above and check every piece with a thermometer. The plan does not replace checking doneness. Put out small portions of cold accompaniments and dips only when serving, and top up from the fridge.
This is a practical preparation order, not a kitchen-tested overall schedule. The time needed depends on your equipment, chicken cuts and number of accompaniments.
Frequently asked questions about Korean BBQ at home
- → Korean BBQ chicken recipe Step-by-step with gochugaru
- → Chicken on the BBQ: cooking times How long and at what temperature for each chicken cut
- → Marinating chicken How long and with what for the best flavour
- → Korean BBQ Rub guide Everything about the rub: flavour, usage and tips
- → Starter Pack — 3 flavours of your choice Want to discover more flavours? Start here
- → BBQ with children Mild rubs and recipes for the whole family
- → The bark and the smoke ring How does the crispy crust form?
Ready for your Korean BBQ evening?
Want to get started straight away? Order the Korean rub and turn your next evening into a success. Freshly blended, with free delivery throughout the Netherlands.
Order Korean rub Starter Pack · 3 flavours