The Award Winning Korean Hot Chicken Recipe You Need In Your Repertoire

Some things are just too good not to share. Xinke Zhuang’s Korean inspired chicken biscuit is one of those things. 

The creation came to Zhuang as an entry for the Bibigo On-the-Go Culinary Challenge, a culinary competition hosted by Foodbeast and Korean food titan Bibigo in partnership with The Culinary Institute of America. The live streamed competition saw eight talented culinary students go head to head to create the most innovative, Korean-inspired, on-the-go dish using Bibigo products for $10K worth of scholarship prizes. The esteemed judging panel included Foodbeast’s own Geoff Kutnick (who also served as host), influencers Christine Yi and Emily Fedner, and representatives from both The Culinary Institute of America and Bibigo. 

Photo by Marc Kharrat 

At the end of the day, only one could be crowned the winner and Xinke Zhuang’s flavorful, craveable Go-Go Chicken Biscuits with Radish Kimchi Salsa swept the judges off their feet. Zhuang’s recipe provides a twist on the traditional biscuit sandwich with the savory addition of grilled chicken thighs marinated in Bibigo’s Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce, as well as a fresh, herbaceous salsa perfect to cut and complement the richness of the sandwich. 

Below is the award-winning recipe, sure to smack you square in the taste buds: 

Go-Go Chicken Biscuits with Radish Kimchi Salsa

Yield:  6 portions                           

Ingredients 

Roasted Chicken with Gochujang Sauce

6 Piece Boneless Chicken Thigh           

1 1/2 cup Bibigo Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce, divided

3/4 cup Honey, divided

1/4 cup Sesame Oil 

1 Sliced Pear, divided

1/2 Sliced Onion

1 Juiced Lemon, divided

2-3 Minced Garlic Cloves

1/4 Cup Butter

1/2 Cup Water

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 Sesame Seeds

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 bag Arugula 

Hot Biscuits

1 Cup Bread Flour

1/2 Cup Cake Flour

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

4 Tbsp Sugar

1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

3/4 Cup Cubed, Cold, Unsalted Butter

2 Large Eggs, divided

3/4 Cup of Buttermilk

1/4 Cup Milk

Mayo Lime Sauce 

1 Cup Bibigo Gochujang Mayo Sauce

1 Juiced Lime

Sugar, as needed 

Radish Kimchi Pear Salsa 

10 Cubes of Bibigo Radish Kimchi 

1 Diced Pear

1/2 Diced Red Onion

1 Diced Tomato

2 Diced Jalapeno 

1/2 Diced Cucumber 

1 Diced Bell Pepper

1/2 Bunch Chopped Cilantro

1 Juiced Lime

1 Juiced Lemon

2 tbsp Cumin

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Cayenne Pepper, to taste

Sugar, to taste 

Directions:

Roasted Chicken with Gochujang Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit 
2. Combine 1 cup of Bibigo Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce, 1/2 cup of honey, sesame oil, 1/2 sliced pear, sliced onions, 1/2 juiced lemon, chopped garlic cloves, and salt and pepper to create marinade for chicken.
3. Trim chicken thighs to remove fat. Marinade in mixture and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. 
4. Roast the chicken thighs in oven, basting the chicken with the remaining marinade every 10 minutes until the meat is tender and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 
5. In a saute pan, heat remaining 1/2 cup of Bibigo Gochujang Hot & Sweet Sauce, remaining 1/4 cup of honey, remaining 1/2 juiced lemon, remaining 1/2 sliced pear, butter, water, sugar, sesame seeds, and salt and pepper and reduce mixture by half to create a sauce. Keep warm for later use. 
6. Slice chicken into large pieces.  

Hot Biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit 
2. Mix together all the dry ingredients in stand mixer on medium speed, add the cubed butter on low speed until combined. Then combine buttermilk and eggs.
3. On a floured bench, roll the dough until 1/2 inch thick. Fold the dough into thirds and roll until 1 inch thick. Cut into 6 rounds and brush tops with egg wash. 
4. Chill biscuits for 20 minutes.
5. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Mayo Lime Sauce

1. Mix Bibigo Gochujang Mayo Sauce, lime juice, and sugar to make sauce. Serve immediately or keep in refrigerator. 

Radish Kimchi Pear Salsa

1. Combine all chopped ingredients, lime juice, and lemon juice.
2. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne and sugar. 

Sandwich

1. Cut the biscuit in half and spread the mayo lime sauce on the inside. 
2. Drench chicken in the gochujang sauce. 
3. Build sandwich by adding chicken onto the biscuit, fresh arugula, radish pear salsa, and additional mayo lime sauce. Enjoy! 

Photo by Gabriel Noguez

Zhuang’s delicious creation won her first-place bragging rights as well as $5K. Second and third place honors went to Young Bo Lee’s Kimchi Rice Quesadilla with Seaweed Chips and Michael Gottschau’s Dirty Water Buddha Dog, earning $3K and $2K respectively. The other illustrious entries included Abbey Miller’s ChiCone, Ben Yumkas’ Spice Kalbi Meatball Grinder, Donna Ko’s Bibigo Ssam Tacos, Jessica Nicholos’ Bibigo Salmon & Watermelon Gyro, and Silas Bonczyk’s Kimchi Cauliflower Tots with Gochujang Ranch.

Created in partnership with Bibigo.