Korean fusion dish – Spicy chicken quesadilla recipe! It’s served with highly addictive gochujang salsa sauce!
I love combining ingredients to give me more variety of food choices and be pleasantly surprised at its potential. Are you like me?
It was Cinco de Mayo a few days ago (I actually didn’t know until that day what the celebration was for. I’m very new to Mexican history.) and I saw a massive influx of Mexican food photos on pinterest.
I’m not sure whether I was influenced by that or not, but I’ve been wanting to use my favourite Korean food “Dak Galbi” (Korean spicy chicken) with some other ingredients to create a Korean fusion food for a while. So here, I come up with Dak Galbi Quesadilla (Korean spicy chicken quesadilla, 닭갈비 퀘사딜라) with Gochujang salsa sauce.
If you already know how to make Dak Galbi, combining the rest of the ingredients is relatively easy. I say “relatively” because I found it was a bit tricky to turn the stacked tortilla over safely without the filling falling out too much. 🙂 If you have your own secret way of easily turning the quesadilla over, please do share with us! I would love to know!
To my surprise, Dak Galbi Quesadilla was a great success! All of my family thoroughly enjoyed it!
You can strongly taste the full Dak Galbi flavour through melted mozzarella cheese and oil fried tortilla. I particularly liked when I could still feel the texture and the well seasoned taste of cabbage and perilla. That’s the best part of Dak Galbi, right? I hope you also enjoy this recipe.
Ingredients for Spicy Chicken Quesadilla (Makes 12 Quesadilla)
Meat and others
- 840g chicken breast or thigh fillets
- 360g cabbage
- 100g sweet potato
- 60g onion
- 10 perilla leaves
- 16 Korean rice cakes – If you are using pre packaged ones, soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes before you use them.
- Mozzarella cheese (as much as you like)
- 12 tortilla (medium to large size)
Chicken Marinade (mix these well in a bowl.)
- 5 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1/2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili powder)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp Korean yellow curry powder
- 1 Tbsp grated onion
- 2 Tbsp rice wine
- 3 sprinkles ground black pepper
Gochujang Salsa Sauce (mix these well in a bowl)
- 6 Tbsp plain natural yogurt
- 1 Tbsp gochujang, or more to taste
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp diced pineapple (from a pineapple tin)
- 2 Tbsp pineapple juice (from the pineapple tin)
- 1 Tbsp diced sweet spiced gherkins or pickles
How to Make Korean Spicy Chicken Equesadilla
(The above image covers step 1 to 7 below)
1.Rinse the chicken in cold water and cut it into small pieces (about 3cm x 2 cm – this is to easily press & turn the stacked tortilla later. You can cut them even smaller if you like)
2. Put the chicken into a bowl, add the marinade sauce and mix well. Leave it for 30 mins.
3. While you are waiting, prepare other ingredients.
-Clean all the vegetables. (Peel the skin if necessary – onion and sweet potato).
-Thin slice (0.5 to 1cm thickness) the cabbage, sweet potato, onion and perilla leaves.
-Cut the rice cake into half (Half of an index finger size. If it is already small, you don’t need to cut it)
4. Pre-heat the wok on high heat and add some vegetable oil.
5. Put all the vegetables, rice cakes and the meat in the wok.
6. Stir them well while it is cooking. Once 5 mins has lapsed, reduce the heat to medium.
7. Continue to stir every now and then until all ingredients are cooked. Turn the heat off.
8. Place the frying pan on a stove and add some vegetable oil. Heat the pan on high heat for about 20 seconds.
9. Put the tortilla wrap in the pan and add the Dak galbi (from step 7) and cheese and another layer of tortilla.
10. Press down the stacked tortilla with your hands or spatula for about 1 mins. (Be careful not to burn your hands)
11. Turn the stacked tortilla over carefully and press it down with a spatula for 1 mins or the cheese is completely melted.
12. Repeat the step 9 to 11 until you use up the rest of the ingredients.
13. Cut the quesadilla into wedges and serve it on a plate.
14. Enjoy!
Spicy Chicken Quesadilla with Gochujang Salsa
Ingredients
MEAT AND OTHERS
- 840 g chicken breast or thigh fillets
- 360 g cabbage
- 100 g sweet potato
- 60 onion
- 10 leaves perilla
- 16 pieces Korean rice cakes , if you are using pre packaged ones, soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes before you use them.
- mozzarella cheese , as much as you like
- 12 tortilla (medium to large size)
CHICKEN MARINADE (MIX THESE WELL IN A BOWL)
- 5 Tbsp gochujang (korean chili paste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1/2 Tbsp gochugaru (korean chili flakes)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp Korean curry powder
- 1 Tbsp grated onion
- 2 Tbsp rice wine
- A few sprinkles ground black pepper
GOCHUJANG SALSA SAUCE (MIX THESE WELL IN A BOWL)
- 6 Tbsp plain natural yogurt
- 1 Tbsp gochujang
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp diced pineapple (from a pineapple tin)
- 2 Tbsp pineapple juice (from the pineapple tin)
- 1 Tbsp diced sweet spiced gherkins or pickles
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken in cold water and cut it into small pieces (about 3cm x 2 cm – this is to easily press & turn the stacked tortilla later. You can cut them even smaller if you like)
- Put the chicken into a bowl, add the marinade sauce and mix well. Leave it for 30 mins.
- While you are waiting, prepare other ingredients.
-Clean all the vegetables. (Peel the skin if necessary – onion and sweet potato).
-Thin slice (0.5 to 1cm thickness) the cabbage, sweet potato, onion and perilla leaves.
-Cut the rice cake into half (Half of an index finger size. If it is already small, you don’t need to cut it) - Pre-heat the wok on high heat and add some vegetable oil.
- Put all the vegetables, rice cakes and the meat in the wok.
- Stir them well while it is cooking. Once 5 mins has lapsed, reduce the heat to medium.
- Continue to stir every now and then until all ingredients are cooked. Turn the heat off.
- Place the frying pan on a stove and add some vegetable oil. Heat the pan on high heat for about 20 seconds.
- Put the tortilla wrap in the pan and add the Dak galbi (from step 7) and cheese and another layer of tortilla.
- Press down the stacked tortilla with your hands or spatula for about 1 mins. (Be careful not to burn your hands)
- Turn the stacked tortilla over carefully and press it down with a spatula for 1 mins or the cheese is completely melted.
- Repeat the step 9 to 11 until you use up the rest of the ingredients.
- Cut the quesadilla into wedges and serve it on a plate. Enjoy!
Nutrition
I made this today! So good!
I made two versions: 1st is this version minus perilla leaves ( none at the store ) and added green peppers and the second version I made a chicken bulgogi quesadilla with http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/bulgogi her marinade with a few alterations.. ( I didn’t add carrot and I didn’t have any pears so I used 1 and a half of the apples we have in the kitchen ( I believe honey crisp) and purred it all and left everything to marinade for an hour. When cooking the sweet version I used the same veggies as I did the spicy ( so my mother in law and kiddo could eat some too)
My 2 year old said bulgogi 5 times ( how cool is that!! ) and my mother in law who isn’t a Korean food appreciator actually gobbled this up! My husband , father in law and me also loved your recipe ! Thank you so much for having this as a recipe! I will make it again in the near future for sure
I’m glad to hear you and your family enjoyed my recipe! For your future reference, my bulgogi recipe is here. 😉 https://mykoreankitchen.com/bulgogi-korean-bbq-beef/ My 2 years old also loves Bulgogi. It’s definitely popular food among kiddos!
I have two quesadilla tricks. One option is, when cooking the quesadillas in a pan, to flip them outside of the pan. What I do is keep two plates at hand. I move the quesadilla sideways out of the pan and onto a plate, put the other plate upside down on top, and flip the plates with the quesadilla safely inside, then move the quesadilla sideways back into the pan.
The other thing I do is the method I use in my dorm room, which is wrapping the quesadilla in foil before I begin to cook it, and then cooking it by ironing it (with a regular clothing iron on the “cotton” or “linen” heat with the steam turned OFF) through the foil. (You might be surprised how useful a cooking tool an iron can be.)
Thanks for the tip Amy! I can’t believe you are using an iron for cooking! I’ve never heard of such thing but it sounds very effective! 🙂 Impressed!
Oh My Word! I adore Korean cuisine and fusing it with a quesadilla?! Drooling! Can no WAIT to try this…as in tomorrow Ü I love making quesadillas and my tricks are two use two tortillas per quesadilla and butter only one side of each tortilla. Put the butter side down in the pan and immediately add cheese to form the “glue”. Add other ingredients and always ends with cheese touching the tortillas to keep it all together. You can also portion out the cheese to include some in the middle to adhere ingredients. The butter helps to form that crispy outer texture without it being greasy. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Thanks for sharing your tips, Tracy! I hope you enjoy my recipe. 🙂
What a great fusion recipe! I would love to try these.
I make quesadillas by folding the tortilla in half, and using enough cheese around the open edges to keep the filling from falling out. Otherwise, as you can tell, flipping them over can get very messy!
Thanks for the tip Kim! 🙂
Very creative. Love the fusion!
LL
You got me at quesadilla! These sound fantastic and with pineapple on the side – genius. Fantastic recipe thanks
I wanted to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with your Korean quesadilla! YUM!! Gochujan salsa sauce… brilliant name. This is a great snack and appetizer!
You hit it right on the spot…like Gomo said it is very popular fusion here and you did such an amazing job! Gochujang salsa sauce it must try as well as these yummy quesadillas
Thanks Sandra, I would love to try American taco truck version! I’m very curious to find out. 🙂
Wow, now that’s a unique quesadilla! I love spicy food so I know I’ll love this. Great post!
Thanks Anne for stopping by and for your comment.
Great looking dish! And the flavors sound wonderful. I love the idea of combining Korean and Mexican – the two pair quite well. Good stuff – thanks.
Thanks John, I will be doing more Korean & Mexican fusion food in the future. I’m already excited about that. 🙂
It looks like an extremely creative and delicious fusion dish! I’m sure I would love it too. I rarely cook Mexican (and frankly don’t know it well) but your Korean filling sounds even better than any Mexican tortilla filling I have ever seen. Thank you for the inspiration!
I don’t know Mexican food well either but experimenting is always fun! And THANK YOU!
Korean-Mexican fusion is big here in the U.S. I’m a huge fan myself. This looks delicious. I can see why it was such a hit with your family. 😀 I usually use a lot of sticky ingredients (like cheese, or refried/mashed beans) to prevent the ingredients from falling out, if that helps. Maybe it’s just an excuse to get more of my favorite ingredients in there! Hope you are enjoying your weekend!
Thanks for the tips! Hehe love your excuse.
Congrats on the success of your experiment. I’m of the opinion that anything stuffed into tortillas and cheese would be good. Glad I haven’t been proven wrong yet.
I agree Jayne! Anything stuffed into tortillas and cheese is good. 🙂
I love tweaking and fusing ingredients too. This is a wonderful fusion. Definitely Korean meets Mexican cuisine. YUMZA!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Malou
Thanks Malou! I bet you love tweaking and fusing ingredients with your multicultural background! You have a great weekend too.