Name: Spicy Chicken Quesadilla with Gochujang Salsa
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 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)); 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; 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

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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!