Traeger Smoked Korean BBQ Pulled Chicken

Whether you’re a fan of Korean BBQ or simply looking for a pellet smoked pulled chicken recipe, you’re in the right place. This recipe combines slowly smoked boneless skinless chicken thighs with a simple gochujang BBQ sauce to make juicy fall-apart chicken perfect for protein bowls, Korean chicken tacos, and more.

Part One: Seasoning and Smoking the Chicken Thighs

In my experience, cooking boneless skinless chicken thighs at 225ºF for 60-75 minutes before adding to a pan with a sauce and covering to finish at a higher temperature like 350ºF makes perfectly smoky, fall-apart-tender pulled chicken. So that’s exactly what this recipe calls for.

First things first, a dry rub. Start by rubbing toasted sesame oil over the chicken thighs before seasoning with a blend of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes).

If you don’t have gochugaru on hand, you can use other chili flakes or chili powder. Though it’s worth noting, Korean chili flakes are mild and sweet. I wouldn’t substitute 1:1 with a spicier chili, as the recipe calls for two tablespoons. I don’t want you to melt your tongue with something like the ground chipotle powder in my chipotle bbq chicken tostadas.

I typically use a teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of protein, but the soy sauce and gochujang in the sauce are pretty salty. So, the rub just calls for two teaspoons instead of three (three pounds of chicken). That said, it’s always a good idea to taste before serving and add salt if your taste buds are calling for it.

Part of the beauty of this slightly longer cooking method is that you don’t need any time in a marinade or dry brining ahead of time. You can fire up the smoker and get to work on preparing the chicken to throw on the grill as soon as it’s up to temperature. If you wanted to season in advance, however, I think this rub would work great for it. (Though I haven’t tested it.)

Part Two: Braising the Chicken in Korean BBQ Sauce

Sorry if the info in part one was a bit dry. Now it’s time to crank the heat and get saucy.

There’s no need to buy a special sauce here. Just mix your favorite BBQ sauce with soy sauce, water, and gochujang. I doubt you’re unfamiliar with gochujang, as it’s exploded in popularity in recent years, but just in case it’s a fermented red chili paste with sweet, spicy, and umami flavors.

You can find gochujang in most grocery stores now and even make your own. Just not quickly. It’s fermented, remember?

To complete part two, simply pop the smoked chicken in the pan with the sauce and flip them around a couple times to coat both sides in sauce. Cover the pan with foil or a lid, increase the temperature on your pellet grill to 350ºF, and give it another 60-75 minutes.

Part Three: Shredding the Chicken

After the second stint in the hotter smoker, the chicken should basically fall apart when poked with forks.

Unlike some of my other smoked pulled chicken recipes, this sauce should be ready to rock and shouldn’t require any additional cook time to reduce with the shredded chicken. Reduce the temperature to a keep warm level and shred the chicken in the sauce.

Sauce Troubleshooting

Depending on the BBQ sauce you started with and your total cook time, your sauce may vary. If it’s a bit slack, shred the chicken and give it 10-20 minutes at 350ºF before reducing the temperature. Be sure to keep an eye on it and continue stirring the chicken around to avoid drying it out.

If the sauce looks to your liking, on the other hand, you can serve straight away. But I actually like to let the shredded chicken rest in the sauce while preparing all the banchan (Korean sides).

Part Four: BBQ Chicken Bowls and Korean Chicken Tacos (Serving)

In my photos of this recipe, I served the bbq chicken with rice, sliced cucumbers plus chili crisp, kimchi, green onion, sesame garlic crunch, and a Korean carrot salad. The kimchi and carrot salad I actually picked up at Costco. Good finds if they happen to still carry them when you’re reading this. I know the kimchi has been around since I published my Costco high protein shopping guide in 2023.

I also have recipes for sides like a creamy blended kimchi sauce in my Korean bbq rotisserie chicken bowls, gochugaru roasted sweet potatoes, or pickled carrots and roasted broccoli in my ground beef bulgogi recipes, in case you want DIY sides.

Another fun idea is making Korean chicken tacos like the ones pictured below.

To Make Smoked Chicken Tacos

I warmed some flour street taco tortillas in a pan before filling them with the smoked pulled chicken and garnishing with a chopped carrot, cucumber, and chili crisp mixture (salsa? relish?). I also added a handful of lime wedges, toasted sesame seeds, and some oil-free chili crisp (from a company called Real Naturals on Amazon).

My new Korean fried chicken tacos takes these tortillas up a level by griddling them with mozzarella cheese on one side to create a crispy cheese crust. That’s perfect for holding saucy chicken.

The dipping sauce from my caramelized kimchi chicken quesadillas or the aforementioned creamy kimchi sauce would both be great drizzled over these tacos, but I kept it simple after a long day of recipe testing!

All right, I think you get the point. There’s a world of possibilities when it comes to serving this smoked and shredded chicken. Let me know in the comments at the bottom of this post if you have any questions about preparation, ingredient swaps, or anything else. Or if you come up with an awesome serving idea, I’d love to hear about it.

You can print or save the recipe card below and start getting your grocery list together. Come back and click the little stars on the recipe card to leave a recipe review if you make this Korean BBQ chicken and love it. Reviews are always appreciated. See you soon and happy grilling!