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Traeger Smoked Korean BBQ Pulled Chicken

Smoked pulled chicken in a sweet, spicy, and umami Korean BBQ sauce.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 200kcal
Author: Mason Woodruff

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
  • 2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 2 Tablespoons Korean Chili Flakes Gochugaru*
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

For the Sauce

  • 1 cup BBQ Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Gochujang
  • 1/3 cup Water
  • 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat your smoker to 225ºF. If you have the Traeger Super Smoke function or something similar, use it. (I used Traeger Signature pellets, which is a hickory, maple, and cherry blend.)
  • Toss the chicken in the toasted sesame oil before seasoning with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chili flakes. Place the seasoned chicken directly on the grill grates and cook for 60-75 minutes or until it starts to pick up a bit of color around the edges.
  • Mix together the sauce ingredients and place in a large skillet or smoker safe dish. Transfer the smoked chicken to the pan and flip to coat both sides of each piece of chicken in the sauce. Create an even layer in the pan before covering with foil or a lid.
  • Increase the grill temperature to 350ºF and cook for an additional 60-75 minutes or until the chicken shreds easily.
  • Once the chicken is ready to shred, set the grill to its keep warm function (165ºF to 185ºF). Shred the chicken with forks and let it rest in the sauce until ready to serve.

Notes

*If you don't have gochugaru, you can use another type of chili powder. Just note that Korean chili peppers are sweet and mild. So be careful not to overload with a spicy chili powder or something with an overpowering flavor like chipotle chili powder.
Serving Notes
I served the chicken in rice bowls with kimchi, sliced cucumbers with chili crisp, sliced green onion, toasted sesame seeds, and a Korean carrot salad. See the post above for tips on making sides for protein bowls.
I also made chicken tacos with warmed flour street taco tortillas and a cucumber/carrot/chili crisp salsa.
Making the Chicken Without a Smoker
I've only tested the recipe on the smoker, but I have similar pulled chicken recipes made in the slow cooker or Dutch oven.
For a slow cooker, I would mix everything together and cook on low for 4-6 hours until the chicken shreds. Example.
With a Dutch oven, you could season the chicken with salt and brown it in a bit of olive oil before adding the sauce and remaining seasoning ingredients, covering, and braising over low heat for about half an hour.
Alternatively, you could add everything to a Dutch oven, cover, and bake at 350ºF for about 45 minutes until the chicken shreds. Example.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 9g