Korean Chicken SkewersDak Kkochi

Dak kkochi is the skewered chicken you buy at Korean convenience stores — CU, GS25, 7-Eleven Korea — where they sit under heat lamps already glazed and ready to eat with a toothpick. The GS25 version in particular became a benchmark: glossy with the gochujang-honey glaze, slightly charred at the edges, sweet enough to be addictive but with enough spice to remind you what you're eating.

Making them at home requires the glaze timing to be right. The honey in the glaze is the concern — it burns at medium-high heat if left too long without attention. The technique is to brush the glaze on as you flip, not before putting the skewers on the heat. Start cooking the plain chicken, get color on one side, flip, brush the first side with glaze, let the second side cook, flip again, brush the second side.

By alternating green onion pieces with the chicken on the skewer, you get two things: the green onion softens and slightly chars, adding a mild sweet-bitter note alongside the chicken, and the color contrast looks better.

I made dak kkochi at a summer party in Toronto. A friend named Dilnoza from Uzbekistan had never had Korean food before and was drawn to them because they looked familiar — skewered grilled meat is universal. She recognized the format before the flavor. After tasting, she said the sauce was richer than anything she expected from a grilled chicken skewer.

Soak the skewers for ten minutes before threading — they'll smoke without soaking if they're touching high heat. Brush the final layer of glaze off the heat so it doesn't burn before serving.