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This Korean Fire Chicken Cheese Bake combines spicy buldak-inspired chicken, bacon, and melty cheese in a golden pizza dough crust. Freezer-friendly too!

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If you love Costco’s chicken bake and Korean buldak, you’ll love this Korean Fire Chicken Cheese Bake, also known as Cheese Buldak Bake! This is my fun mash-up of two foods I really enjoy: the classic Costco food court chicken bake and spicy Korean buldak.
The inspiration for this recipe actually came from our trip to Seoul this past summer. We saw buldak everywhere we went, and it reminded me how much I love that combination of spicy, sweet, savory, and cheesy flavors. I started thinking about how those flavors would work inside a Costco-style chicken bake, and this recipe was born.
It’s become one of my favorite things to make because it’s relatively easy to put together, especially when you use store-bought pizza dough and leftover rotisserie chicken. Even better, these freeze beautifully. I like making a batch, freezing them, and then baking them straight from the freezer whenever we’re craving something spicy and cheesy.

A little about buldak

Buldak literally means “fire chicken” in Korean—bul means fire and dak means chicken. The name refers to a Korean chicken dish known for its spicy, fiery sauce.
Buldak became especially popular in Korea in the early 2000s as spicy chicken dishes and restaurants became more popular. The chicken is typically coated in a spicy sauce made with Korean chili ingredients such as gochujang and gochugaru, along with other sweet and savory seasonings.
One particularly popular variation is cheese buldak, where the spicy chicken is topped or served with plenty of melted cheese. The creamy, rich cheese provides a nice contrast to the heat of the chicken.
This recipe isn’t intended to be a traditional buldak recipe. Instead, I took the flavors I love from Korean fire chicken and combined them with the idea of a Costco chicken bake.
The result is a golden, chewy pizza dough filled with spicy chicken, bacon, mozzarella, and green onion, then topped with even more cheese before baking.

Why you’ll love this recipe

1. Easy to make. Store-bought pizza dough and leftover rotisserie chicken make this surprisingly simple to prepare.
2. Spicy and cheesy. The gochujang and gochugaru give the filling plenty of Korean chili flavor, while all that mozzarella makes it wonderfully gooey.
3. Great for using leftovers. This is an excellent way to use leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken.
4. Freezer-friendly. Assemble them ahead, freeze them, and bake whenever you want one.
5. Easy to customize. You can adjust the amount of gochugaru to make them as mild or as fiery as you like.

Ingredients and substitutions

1. Pizza dough: You can use homemade pizza dough instead of store-bought. If using refrigerated store-bought dough, let it sit at room temperature for a little while before rolling.
2. Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is my favorite because it’s convenient, but leftover roasted, grilled, or poached chicken works just as well. You can use either breast or thigh meat.
3. Bacon: Cooked bacon bits can be replaced with chopped cooked bacon. If you don’t eat pork, you can omit it or substitute cooked turkey bacon.
4. Fresh mozzarella: You can replace it with more shredded mozzarella if you don’t have fresh mozzarella. The filling will still be delicious, although you won’t get those little pockets of fresh melted mozzarella.
5. Mozzarella: Provolone or Monterey Jack can be used in place of some or all of the mozzarella.
6. Cheddar: You can use Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or more mozzarella for the topping.
7. Gochujang: Gochujang is an important part of the flavor, so I recommend using it if possible. There is NO substitute for this
8. Gochugaru: Adjust the amount according to your spice preference. You can reduce it for a milder chicken bake or increase it if you like things fiery.
9. Honey: You can substitute maple syrup or sugar. The honey adds sweetness to balance the heat of the gochujang and gochugaru.

How to freeze

1. Assemble the chicken bakes completely, including the egg wash and cheese topping, but do not bake them.
2. Place them on a parchment-lined baking pan and freeze for about 1 hour, or until they are partially frozen and firm.
3. Transfer the partially frozen chicken bakes to a freezer bag.
4. Push out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. This helps prevent freezer burn.
5. Label and date the bag. They can be kept frozen for up to 1 month.

How to bake from frozen

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C) for a conventional oven. Reduce the temperature by about 20°F (15°C) if using convection.
2. Place the frozen chicken bake on a parchment-lined baking pan.
3. Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese on top is melted and lightly browned.
4. If the tops are browning too quickly before the dough is fully baked, loosely cover them with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
5. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before serving. The cheese filling will be extremely hot straight from the oven.

Tips for making the best chicken bake

1. Don’t overfill the dough. It can be tempting to add more filling, but overfilling makes the dough difficult to seal and can cause the filling and cheese to leak out during baking.
2. Seal the seams well. Pinch the dough firmly and place the seam underneath when you transfer it to the baking pan.
3. Keep unused dough covered. Pizza dough can dry out quickly once exposed to air, so keep the pieces you’re not working with covered.
4. Adjust the spice level. Gochujang provides heat, but the gochugaru is what allows you to easily control the additional heat. Start with less if you’re unsure.
5. Use leftover chicken. This recipe is especially convenient when you have leftover rotisserie chicken in the refrigerator.
6. Don’t skip the egg wash. It gives the dough that beautiful golden-brown finish and helps the cheese topping adhere to the surface.
7. Let them rest before eating. Give the chicken bakes about 5 minutes to cool after baking. The filling will be very hot, especially with all that melted cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I make these less spicy?
Absolutely. The easiest way is to reduce the amount of gochugaru. You can also reduce the gochujang slightly if you prefer a milder filling.
2. Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?
Yes. Chicken thighs work very well and will give you a slightly juicier filling. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked before using it.
3. Can I make these without bacon?
Yes. Simply leave out the bacon. The chicken, cheese, and spicy sauce will still make a flavorful filling.
4. Do I have to use fresh mozzarella?
No. Fresh mozzarella gives you those delicious gooey pockets of cheese, but you can substitute additional shredded mozzarella if you don’t have fresh mozzarella.
5. Can I use homemade pizza dough?
Yes. Homemade pizza dough works beautifully. You can use your favorite pizza dough recipe or store-bought dough to save time.
6. Can I freeze these?
Yes! These are excellent for freezing. Assemble them completely, including the egg wash and cheese topping, then partially freeze them before transferring them to a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 1 month.
7. Do I need to thaw them before baking?
No. You can bake them directly from frozen. Add about 5 minutes to the baking time, or until the dough is completely baked and golden brown.
8. Can I freeze them after baking?
Yes. You can freeze leftover baked chicken bakes, although I prefer freezing them unbaked because the crust will have a fresher texture when you bake them later.
9. Can I adjust the amount of gochugaru?
Definitely. Gochugaru is the easiest ingredient to adjust for your preferred spice level. Use less for a milder chicken bake or more if you like it extra spicy.
10. What can I serve with these chicken bakes?
They’re quite filling on their own, but a simple green salad, kimchi, Korean pickled radish, or a refreshing cucumber salad would be great alongside them.

What to serve with Korean Fire Chicken Cheese Bake

These chicken bakes are pretty filling on their own, so I usually keep the sides simple. A crisp green salad, Korean pickled radish, cucumber salad, or kimchi would all be great alongside them. Something fresh and slightly acidic works particularly well with the rich, cheesy filling and spicy sauce.
They’re also great as a casual lunch, afternoon snack, or easy dinner.

I love when a recipe comes from combining two foods that don’t necessarily seem like they belong together.
And because they’re so easy to freeze, I can make a batch and have them ready whenever the craving hits. It’s definitely not a traditional buldak dish, but it’s a fun combination of two foods I love—and that’s really what cooking is about sometimes!