What does yangnyeom mean?

Yangnyeom is the Korean word for seasoning. On a chicken menu, it usually points to yangnyeom chicken, the sweet-and-spicy glazed chicken you'll find at many Korean chicken shops. Recipes for the glaze vary from kitchen to kitchen.

Yangnyeom isn't another name for gochujang. Gochujang is a fermented Korean red chili paste, which is a single ingredient. Yangnyeom is the seasoning as a whole.

Is yangnyeom spicy?

Yangnyeom chicken is sweet and spicy, so expect some heat. How much depends on the recipe.

Ours is the Seoul Sweet Heat Chicken Burger, listed at $11.99, or $16.99 as a combo. It's lightly breaded chicken in a yangnyeom-style glaze made with gochujang. The menu describes it as sweet, savory and slightly spicy, so the heat is there but modest.

We don't rate heat with numbers, and spice tolerance varies a lot from person to person. Treat these descriptions as a general direction.

Yangnyeom-glazed Seoul Sweet Heat Chicken Burger held against a blue backdrop
Seoul Sweet Heat Chicken Burger. AI-generated styling based on our menu photo.

Seoul Sweet Heat or Buldak?

The Buldak Burger starts with the same crispy, lightly breaded chicken. It has the same listed price: $11.99, or $16.99 as a combo. For heat, the main difference is the sauce.

Buldak means “fire chicken,” and in Korea the name signals serious spice. Our Buldak Burger takes its inspiration from that dish. The chicken is coated in a bold, spicy buldak sauce with a real kick. The sauce is also rich and balanced, so there's flavor behind the burn.

Seoul Sweet Heat Chicken Burger on the left and Buldak Burger on the right
Seoul Sweet Heat (left) and Buldak (right). AI-generated styling based on our menu photos.

Which one to order

  • You like sweet chili sauce or glazed wings: Seoul Sweet Heat.
  • You're unsure about spicy food: choose Seoul Sweet Heat.
  • You order spicy on purpose and want a real kick: Buldak.
  • You want Korean flavor with no heat: the Bulgogi Burger.
  • You want a classic burger with no heat: the Cheese Burger.

Ordering for a table with different heat levels

If two people are sharing, order one Seoul Sweet Heat and one Buldak to taste the difference side by side. For something sweet between spicy bites, try ggultteok (honey-glazed rice cakes) or one of our ades or milkshakes. If someone wants even more heat, they can add Crazy Spicy Kimchi, an extra-spicy 8 oz kimchi side listed at $5.99. Our sides guide covers the rest of the list.

Prices here are as listed, and the menu shows what's current. For pickup at Unninae K-Burger in Koreatown, Los Angeles, open our online ordering menu and add the burger you picked.