Cheese Dakgalbi. I’m so excited to share this amazing dakgalbi recipe with you today.
It is bar none - the best dakgalbi recipe on the web (seriously)!
Dakgalbi – for those who are new to Korean cuisine – is a very popular stir-fried Korean chicken dish.
Chunks of diced chicken are marinated in a spicy, gochujang-based sauce – then stir-fried with diced sweet potatoes, perilla leaves, scallions and rice cakes.
It’s especially popular among college students as its relatively cheap (in comparison to K-BBQ), contains a good mix of veggies & protein… and leaves you so satisfied!
That’s why many dakgalbi restaurants in Seoul are located in university towns (like Sinchon).
Now, allow me to show you how to bring that restaurant level flavor into your kitchen!
What’s the key flavor variable?
The magic lies in the gochujang marinade.
In our recipe, we’ll combine 10+ dry & fresh ingredients – including curry powder to tuck in layers of flavor to the overall spice.
(Don’t skip on the curry powder – as it packs a deep savory, earthy and robust flavor)
The feel-good ingredient is of course the cheese!
I’ve always thought the restaurants added too little...
But since this is homecooking, let’s make it worth the effort! Add-in about a cup’s worth of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Once it turns into a gooey pool of savory goodness, slowly dip the chunks of spicy-red chicken into it.
Then slowly pull it away – getting that cheese pull - and get it straight into your mouth.
My goodness! This is getting me hungry.
Cooking notes for Cheese Dakgalbi.
Use chicken thigh – boneless, skin-on.
But if you’re worried about calories (i.e. on a diet) - you can also work with skinless!
Soaking the chicken in milk is a key step - it helps to tenderize the meat.
If you can’t find perilla leaves, it’s fine to skip.
If your pot gets too full (and there’s little room for the cheese), simply scoop some out of the stir-fry.
Once you add the cheese, reduce the heat to a LOW heat (that way it doesn’t burn!)
Alright neighbors! I truly hope you give it a try – this one is so good!
If you found success with this recipe, comment below and tag us in IG.
We love flipping through your dishes in the morning!
(P.s. If you’re cooking alone, don’t get bored. Listen to our latest podcast episode while you cook!)
Ingredients
- 600 grams Chicken Thighs (Skin-on, Boneless)
- 1 small Sweet Potato
- ½ Onion
- ⅙ a whole Cabbage
- 1 whole Spicy Cheongyang Chili Pepper (청양고추)
- 1 whole Mild Red Chili Pepper (홍고추)
- 2 pieces of Spring Onion Stalk (forearm length)
- 6 Perilla Leaves
- ½ Cup Tteok (Korean Rice Cakes)
- 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ Cup Milk (or enough to submerge chicken thighs)
Spicy Dakgalbi Marinade
- 3 Tablespoons Gochujang Paste
- 2 Tablespoons Gochugaru Flakes
- 2 Tablespoons Mirin
- 1.5 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Ginger
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- Few cracks of Black Pepper
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
- Let's prep the chicken thighs - trim-off any excess skin that's hanging on or globs of excess fat.
- Place the thighs into a tray (or bowl) and pour-in some milk. Pour enough to cover the pieces. Let the milk tenderize the pieces for 30 minutes (not much longer).
- While you wait, let's prep the veggies: Cut ½ a whole onion into thin strips. Cut ⅙ piece of cabbage into thin pieces. Cut 6 perilla leaves into thin strips. Peel and cut 1 small-sized sweet potato into bite-sized pieces. Cut spring onion stalk into finger-length pieces. Cut 1 Spicy Cheongyang Chili Pepper and 1 Mild Red Chili Pepper into thin pieces.
- Also, place ½ Cup of Tteok (Korean rice cakes) into a bowl of cold water - so they can hydrate.
- Next, make the Dakgalbi marinade by mixing together: Gochujang Paste (3T), Gochugaru Flakes (2T), Mirin (2T), Soy Sauce (1.5T), Sugar (1T), Minced Garlic (1T), Minced Ginger (1T), Honey (2T), Curry Powder (1T), Sesame Oil (1T) and Black Pepper (5-6 good cracks).
- After 30 minutes of soaking in the milk, drain the chicken. Then rinse each chicken thigh under running water. Shake off excess water and place them onto a few paper towels.
- Now, you'll notice that the chicken thighs are extra tender. Cut them into bite-size pieces (it's ok if some of the skin falls off while you cut).
- Now cover the chicken thigh pieces with the spicy dakgalbi sauce. Use your hands to get each piece thoroughly coated in the sauce.
Marinate Chicken
- Now place these marinated chicken pieces in the refrigerator - give it at least 30 minutes to marinate in the refrigerator.
Cook Dakgalbi
- After 30 minutes of marinating, we're ready to cook. Place some vegetable oil into a large frying pan - on medium high heat. Once its hot, place the marinated chicken pieces in. Add-in the sweet potato as well. Stir-fry both for a few minutes until you see the chicken start to slightly cook and firm-up.
- Now, add in the onion slices, cabbage pieces and tteok (rice cakes). Stir-fry everything for about 5 minutes or until the onion start to turn slightly soft.
- Now, add in the spring onion pieces, perilla leaves and sliced chili peppers. Stir-fry for another 1 minute.
- Now, it's time for the cheese! Create a small path in the middle of the pan. (Note: You can scoop-out some of the stir-fry if there's not enough space).
- Add in 1 cup of mozzarella cheese along the path.
- Reduce the heat to a low, place a lid-on, and give it about about 3-5 minutes to melt.
- Once the cheese looks gooey and melted, turn off the heat!
- Bon Appetit - your mouth will be in heaven!
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Tks says
Any tips on when to fine vs coarse red pepper flakes in recipes (if not indicated)? Ty & love all your recipes!!!
Doreen Nyarko says
Can you freeze portions before adding the cheese?