Dak Hanmari. It's a famous local chicken stew that you'll only find in Korea! So what is it? It's one whole chicken that is slowly cooked to render a deep-tasting chicken broth. A handful of potato and rice cakes are added. Then served with a flavorful soy dipping sauce topped off with garlic, chili pepper and thinly sliced cabbage. The stew is served to your table like a hot-pot - blowing savory steam into your face. After you're done munching on all the chicken pieces, you can boil the leftover broth to cook some fresh Kalguksu Noodles. It's like a set menu made with one whole chicken! Now, allow me to show you how to bring out that restaurant flavor at home.
A few cooking notes:
- Use a 1kg of mixed chicken pieces (drumstick & thighs). But they should have the skin-on! (That's where the flavor comes from)
- After cooking the broth, don't forget to season it with salt, black pepper and minced garlic.
- The soy dipping sauce is key! The recipe below includes asian chives - but it's optional. Tastes great with just the sliced green cabbages!
- This will be enough for 2 hungry people.
- This recipe - which was originally made by Chef Baek Jong Won - came out perfect! The broth tastes exactly like my favorite Dak Hanmari restaurants near Sinchon, Seoul.
If you try it out at home, tag us on Instagram. (We really enjoy seeing your dishes!)
That's it folks - see you next week with anuh-duh recipe! Dan-yul out! 🕺

Ingredients
Chicken Broth
- 1 kg Chicken (Mix of Drumsticks & Thigh, Skin-On)
- 1 whole Onion
- 1 stalk Spring Onion (Use the white portion)
- 6.5 cups Water
- 2 Tablespoons Mirim (Or any white cooking wine)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger (Optional)
- 6-8 Whole Black Pepper
Stew Ingredients & Flavoring
- ½ Tablespoon Salt
- 6-7 shakes Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 2 Medium-Sized Potatoes (Each size of your palm)
- 2 stalks Spring Onion (Include some of the green part)
- 1 handful Rice Cake (Tteok)
- 3 Jujubes (optional, skip if you don't have)
- 1 serving Kalguksu Noodles (optional, if you're extra hungry)
Dipping Sauce Fresh Ingredients
- Handful of Cabbage
- Handful of Asian Chives (Optional)
- 1 clove Garlic
Base Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce
- ½ Tablespoon Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons of Vinegar
- ½ cup Water
Gochugaru Sauce
- ½ cup Chicken Broth
- 1.5 Tablespoons Gochugaru
Instructions
Make Chicken Broth
- Trim off any extra fat from each of the chicken pieces. Get out a large pot. Place in 1kg of chicken pieces. Then cut your onion in half. Add them into the pot. Then add a spring onion stalk (the white portion) in as well. Then add in 6.5 cups of water (1500 ml). Add Mirim (2 Tablespoons), Minced Ginger (1 teaspoon) and Whole Black Pepper (6-7). Place the pot on a high heat and bring it up to boil.
- Once it comes to boil, use a soup ladle and scoop-off the scum that rises to the top. Then place a lid on and reduce the heat to a MEDIUM-HIGH. Set a timer for 20 minutes (note: if it boils too violently, reduce heat to a MEDIUM)
Prep Fresh Ingredients & Make Sauce
- In the meanwhile, cut the cabbage into thin slices. And chop the asian Chives into small pieces as well.
- Now we'll make our sauce. Let's start with the first one: Mix Soy Sauce (¼ cup), Sugar (½ Tablespoon), Vinegar (2 Tablespoons) and Water (½ cup). Set it aside.
- Next make the second sauce. Scoop out some chicken broth from your pot (½ cup) and add it to a bowl. Then add in gochugaru (1.5 Tablespoons). Stir it throughly and set it aside.
Build Chicken Stew
- After 20 minutes of boiling, turn the heat off. Remove the soft veggies from the pot and toss them out. Carefully move the chicken pieces to a large serving wok or a frying pan with high walls. Then transfer the broth as well.
- Next, let's season the chicken broth: Add Salt (½ Tablespoon), 6-7 shakes of Black Pepper and Minced Garlic (1 Tablespoon).
- Next, let's add fresh ingredients to the stew: Cut the 2 potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Add them in. Then chop your spring onion stalk into smaller pieces (includes some of the green parts of the stalk). Add that in as well. Next, add in a handful of Korean Rice Cakes (tteok) and three jujubes (optional) if you have them. Place the heat on a Medium-High and bring it up to boil when you're ready to serve.
Prep Dipping Sauce
- Place a small handful of sliced cabbage, asian chives into a dipping tray. Then mash-up 1 clove of garlic and add that in as well. Pour in the Base Soy Sauce. Then add a few spoonfuls of the Gochugaru Sauce. Now your sauce is ready.
Enjoy Stew & Make Noodles Afterwards
- Once the soup is boiling and the potatoes turn soft, dig in! Bon Appetit.
- Remember to save some of the broth if you want to make noodles afterwards.
- To make Kalguksu Noodles: Bring the leftover broth back up to a boil. Wash-off the extra flour from the fresh kalguksu noodles. Then add it into the leftover broth. (Feel free to add in some water if you're low on broth.) Then season-to-taste with a few pinches of salt and black pepper. Plate and enjoy!!
Soojin says
I love dak hanmari and it was hard to find a recipe online. I tried this and my husband said this was the best dish I’ve yet to cook! And I have to say, it tastes similar to the one I’ve had in Korea. This will definitely be in our regular rotation.