Korean Spicy Chicken Stew.
In Korean, this famous stew is known as Dakbokkeumtang or Dakdoritang.
It’s one of the first “shareworthy” dishes that beginners’ cooks learn how to make in Korea.
Over the years, we’ve made several iterations of this recipe (older recipe here). But now, I think we’ve settled on a final master recipe!
For our spicy braising sauce, we will build on a mixture of White Wine and Mirim (rice wine).
The white wine provides the dry flavor while mirim adds a layer of sweetness.
Mirim (also spelled Mirin) is a type of rice wine similar to Japanese Sake - it has a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content.
Note: The sugar content in Mirim is a complex carbohydrate that forms naturally during the fermentation process; no sugars are added!
Both wines help to remove any poultry smell or odors from the chicken meat.
More importantly, wine helps to intensify, enhance, and accentuate the flavor and aroma of the spicy marinade.
To this layer, we’ll add a mixture of gochujang and gochugaru.
Key cooking tips for Korean Spicy Chicken Stew:
Feel free to select any white wine - no need to get anything expensive, go under $10.
If you’re using a large potato like us, quarter it into 4 pieces. If you’re using a medium-sized potato, cut it in half.
The potatoes – are often my favorite part about this dish! So cut em’ big!
In this dish, we'll let the potatoes and chicken reduce until there is barely any sauce left.
We like it when all that flavor is soaked into the chicken and potato.
But… if you would like slightly more sauce – simply turn off the heat a bit earlier!
This dish is not meant to be eaten straight – make sure to cook some fresh rice in the background.
Alrighty, I hope you guys enjoy this Korean Spicy Chicken Stew!
If you make it, tag us on IG - we enjoy seeing your dishes!!
-Daniel out! 🙋♂️
Ingredients
Spicy Chicken Stew Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken Drumsticks & Wings (~2lbs)
- 3 Large Potatoes
- 1 Large Onion
- 1 Stalk Spring Onion
Spicy Braising Marinade
- ½ cup White Wine (Any white wine ok)
- ½ cup Mirim (Rice Wine)
- 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Gochujang (Korean Red Chili Paste)
- 1 Tablespoon Gochugaru (Korean Red Chili Flakes)
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 3-4 shakes Black Pepper
Instructions
Blanche Chicken & Prep Ingredients
- Bring a pot of water up to boil. Then add-in 1 Tablespoon of Mirim. Add in the chicken pieces. Quickly blanche them for 3 minutes (set a timer!). Then drain and set aside for now.
- Peel and cut large 3 potatoes into ¼ pieces. If you're using smaller potatoes, simply cut them in half - we want large potato pieces in this stew! (Next, this is optional: use a knife and carefully trim off the sharp edges on the potatoes - reference the video)
- Cut 1 whole onion into medium sized slices.
- Cut 1 stalk of spring onion into pinky-finger length pieces.
Make Braising Sauce
- Take out a mixing bowl and add: White Wine (½ cup), Mirim (½ cup), Soy Sauce (4 Tablespoons), Gochujang Paste (3 Tablespoons), Gochugaru Flakes (1 Tablespoon), Minced Garlic (1 Tablespoon), Sesame Oil (2 Tablespoons), Sugar (1 Tablespoon), Black Pepper (few cracks).
Cook Stew
- Take out your largest pot! Place in the blanched chicken pieces and the spicy braising sauce. Place it on a medium-high heat at first.
- When it comes to a boil, place a lid on! Then reduce the heat to a medium-low and let it simmer away for 10 minutes. Remember to give it a stir once in a while - so that the chicken pieces don't stick to the bottom or sides.
- After 10 minutes, open the lid and add-in the potatoes and onion slices. Carefully stir them in - yes, your pot will be crowded but don't worry! Place the lid back on - and let it simmer away on a medium-low for another 20 minutes.
- During those 20 minutes, remember to check-in on the pot very 3-4 minutes and give it a stir so that none of the chicken pieces stick to the bottom or sides
- After 20 minutes, there should be a small amount of sauce left in the pot. Turn off the heat now! Add in the spring onion slices and give IT one final stir.
- Plate and serve alongside a bowl of hot rice! Bon Appetit!
Kevin says
This recipe inspired me to try something. I'm using this sauce, gonna make dak galbi. Fusion of two recipes. Yukon gold potatoes, cabbage, rice cakes... mozzarella cheese. Lettuce wraps, ssamjang.
And dumplings to drag through all the sauce.
Yumi says
Daniel, do you think any of your recipes could be made in a crockpot? I often don't have time after work to make them but I miss Korean food and want something ready when I get home, haha.
Laura says
I don't usually put comments under the recipes i try, but I've been making this stew for a long time now and it's just amazing. It's so tasty, even my *very* European grandma liked it (even thought it was a bit too spicy for her, woops). Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Daniel Oh says
Oh, so happy that your grandma enjoyed it. Perhaps the best compliment? heh!
Joy S says
So good! I reduced the Gochujang paste a bit to suit my spice-timid palate. Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe!
Valerie Jean Hernandez says
Delicious! I don't eat potatoes so I used Turnips.
Used Chicken breasts too.
Made with fried konjac rice.
Tracy says
LOVED THIS RECIPE, SOOOOO DELICIOUS!
Might add in some sweet potato vermicelli next time I make this to add a nice satisfying chewy texture ^_^
Lisa says
Thank you for another great recipe!
Question-do you know what kind of lidded pot you use in the video? It looks perfect, better than a skillet or the pots with more vertical sides.
Dan-yul says
This is a stainless steel wok.
KATHERINE says
This looks so amazing! Question: could I use sake in place of the white wine? Thank you and look forward to trying this recipe.
Dan-yul says
Yes, sake works just fine as a substitute to the white wine 🙂
Amelia says
Looks so good! Is it okay to skip the Gochugaru somehow, maybe by adding a little more Gochujang?
Dan-yul says
Ah I recommend adding the gochugaru... the flavor profile of the two are quite different.
Jess says
Do you think we can make this with boneless chicken thighs? We have SO MANY of them.
Any adjustments that you'd make to cooking time?
Dan-yul says
Yes, of course - may taste even better with the chicken thighs. Instead of 20 minutes of reduction during the last step... check on it at 15. Bon Appetit Jess!