Super addictive and comforting, spicy Korean chicken stew recipe – Dak dori tang!
Chunky chicken and potatoes are braised in spicy Korean sauce. The result is amazing! It’s so delicious and heart warming! It’s a perfect main dish to serve with steamed rice.
Oh my my… It’s spring here. Living in a sub-tropical area means that I have pretty good weather all year around but every now and then we do get gusty windy weather. And, this spicy chicken stew is just perfect for those days.
It’s spicy but at the same time, it warms you up and gives you comfort. If you like having stew on a cold wintry day, I will say add this menu on your repertoire!
Korean Chicken Stew: Dakdoritang vs. Dakbokkemtang vs. Dakmaeunjjim
This spicy Korean chicken stew has many name tags under its belt – dakdoritang (닭도리탕), dakbokkeumtang (닭볶음탕) and dakmaeunjjim (닭매운찜).
But, they all point to the same thing. Spicy chicken stew!
This all happened since the Korean government (more specifically the National Institute of the Korean Language, 국립 국어원) has been trying to encourage the use of “real Korean words” as opposed to loan words. But the thing is old habits die hard and many people still call and search for dakdoritang / dak dori tang recipe!
And interestingly there’s another theory recently developed that dakdoritang might be actually a pure Korean word (reference 1), so let’s leave the language battle there for now and let’s talk about the food more! 😉
Now, back to my spicy chicken stew recipe.
I originally posted the recipe in October 2006 and it was due for a new photo update. And, while I was doing so, I decided to moderate my original recipe as well, all for the best!
My new sauce is adapted from my slow cooker spicy braised chicken recipe and the new cooking technique is adapted from my soy sauce braised chicken (jjimdak) recipe. They both are very delicious chicken recipes, so don’t forget to check them out too!
Anyway, my spicy chicken stew recipe is really delicious. It’s quite addictive and moreish. Even my little girl loved it despite the spiciness. I Hope you enjoy my recipe too!
Ingredients for Spicy Chicken Stew (Serves 4)
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1kg / 2.2 pounds chicken (I used a mix of chicken drumsticks and thigh fillets), cut into medium sized chunks
- 1 cup water
- 2 potatoes (450g / 1 pound), cut into medium pieces
- 1 carrot (150g / 5.3 ounces), cut into medium pieces
- 1 onion (190g / 6.7 ounces), cut into medium pieces
- 3 perilla leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 stalk of green onion (20g / 0.7 ounces), thinly sliced
- 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
Sauce (Mix these in a bowl)
- 3 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp rice wine
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar, I used raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- A few sprinkles ground black pepper
* 1 Tbsp = 15 ml, 1 Cup = 250 ml
** If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients list!
How to Make Spicy Korean Chicken Stew
1. On medium-high heat, boil some water (5 to 6 cups) in a medium sized pot. Once it’s rolling boiling, parboil the chicken for 1 minute. Drain the water.
2. In a clean pot (I used this braising pot), add the chicken, sauce and the water. Boil them over medium-high heat for about 10 mins, covered.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onions and boil for a further 7 mins, covered. Reduce the heat to medium and stir gently to change the position of the chicken and the vegetables. Add the perilla leaves. Simmer for a further 8 mins (or until the chicken and the potatoes are fully cooked), covered.
4. Garnish with the green onion and sesame seeds. Serve hot with a bowl of steamed rice.
Spicy Korean Chicken Stew
Ingredients
CHICKEN AND VEGETABLES
- 1 kg chicken (2.2 pounds), I used a mix of chicken drumsticks and thigh fillets), cut into medium sized chunks
- 1 cup water
- 2 potatoes (450g / 1 pound), cut into medium pieces
- 1 carrot (150g / 5.3 ounces), cut into medium pieces
- 1 onion (190g / 6.7 ounces), cut into medium pieces
- 3 perilla leaves , thinly sliced
- 1 stalk green onion (20g / 0.7 ounces), thinly sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
SAUCE (MIX THESE IN A BOWL)
- 3 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp rice wine
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sugar , I used raw sugar
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- A few sprinkles ground black pepper
Instructions
- On medium-high heat, boil some water (5 to 6 cups) in a medium sized pot. Once it’s rolling boiling, parboil the chicken for 1 minute. Drain the water.
- In a clean pot, add the chicken, sauce and the water. Boil them over medium-high heat for about 10 mins, covered.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and onions and boil for a further 7 mins, covered. Reduce the heat to medium and stir gently to change the position of the chicken and the vegetables. Add the perilla leaves. Simmer for a further 8 mins (or until the chicken and the potatoes are fully cooked), covered.
- Garnish with the green onion and sesame seeds. Serve hot with a bowl of steamed rice.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
