Korean Spicy Braised Chicken
Quick answer
- Total time
- 50 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 3 servings
- Ingredients
- 6
About this dish
Dak-bokkeum-tang starts with chicken pieces stir-fried in a gochujang and soy sauce mixture, then water is added and the whole pot simmers down until the liquid reduces to a thick, clinging sauce.
Read more
Potato chunks absorb the braising liquid as it concentrates, becoming fully flavored throughout rather than just on the surface, while onion softens and dissolves over the long cooking time, lending the broth a natural sweetness. Gochujang supplies the heat backbone and soy sauce contributes the umami depth, producing a flavor profile that layers rather than reads as a single note. The longer the simmer, the deeper the seasoning drives into the meat and bones, and the sauce itself thickens to a glossy consistency. Spooning the reduced sauce over a bowl of rice turns the meal into a quick, satisfying seasoned rice dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Cut 600 g chicken into 4 cm pieces and soak it in cold water for 10 minutes.
Rinse once, drain well, and remove excess surface moisture so the braise tastes cleaner and the seasoning clings better.
- 2Prep
Cut 2 potatoes into 4 cm chunks and slice 1 onion into thick 1 cm strips.
Keep the potatoes fairly large because small pieces can break apart before the chicken has fully softened.
- 3Season
Mix 3 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic into a thick sauce.
Coat the drained chicken evenly and rest it for 10 minutes so the surface starts absorbing the seasoning.
- 4Control
Put the seasoned chicken and 200 ml water in a pot, then bring it to a boil over high heat.
Once it bubbles strongly, lower to medium and simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken surface is cooked through.
- 5Control
Add the potatoes and onion, then simmer over medium heat for about 12 minutes.
Turn the pieces occasionally so the bottom does not scorch, but do not stir roughly because the potatoes need to hold their shape.
- 6Finish
When the sauce looks glossy and reduced, check the seasoning and the texture.
Serve when a chopstick slides into the potato easily and the chicken is cooked through, with enough thick sauce to spoon over rice.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Bone-in chicken and potato chunks simmered in a thick gochujang and soy braising liquid.
- Finish cue
- Serve when a chopstick slides into the potato easily and the chicken is cooked through, with enough thick sauce to spoon over rice.
- Avoid this
- Don't overcook the potatoes - they should be tender but hold their shape.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
50min, 6 ingredients
Category median
35min, 9 ingredients
Based on 122 recipes
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