Korean Spicy Chicken Stir-fry
Quick answer
- Total time
- 40 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 11
About this dish
Dakgalbi is a Korean stir-fried chicken dish in which chicken thigh meat is marinated in a sauce of gochujang, chili flakes, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and curry powder, then cooked with cabbage, sweet potato, sliced rice cakes, and green onion on a flat iron griddle or large pan.
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As the cabbage cooks it releases moisture that blends with the marinade, forming a natural sauce without any added liquid. Sweet potato softens gradually under heat, its natural sugars intensifying and acting as a counterweight to the sharp heat of the chili paste. Rice cakes cling to the sticky sauce on their surfaces, each piece absorbing the seasoning while staying chewy and dense inside. A small measure of curry powder is the defining addition -- it layers aromatic spice depth into the gochujang base, giving dakgalbi its slightly more complex fragrance compared to other Korean spicy stir-fries. The dish originates from Chuncheon in Gangwon Province, where it is served on large communal griddles. Finishing the meal by stir-frying rice in the leftover sauce at the bottom of the pan is a standard practice that turns the residual seasoning into a second course.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Cut 400 g chicken thigh into 3 to 4 cm pieces, then flatten any thick parts slightly so they cook evenly.
Pat the surface lightly dry so the marinade clings instead of sliding off.
- 2Season
Mix gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, and curry powder until no dry streaks remain.
Coat the chicken thoroughly and marinate it for 15 to 30 minutes for deeper seasoning.
- 3Prep
Slice 1 sweet potato into thin 0.5 cm pieces so it softens before the chicken dries out.
Tear 200 g cabbage into large pieces, slice the green onion diagonally, and separate the rice cakes.
- 4Control
Spread the sweet potato across the bottom of a wide pan, then add the cabbage and marinated chicken on top.
Cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes as the cabbage releases moisture.
- 5Control
Uncover, turn the chicken, and mix the seasoning with the liquid from the vegetables.
When a chopstick slides slightly into the sweet potato, add the rice cakes and green onion.
- 6Finish
Raise the heat to high and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, turning often so the rice cakes do not stick.
Finish when the chicken is cooked through and the sauce looks thick and glossy.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Hot griddle locks gochujang chicken thigh juices into sweet potato wedges and sliced rice cakes.
- Finish cue
- Finish when the chicken is cooked through and the sauce looks thick and glossy.
- Avoid this
- Raise the heat to high and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, turning often so the rice cakes do not stick.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
40min, 11 ingredients
Category median
25min, 8 ingredients
Based on 220 recipes
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