Perfect 15-Minute Dakbokkeumtang Recipe

Ingredients−4servings+

• Chicken1 whole chicken (1.5 kg)
• Potatoes2
• Onion1/2
• Green onion1 stalk
• Minced garlic1 heaping tablespoon
• Cooking oilGenerous amount
• Soy sauce6 tablespoons
• Sugar4 tablespoons
• Mirin3 tablespoons
• Korean chili powder4 tablespoons
• Oyster sauce2 tablespoons
• Gochujang3 heaping tablespoons
• Black pepper1 teaspoon
• Water300 ml

Directions▶ Start cooking

1. In a deep pan, heat a generous amount of cooking oil, then add 1 whole chicken (1.5 kg) and stir-fry.
2. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic and 6 tablespoons of soy sauce, and stir-fry until the chicken is well-coated with the soy sauce.
3. Pour in 300 ml of water, add 4 tablespoons of sugar, 3 tablespoons of mirin, 4 tablespoons of Korean chili powder, 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce, and 3 heaping tablespoons of gochujang, and bring to a boil, stirring to combine the seasonings well.
4. Add 2 potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces and 1/2 an onion, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through.
5. Once the potatoes are cooked, add 1 teaspoon of black pepper (adjust to taste) and 1 stalk of diagonally sliced green onion, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
6. Finally, taste and adjust seasoning. You can add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic if desired, or reduce the sauce further until it thickens to your liking.
7. Serve the finished Dakbokkeumtang on a plate and enjoy!

Tips

• When rinsing the chicken with water, it's acceptable as long as you're careful to prevent cross-contamination.
• When making braised or stir-fried dishes, there's a method of adding sugar or sweeteners first to tenderize the ingredients before seasoning, but pre-seasoning with soy sauce first is also a good method.
• Dakbokkeumtang is most delicious when the sauce reduces and thickens as the potato starch dissolves, and the umami of the chicken permeates the dish.
• To allow the chicken to absorb the seasoning well, marinating it for about a day and eating it the next day will result in a more tender and deeper flavor.
• If you cook it over too high heat, the seasoning won't penetrate the chicken. Therefore, simmering over gentle heat allows the chicken to cook tenderly and absorb the seasoning well.
• If you prefer a tender texture for the chicken, cook it until soft. If you like a slightly chewier texture, stop cooking when it's just done.
• Since the umami from the vegetables and chicken itself can alter the sweetness, it's best to taste and adjust the seasoning midway through cooking.
• If you only taste the sauce, it might seem too strong, but it's perfect when mixed with rice.
• When even the chicken breast is deliciously cooked, it truly makes for a delicious Dakbokkeumtang.

🧑‍🍳 Recipe analysis notes

Supplementary notes from the video analysis. Please check the original video before cooking.

⚠️ Where this goes wrong

• Boiling over too-high heat keeps the seasoning from soaking into the chicken and can toughen it — cook it through gently over moderate heat.
• Undercooked potatoes turn out dry and unseasoned, so check their doneness carefully.
• If the broth isn't reduced enough, the sauce tastes disconnected and never thickens — reducing it properly is key.

🔄 Substitutions

• No mirin? Use 3 tbsp cheongju (Korean rice wine) plus 1/2 tbsp sugar, or 2 tbsp soju, to tame any gaminess.
• No oyster sauce? Add 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1/2 tbsp sugar, or boost the savoriness with 1/2 tsp Dasida (Korean stock powder).
• No gochujang? Add 1.5-2 tbsp gochugaru and thicken with 1 tbsp corn syrup.

🎚️ Adjusting the taste

• For less heat, reduce the gochugaru and gochujang by 1 tbsp each, then adjust to taste.
• For less salt, cut 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 1/2 tbsp of oyster sauce, taste at the end, and add more only if bland.
• For less sweetness, reduce the sugar by 1-2 tbsp and use cheongju instead of mirin.

✔️ Verification notes

• Check the potatoes are done by piercing them with a chopstick — it should slide in smoothly.
• Check that the broth has reduced to a thick, clingy consistency and that the seasoning tastes right when mixed with rice.

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