Asia
Korean Dakdoritang
Chef-tested recipe
Spicy-savoury chicken braised with potatoes, carrots, gochujang, and gochugaru
Dakdoritang, also widely called dakbokkeumtang, is a Korean spicy braised chicken dish with potatoes, carrots, onion, and a glossy red sauce. The chicken cooks directly in a seasoning mixture of gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and a little sweetness, allowing the potatoes to absorb the broth as it reduces. It should finish saucy enough to spoon over rice, with tender chicken and vegetables that still hold their shape.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 30 mins
- Cook Time
- 55 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hour 25 mins
- Cuisine
- Korean
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Stovetop spicy braising
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Best Served With
- Best served with steamed short-grain rice, kimchi, seasoned bean sprouts, cucumber salad, and other simple banchan.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Wide heavy pot with lidpaid link
- Instant-read thermometerpaid link
- Large mixing bowlpaid link
- Balloon whiskpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Wooden spoonpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the chicken and vegetables
- Whole chicken, cut into 10 to 12 bone-in pieces: 1800 g
- Potatoes, peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces: 900 g
- Carrots, peeled and cut into 3 cm pieces: 350 g
- Yellow onion, cut into thick wedges: 400 g
- Water: 1000 ml
For the seasoning sauce
- Gochujangpaid link: 100 g
- Gochugarupaid link: 60 g
- Korean soy saucepaid link: 120 ml
- Garlic cloves, finely grated: 60 g
- Fresh ginger, finely grated: 20 g
- Rice syruppaid link: 50 g
- Light brown sugarpaid link: 30 g
- Toasted sesame oilpaid link: 20 ml
- Freshly ground black pepper: 4 g
For the finish
- Long green chillies, sliced: 40 g
- Fresh red chillies, sliced: 30 g
- Spring onions, cut into 5 cm lengths: 150 g
- Toasted sesame seedspaid link: 15 g
Preparation Overview
Trim large pockets of fat from the chicken while retaining the skin on selected pieces for flavour. Cut the potatoes large enough to withstand braising. Mix the complete seasoning sauce before heating the pot so it can be added evenly.
Method
Rinse the chicken pieces briefly under cold water only if necessary, then pat completely dry and trim excess fat.
Whisk the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice syrup, brown sugar, sesame oil, and black pepper into a smooth seasoning sauce.
Place the chicken in a wide heavy pot and add the seasoning sauce and water.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring carefully to dissolve the sauce into the liquid.
Reduce to a steady simmer, cover partly, and cook for 15 minutes while turning the chicken once.
Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion, positioning the potatoes partly beneath the liquid.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, gently moving the ingredients once without breaking the potatoes.
Uncover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken reaches at least 74°C, the vegetables are tender, and the sauce has reduced to a glossy braising consistency.
Add the green chillies, red chillies, and spring onions and cook for 3 minutes.
Taste the sauce, adjust with a small splash of hot water if too concentrated, scatter with sesame seeds, and serve bubbling hot.
Beginner Technique Notes
Use bone-in chicken pieces of similar size so they cook at the same rate.
Cut the potatoes generously because small pieces will dissolve before the chicken becomes tender.
Gochugaru provides colour and a rounded chilli flavour; generic cayenne is much hotter and is not a direct substitute.
Reduce the sauce uncovered only at the end, watching the base closely because the sugars can catch.
Tips and Variations
For a milder stew, reduce the gochugaru to 35 g while keeping the gochujang for body.
Daikon radish or sweet potato may replace part of the potato for a household variation.
Leave a generous amount of sauce for spooning over steamed rice.
Add soaked Korean glass noodles during the final 8 minutes if serving the dish as a larger shared meal.
Serving Ideas
- Present the pot at the table and place chicken, potato, carrot, and sauce into individual bowls alongside hot rice.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently to at least 74°C, adding a small amount of water if the potatoes have absorbed the sauce. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains soy and sesame. Gochujang and soy sauce may contain wheat or barley, so use certified gluten-free products when necessary. Check all fermented sauces for cross-contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are dakdoritang and dakbokkeumtang the same dish?
The names are commonly used for the same Korean spicy braised chicken preparation.
Should the finished dish be soupy?
It should have enough concentrated sauce for the chicken, potatoes, and rice, but it is thicker than a broth-based soup.
Can I use boneless chicken?
Yes, but bone-in pieces produce a deeper sauce and remain juicier during the braise.
How can I reduce the heat?
Use less gochugaru, keep the gochujang, and serve extra sliced chilli separately.
