Dakgalbi (Korean Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken)
Dakgalbi comes from Chuncheon, a city northeast of Seoul, where restaurants stir-fry it on wide iron pans set into the middle of the table. Chicken thighs marinated in gochujang, chili flakes, garlic and ginger cook down with cabbage, sweet potato and onion until the sauce turns thick and glossy and clings to every piece. At home, one large skillet does the same job in about 20 minutes. Many people leave a little in the pan at the end and fry rice in the leftover sauce; that version is in the variations.
By Mei Lin Tan
Published
- Prep Time
- 20 mins
- Cook Time
- 20 mins
- Marinate
- 30 mins
- Total Time
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Servings
- 4 servings
How do you make Dakgalbi (Korean Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken)?
Marinate 700 g bite-size chicken thighs in 3 tbsp gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, garlic and ginger, covered in the fridge, for 30 minutes. Stir-fry sweet potato and onion in a large pan for 3 minutes, add the chicken and marinade for 3-4 minutes, then the cabbage and 60 ml water. Cook 10-12 minutes more, until the sweet potato is tender and the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F).
- Total time
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Calories
- 445 per serving
- Protein
- 38 g
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Method
- Stir-frying
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade
Pan
To serve
Equipment
Large skillet, wok or wide sauté pan, at least 30 cm · Mixing bowl with a lid or plate to cover it · Sharp knife and cutting board · Instant-read thermometer
Quick Directions
Marinate the chicken
Coat the chicken in the gochujang marinade and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes to 24 hours.
Prepare the vegetables
Slice the sweet potato, onion, cabbage, green onions and perilla, and soak hard rice cakes.
Start the sweet potato
Stir-fry the sweet potato and onion for 3 minutes.
Add the chicken and cabbage
Cook the chicken, then the cabbage and rice cakes, for 13-16 minutes, until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F).
Finish and serve
Wilt the green onions and perilla, then finish with sesame oil and seeds.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Every step for making dakgalbi (korean spicy stir-fried chicken), written out in full.
Marinate the chicken
Cut the chicken into 3-4 cm pieces. In a mixing bowl, stir the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, garlic, ginger and curry powder, if using, into a smooth, thick paste. Add the chicken pieces and turn them until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
Prepare the vegetables
Wash the board and knife in hot soapy water after cutting the chicken. While the chicken marinates, slice the sweet potato and onion, cut the cabbage into 4 cm pieces and the green onions into 4 cm lengths. If your rice cakes are hard from the fridge, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain. Stack the perilla leaves, roll them up and slice them into 1 cm ribbons.
Start the sweet potato
Heat the oil in the large pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the sweet potato and onion and stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the onion softens at the edges. The sweet potato goes in first because it takes the longest to cook.
Add the chicken and cabbage
Scrape the chicken and all of its marinade into the pan and spread it out. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning the pieces, until the pieces start to firm up and the marinade sizzles and darkens. Add the cabbage, rice cakes and water and turn the heat down to medium. Stir-fry for 10-12 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan often and adding a spoonful more water whenever the sauce looks thick and starts to stick. It's ready when a chopstick slides easily into the sweet potato, the cabbage is soft and glossy, and the thickest piece of chicken reaches 74°C (165°F).
Finish and serve
Add the green onions and perilla and toss for about 1 minute, until they just wilt. Turn off the heat, drizzle with the sesame oil and scatter the sesame seeds over the top. Serve hot, straight from the pan, with lettuce leaves for wrapping if you like.
Recipe Tips
- Once the cabbage goes in, keep the heat at medium and scrape the pan every minute or so. The sugar in gochujang catches quickly and tastes bitter when it burns, so add water a tablespoon at a time rather than turning the heat up.
- Slice the sweet potato no thicker than 5 mm. Thicker pieces are still hard in the middle when the chicken is done.
- Gochujang varies a lot in heat. For a milder pan, choose a mild one and leave out the gochugaru.
- Marinate the chicken in the morning, or up to 24 hours ahead in a covered container in the fridge. Dinner then needs about 20 minutes of cooking.
Variations
- Cheese dakgalbi: once the chicken is cooked, push everything to the edges of the pan, fill the middle with 150 g grated mozzarella, cover and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes until it melts. Scoop up some cheese with each bite.
- Fried rice finish: leave about a quarter of the dakgalbi in the pan and chop it small with the spatula. Add 300 g (about 1 2/3 cups) cooked short-grain rice, either freshly made or leftover rice that was chilled promptly, plus 1 tsp sesame oil and a handful of shredded roasted seaweed or nori. Stir-fry over medium heat until the rice is steaming hot and 74°C (165°F) throughout, then press it flat and leave it for 2 minutes to form a crisp base.
- Noodle dakgalbi: add 200 g fresh udon, or frozen udon loosened in boiling water for 1 minute and drained, with the green onions, loosen with 2-3 tbsp water and toss for 2-3 minutes until hot and coated.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories | 445 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 38 g |
| Carbs | 38 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Saturated fat | 3 g |
| Fibre | 6 g |
| Sugar | 16 g |
| Sodium | 1050 mg |
Estimated from the listed ingredients; values vary by brand.
Related Recipes
Storing & Reheating
- Fridge
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat them within 3 days. Raw chicken in its marinade keeps, covered, for up to 24 hours in the fridge. Rice cakes firm up when cold but soften again when reheated with water. If you made the fried rice finish, cool it quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour if you can, and no later than 2 hours after cooking, then reheat it once only.
- Freezer
- Freeze the raw marinated chicken flat in a freezer bag for up to 3 months and thaw it overnight in the fridge before cooking. The cooked dish doesn't freeze well, because the cabbage turns watery and the sweet potato mushy.
- Reheat
- Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with 1-2 tbsp water, stirring, or in the microwave, covered and stirred halfway, until steaming hot and 74°C (165°F) in the centre.
Dakgalbi (Korean Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken) FAQs
What is dakgalbi?
Dakgalbi is chicken stir-fried in a spicy gochujang sauce with cabbage, sweet potato and other vegetables. Dak means chicken and galbi usually means ribs, although the dish uses boneless meat; the name is often explained as a cheaper stand-in for beef galbi.
Why is there curry powder in dakgalbi?
Many dakgalbi restaurants in Chuncheon add a little curry powder to their sauce. Half a teaspoon doesn't make the dish taste of curry; it adds a faint warm, earthy note under the chili. Leave it out if you don't have any.
How can I make dakgalbi less spicy?
Leave out the gochugaru and use a mild gochujang, since many tubs carry a heat rating. The sweet potato and cabbage already soften the heat, and the cheese version in the variations is milder again. Lettuce leaves for wrapping help too.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes, but breast dries out faster. Cut it into 5 cm pieces and add it with the cabbage instead of before it, then take the pan off the heat as soon as the thickest piece reaches 74°C (165°F).
Disclaimer
- Nutrition information is an estimate based on the listed ingredients. It changes with the brands, portion sizes and swaps you use.
- Read ingredient labels for allergens and for diet claims such as gluten-free or vegan. Products and their ingredients can change.
- Cooking times are a guide, since ovens, air fryers and slow cookers all run differently. Use a food thermometer and cook meat, poultry and fish to the safe internal temperatures in government food safety guidance.
- This recipe is general information, not medical or nutrition advice. If you have an allergy, a health condition or a special diet, check with a qualified health professional.
