Dakdoritang is one of my favorite Korean comfort meals. It’s a spicy chicken stew that is very easy to make and it’s SO good with rice and potatoes.
This dish is a family favorite, especially with the men in my family. My husband and dad both LOVE Dakdoritang, because it is such a hearty, filling, tasty meal when served with a fresh bowl of rice.
What is dakdoritang?
Dakdoritang is a Korean spicy chicken stew that is traditionally made with a whole chicken, cut up into pieces. It it sweet, spicy, savory, and has potatoes and carrots that are beautifully braised in the delicious sauce.
Dakdoritang is also known as dakbokkeumtang. The name “dakdoritang” is somewhat controversial since it is believed to use a loan word from the Japanese language (“dori”), but this is still highly debated today. I grew up calling it Dakdoritang so that’s what I will continue to call it.
My tips for the best Dakdoritang
To take Dakdoritang to the next level, I like to add Buldak ramyun sauce. This ingredient is not required but highly recommended!
You can buy this at most Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find it, you can also order it on Amazon. I use the extra 2x spicy one available here, but you can opt for the mild version here if your spice tolerance isn’t that high (affiliate).
This sauce is SO tasty. It really adds some depth of amazing flavor and kicks up the spice as well. I started adding this to my dakdoritang a few years ago and now its the only way I will make it. It really reminds me of the super delicious flavor from the dakdoritang you get at restaurants in Korea.
Another tip is to use chicken stock instead of just water for the braising sauce. This just adds a little more flavor and trust me, it’s worth it! I use Knorr chicken bouillon (affiliate). This is my go-to ingredient for extremely delicious chicken.
Ingredients
Chicken- a cut up whole chicken is traditionally used for this dish, but I prefer to use medium sized drumsticks. You can remove the skin to make it a bit healthier but I keep it on for the flavor. I also make 2-3 slashes into the meatiest part of the drumstick.
Braising Sauce– I use a mixture of soy sauce, gochugaru, gochujang, garlic, ginger, dwenjang, and sugar. It is thinned out with chicken stock, and I also add diced onions and the white parts of a green onion. For the chicken stock, I just mix 1 tsp of Knorr chicken bouillon with 1 1/4 cups of hot water.
Potatoes & Carrots – these are arguably the best parts of Dakdoritang to me. The veggies become so soft and are SO delicious when absorbed in the braising sauce! I add one each but feel free to add more or less of whatever you prefer.
Peppers- I’m using Serrano peppers because I like the flavor and the added spice, but you can use milder peppers if you prefer. Jalapeños or Korean peppers are common options.
Finishing- some people like their Dakdoritang with sesame oil while others do not. Either way, it should be added last when the dish is pretty much done cooking. It’s important not to add too much- sesame oil is very strong in flavor and can overpower everything. Before serving, I also garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
How to make dakdoritang
One thing I really love about dakdoritang is that it is extremely easy to make, and you can have dinner on the table in less than an hour. It also has so much flavor that you don’t really even need banchan to accompany your meal- this is great just with rice.
All you have to do is toss the chicken in the seasoning sauce, put it in a pot with chicken stock and cook it for roughly 45 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, & peppers about halfway through the cooking process, then drizzle some sesame oil, sesame seeds, & chopped green onion at the end.
Where to buy the ingredients for this dish
If you don’t have an Asian supermarket near you, try looking in the international aisle at your local grocery store. If they don’t carry it, you can purchase them on Amazon:
Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
Dwenjang (fermented soybean paste)
The shelf life for all of these ingredients is very long, in case you are wondering if it is even worth it to buy. I’m confident you will use them up before they go bad.
Helpful tips
Be careful not to let the bottom burn. I check on the chicken occasionally and stir to make sure that doesn’t happen. Since this dish has sugar in the sauce, it can burn quickly if you don’t watch it.
Whenever I’m making dishes that require a thick sauce that sticks to the container, I collect the leftover sauce by adding a bit of liquid to it and mixing/scraping until it is clean. You can use the chicken stock for this then add it into the pot.
Korean Spicy Chicken Stew (Dakdoritang)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken drumsticks recommended
- 1 russet potato
- 1 large carrot
- 1 serrano pepper optional
- 1 1/4 cup chicken stock I use 1 tsp Knorr chicken bouillon + water
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 green onion
Braising Sauce
- 3 tbsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp dwenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
- 2 tsp Buldak spicy ramen sauce optional
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 diced onion
Instructions
- Combine all of the braising sauce ingredients together. Add the bottom half of the green onion to this sauce (white/light green).
- Make 2-3 slashes into the drumsticks, then toss it in the sauce until well coated.
- Put the chicken into a shallow pot. Use the chicken stock to collect any leftover sauce in the mixing bowl then add it to the pot.
- Bring to a boil then cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure the bottom does not burn.
- After 20 minutes, add the potatoes, carrots, and peppers. Mix well so that the potatoes and carrots are mostly submerged in the sauce. Cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes.
- Stir occasionally, and spoon the sauce over the chicken and veggies.
- When the potato is just about chopstick tender, uncover and drizzle over the sesame oil. Stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Turn off the heat then top with sesame seeds and chopped green onion. Serve with rice and enjoy 🙂
This Post Has 63 Comments
Just wow.. I made this recipe today for a dinner party I hosted and everyone loved it!
Easy to make and so full of taste with few ingredients. Definitely going to make this one more often.
Simply amazing! I make it once a week b/c I cannot get enough of it. Sometimes I use potatoes and carrots, sometimes I make it with rice cakes, and sometimes I use mushrooms. It’s super easy and quick to make, which is a plus. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe.
My housemate and I love this recipe!! We have never had a Stella recipe that wasn’t a hit, but this is one is just extra delicious and so simple to make. Thank you!
I’ve tried so many dakdoritang recipes and this is IT! Spicy, sweet and savoy flavor every time. I have this recipe saved and make it about once a month because it’s so easy, quick and fail proof!
I was craving this from my childhood and made it this week. the sauce is SO good and felt nostalgic eating it with a bowl of rice. Will be another go to recipe of Stella’s in my book!
my go to recipe!
This was one of my fave recipes and love making it. It’s just so so good! And this was one dish i made for my dad and he said 밥도둑. Its my comfort food and im glad i had the chance to make it for him before he passed
Great recipe! Always check here first when attempting recipes like this. The chicken falls off the bone!
This is my fav!!! Made it the other day and added potato startch noodles. Soo good!
Such a quick, easy and yummy recipe! My fam loves when I make it for them!
I tried and love this recipe! It has been my go-to recipe when I’m craving this dish. 😋
So tasty! Made this a few times before already and loved it.
The absolute best recipe I’ve found for this dish! Made it a few times already and can’t wait to make more! Stella’s recipes are just so easy to follow and rewarding to be able to enjoy it afterwards!!!
My favorite recipe for sure! Well balanced in flavors, absolutely delicious with a steaming bowl of jasmine rice, and even better the day after!
A favorite in this family. I have to always double up the portions because the husband and kids devour it up. Perfectly comforting every time!
This is my go-to one-pot meal when I want something spicy and comforting and guaranteed to taste amazing.
This was one of the firsts recipe I’ve ever made from Stella’s website for a large group of people. Everyone was so surprised with how good it was and there were literally no leftovers. This has to be one of my many favorite recipes from her simply because it’s so hearty but so easy to make requiring little effort and time on a busy work night.
I absolutely love this recipe so it is my fiancé and 8-year-old daughter. This is my number one, go to easy meal recipe because it is so easy to follow and absolutely delicious I love making double so I can have leftovers for lunch. definitely recommend.
Love this recipe❤️ Yumm~
This is recipe that we have at least once a month and is a must for my family’s dinner menu. It’s the perfect spice level and I don’t also have the buldak sauce on hand and even with that omitted it still tastes delicious!
It’s so easy!!! I’ve made it multiple times and it’s delicious every single time!!!! Thanks for much for the recipe!
I have never tried any other recipe for this dish but I must say this recipe is sooo darn good! Can’t recommend this enough and on a rotation for me.
Dakdoritang has always been one of my favorite dishes growing up so I was super happy to find this recipe. I made it without the buldak sauce because my husband and I are trying to be cautious of eating too much spicy foods, but it turned out great even without it! Will definitely be making this often~
Thank you for this recipe!
Just had this for dinner and the flavors were perfectly balanced!
THIS recipe is in our regular rotation at home – SO, SO, GOOD. My husband and I love the balance of flavors and the pure heartiness of the dish. As a multi-cultural household (I’m Filipina and husband is Sicilian), Korean cuisine is near and dear to our hearts. We never run out of gochujang and kimchi in our fridge. I cannot thank Stella enough for sharing her multicultural heritage through these delicious recipes that are always spot on.
Maraming salamat, Stella! And separately, we are so happy to be bystanders witnessing the growth of your hard work these past several years. We’re rooting for our local Arizona chef! 🙂 – <3
I’ve made this 5 times now and every time it’s so good & i’ve received compliments for it as well 😀
Hi!
This recipe has been one of the best I’ve seen to make this dish. I’m Korean-American and Stella’s dishes really root me back to my Korean culture here in America. My fiancé is American and had no exposure to Korean culture prior to meeting me. I’ve been slowly trying to introduce Korean food to him, and this is one that he absolutely loves! Thanks Stella for this recipe <3
@alebahbah
Stella, you hit it out of the park with this one! I love that it uses drumsticks, a more economical cut of chicken. It’s been a crowd favorite when I make it! I did add some kabocha squash once I got from the farmers market and it added some sweetness.
I have made this recipe several times and it is such a big hit in my family! Love quick and easy dinners that are flavorful and filling. Thank you!!
This is by far my favorite dakdoritang recipe!!!! Love the addition of the Buldak spicy ramen sauce. My boyfriend and I have made this over 8 times!! It is a must have for the winters
thank you for sharing this with us
This was a staple for my family in the winter. My dad is super picky about spice, (he loves extremely spicy food) and he loved this.
So good! This recipe has made its way into my weekly rotation!
And to think my oma n law made the best “hot chicken” this brings back soooo many memories and years of eating this deliciousness. Thank you for easy go to recipe.
Great recipe! Easy to follow, definitely in my rotation now!
I’m so excited that your recipes are showing up as one of the top recipes on google, alongside with Maangchi and bapsang. I absolutely love the 2x buldak sauce and love that this recipe includes it.. planning on making this tonight!
Delicious! I think the dwenjang and the chicken stock really makes this dish shine! Thanks Stella 🙂
This was Amazing! I cut down the spice level to 2 tablespoons of the Korean chili flakes and use the milder budak sauce and it was still pretty spicy but definetly could taste all the flavors! The heat dissipated. I will def. Make this again! Highly recommend. And for those that maybe can’t handle the spice level, try cutting down the chili flakes.
Oh my, so delicious! This was the first time I cooked a Korean dish, I absolutely loved the flavours. I left out the Buldak (because I didn’t have it). Also used regular chili flakes. Thank you for sharing!
Wow wow wow!!! Ive been into spicy lately and this is like the perfect spice. I didnt have buldak sauce on hand or serrano. I used jalapenos. This is one of my new favorites. I couldn’t believe how easy and good it is! Absolutely love it. It’ll be one of my forever recipes I use. Perfect sweetness and spice. This was my first Korean dish I’ve tried.
Delicious. I just made it and am eating it right now. Kudos
Hi! I think I saw this recipe on tiktok and saved it because it looks so good. What could i sub for gochugaru? Can I use regular chili flakes? Also I’ve seen other people add rice whine vinegar, if added will it change the flavor too much?
Hi! Unfortunately there are no substitutes for the gochugaru. Gochugaru & gochujang are the main ingredients that flavor this dish. The good news is that you can purchase it online! I provided an Amazon link for the gochugaru in this blog post. It keeps for a very long time (keep in the fridge or freezer) so you don’t have to feel bad about not using it all before going bad. I promise after you make this dish, you’ll be making it again and again 🙂
If I’m desperate for a substitute for gochugaru, I will use cayenne pepper, but each has varieties of spice and sweetness. Gochujang cannot be substituted however.
Hi, is it ok if I cook the chicken with the potatoes, carrots etc. for only 20 minutes instead of the 40 min cooking period?
I recommend cutting them much bigger if you want to cook them together and for that long. Otherwise they will probably just disintegrate. But overall I think its best just to follow the recipe as is- the potatoes & carrots are SO good braised in this sauce!
Super yummy and easy to make. I really enjoyed this with my wife. I may have put in one too many potatoes as it started getting thicker than I wanted but it just became a Dakdori curry! 100% will be making this again!
I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment 🙂
This is one of my favorite dishes to make. The recipe came out perfectly and I love how easy it was to follow along with the pictures. Spicy and savory and so flavorful. Thank you!
I haven’t had the chance to try it, but do you have a substitute for sesame? My sister is allergic.
Hi Luke, unfortunately there is not really a good substitute for sesame oil. However, very little is used in this recipe so you can just skip it and it will still taste great. Hope you like it!
Making this tomorrow since I had to order some of the ingredients. Can I make this in my instapot pressure cooker? Im feeding 5 lol
Hi Tamara, you can use the instant pot but would only need to cook it for 20 minutes or less. I don’t recommend this method though because you have less control over the stew which needs to be cooked in different ways (covered, un covered, different times for the chicken and veggies, high heat at the end to thicken, etc).
HI!
I’m trying your chicken stew recipe but I can’t seem to find the spicy Buldak sauce
? Is there a substitute you can recommend?
Unfortunately there aren’t any substitutes but this is also not an essential ingredient. Although I highly recommend adding it for extra flavor, you can just leave it out. If you have access to Amazon, you can also order it there. I provided a link in my blog post for this recipe in case you missed it 🙂
I made this today! It hit exactly that spicy “korean” flavor I’m always craving! Now if I could find a great kimchi recipe like my favorite ajumma used to make me.
Thank you for your comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for my kimchi recipe, I will be sharing it in early 2022 🙂
Could I replace Korean soybean paste with miso paste? Because I need to do it right now ? looks fabulous!! I love your recipes!
Yes that’s a great substitute 🙂
Really good. Just had to switch some of the spices due to not being able to find them. Thank you
Oh my gosh so good! My mom(who can’t handle spicy?) Loved the potatoes and carrots! We were so excited for this!
Hi Marieke! I am so excited to try this dish! My husband and I both absolutely love to try different foods from Asian Cultures so this was definitely a must try when we seen your video on tiktok lol quick question regarding prep: would it be ok to marinate the chicken in the sauce ingredients overnight? We both work long hours so im wondering if I can prep it the night before and then cook it the next evening. Thank you so much for sharing!
So glad I came across this recipe on your TikTok!
Never had Korean food before so finding some of these ingredients was an adventure on its own. My small town in the Netherlands had them so I’m sure they are easier to find elsewhere.
Because I’m vegetarian, I switched the drumsticks for some fake vegetarian chicken which made the cooking time even shorter and easier. The spices are wonderful together and my tongue is still little tingly -in a good way!- from all the peppers. Will definitely make this more often! 🙂
Hi Marieke! Thank you so much for your comment. I am glad this recipe worked well for vegetarian chicken, and also happy to hear it was a quick and easy dinner for you 🙂
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