Spicy Dakgalbi (Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken) with Pizza Cheese
A cheese dakgalbi dish made by marinating tender chicken thighs in a spicy seasoning and stir-frying them with vegetables.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Toss chicken thigh meat with curry powder and a gochujang seasoning, let it marinate, and stir-fry it over medium heat with vegetables. Topped with rich pizza cheese, it is wonderfully spicy and hearty. It makes a great accompaniment for drinks as well as a meal for the whole family.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh meat500 g
- Sweet potato1, 120 g
- Onion1/2
- Cabbage100 g
- Large green onion (daepa)1/3 stalk
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
- Perilla leaves10 leaves
- Pizza cheese (shredded mozzarella)1.5 cups
Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)3 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))2 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Sugar1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1 tsp
- Curry powder1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- For the chicken, you can prepare boneless drumstick meat or boneless thighs.
- You can prepare as much sweet potato and vegetables as you like in small amounts, and topping it with pizza cheese at the very end makes it truly delicious. Rice cakes also go well with dakgalbi, and jjolmyeon (chewy noodles) or udon noodles are great additions too. If you want to add rice cakes or noodles, please increase the amount of seasoning when making it.
- I removed the skin and excess fat from the chicken thighs. Cut into bite-sized pieces, then marinate in milk for about 1 hour to remove any gaminess. I soaked it in milk because I felt a slight poultry odor, but you can skip this if yours has no smell. After 1 hour, discard the milk, rinse the chicken several times in clean water, and drain well.
- Sweet potato takes time to cook, so slice it not too thick and soak it in water to remove starch. Soaking it in water also prevents browning.
- The seasoning can burn easily, so add the chicken and all the seasoning ingredients into a well-coated pot and mix. Let it marinate for about 1 to 2 hours.
Steps
Prepare the chicken
I removed the skin and excess fat from the chicken thighs.
Cut into bite-sized pieces, then marinate in milk for about 1 hour to remove any gaminess.
I soaked it in milk because I felt a slight poultry odor, but you can skip this if yours has no smell.
After 1 hour, discard the milk, rinse the chicken several times in clean water, and drain well.
Vegetable slicing
Slice the vegetables
Cut the cabbage, onion, perilla leaves, large green onion, and Cheongyang chili peppers into bite-sized pieces.
Sweet potato takes time to cook, so slice it not too thick and soak it in water to remove starch.
Soaking it in water also prevents browning.
Chicken seasoning
Season the chicken
The seasoning can burn easily, so add the chicken and all the seasoning ingredients into a well-coated pot and mix. Let it marinate for about 1 to 2 hours.
Stir-frying
Stir-fry
Add the chicken, and once the surface begins to cook, add the sweet potato and stir-fry together.
Stir-fry diligently over medium heat rather than high heat so the seasoning does not burn.
Once the sweet potato and chicken are mostly cooked, add the cabbage, green onion, and chili peppers and stir-fry briefly.
When the vegetables have wilted slightly, add the perilla leaves, turn off the heat, and toss so they cook in the residual heat.
It is best not to cook the vegetables for too long so they retain a nice crisp texture.
Dakgalbi is truly delicious when wrapped in perilla leaves.
If you top it with pizza cheese and warm it up slightly, even kids will love it.
It had been a while since I made this, and it was so delicious.
Eating out is expensive, but when you add plenty of chicken and load it with your favorite ingredients, neither the taste nor the portion compares to restaurant food.
Ppunwife's tips
- The seasoning can burn easily, so add the chicken and all the seasoning ingredients into a well-coated pot and mix.
- Stir-fry diligently over medium heat rather than high heat so the seasoning does not burn.
- It is best not to cook the vegetables for too long so they retain a nice crisp texture.
- Dakgalbi is truly delicious when wrapped in perilla leaves.
FAQ
What cut of chicken should I use?
You can prepare and cook with boneless drumstick meat or boneless thighs.
Is there a way to eliminate gamey chicken odors?
Trim excess fat, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, soak in milk for about 1 hour, and then rinse thoroughly with clean water to reduce gaminess.
What is the secret to stir-frying without burning the seasoning?
It is best to use a well-coated pan, maintain medium heat instead of high heat, and stir constantly while cooking.
Can I add rice cakes or noodles?
Rice cakes, jjolmyeon (chewy noodles), or udon noodles go wonderfully well with it; when adding noodles or rice cakes, it is recommended to slightly increase the amount of seasoning.
