Sweet and Spicy Dak Bokkeum Tang (Spicy Braised Chicken)
A standout dak bokkeum tang simmered gently with potatoes and a spicy seasoning after par-cooking the chicken in soy sauce and sugar.
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 →
Boiling the chicken first with soy sauce, sugar, and ginger is the key to removing any gamey smell and seasoning the meat from the inside out. The rich sauce deeply coats the fluffy new-crop potatoes and chicken for a wonderful sweet and spicy dish. It is also fantastic for mixing with rice at the end.
- Servings
- 2–3 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Chicken700 g
- Potato5 (small)
- Onion2 (small)
- Large green onion (daepa)1/2 stalk
- Cheongyang chili pepper (hot green chili)2
- Rice cakesas needed
- Water3 cups
Seasoning
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang) (or brewed soy sauce (yangjo-ganjang))4 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)2 tbsp
- Minced ginger1 tsp
- Sugar2 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)4 tbsp
- Minced garlic2 tbsp
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Oyster sauce1 tbsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Toasted sesame seedsa little
- Set aside the chicken breast from 1 large whole chicken, cut 700 g into pieces, and wash them. It is equivalent to 1 medium whole chicken.
- Leave the potatoes whole since they are small and meant to be mashed while eating, and cut the onions into large chunks. Cut the large green onion and Cheongyang chili peppers into large pieces as well.
- Soak the rice cakes in lukewarm water to soften. If you prepared sweet potato glass noodles instead, pour hot water over them while prepping the ingredients to soak them ahead of time.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
I set aside the chicken breast from 1 large whole chicken, cut 700 g into pieces, and washed them.
You can think of it as the amount of 1 medium whole chicken.
The new-crop potatoes were so good that I prepared more than usual. And chewy rice cakes, too.
Along with onions, large green onion, and Cheongyang chili peppers.
Cut the ingredients
Leave the potatoes whole since they are small and meant to be mashed while eating, and cut the onions into large chunks.
Cut the large green onion and Cheongyang chili peppers into large pieces as well.
Soak the rice cakes in lukewarm water to soften. If you prepared sweet potato glass noodles, pour hot water over them while prepping the ingredients to soak them in advance.
Simmer
In a cooking pan, add the chicken, 3 cups water, 4 tbsp regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang), 2 tbsp mirin (cooking rice wine), 1 tsp minced ginger, and 2 tbsp sugar, then bring it to a rolling boil first.
Boiling the chicken first with the sweet-and-salty seasoning of soy sauce and sugar along with ginger removes any gamey smell and seasons the meat so the flavors do not taste separate later.
Skim off the messy foam that rises to the top cleanly.
Add the potatoes, which take longer to cook, along with 4 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), 2 tbsp minced garlic, 2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red chili paste), and 1 tbsp oyster sauce, then simmer gently.
When the potatoes and chicken feel thoroughly cooked, add the rice cakes, onions, large green onion, and Cheongyang chili peppers, then simmer until soft.
Simmer until all ingredients blend well with the sauce, taste, and if it is too bland, adjust with salt. Turn off the heat and finish by sprinkling a little ground black pepper and toasted sesame seeds.
Done
The spicy, thick sauce coats the chicken, potatoes, and rice cakes completely, making every single bite delicious.
Mashing the potatoes with a little sauce spooned over them, and grabbing a chewy rice cake here and there, the meat almost takes a back seat.
Mixing rice into the remaining sauce completes a happily full and satisfying meal.
Ppunwife's tips
- Boiling the chicken first with the sweet-and-salty seasoning of soy sauce and sugar along with ginger removes any gamey odor and flavors the meat from the inside out, keeping the seasoning well integrated.
FAQ
Why is the chicken boiled first instead of adding all the seasonings from the start?
Boiling the chicken first with soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and ginger removes any gamey smell and lets the base flavor penetrate the meat so the sauce does not taste separate.
Can sweet potato glass noodles be used instead of rice cakes?
Yes. Simply pour hot water over the sweet potato glass noodles while prepping the ingredients to soak them in advance before adding them.
How do I adjust the flavor if it tastes too bland after cooking?
Once all the ingredients are cooked and the flavors have melded, taste the broth and adjust with salt if needed.
