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Home Main Dishes Chicken

Dakdoritang (Best Korean Chicken Stew)

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Posted:4/04/201517 Comments
Recipe Print

Dakdoritang is a great hearty traditional Korean chicken stew that’s seasoned with soy sauce and is easy to make. It’s great as one pot dish. Control the spiciness by adding less or more chili peppers.

Dakdoritang with carrots, colored potatoes and green chili peppers
Dakdoritang (Korean Chicken Stew with carrots, colored potatoes and green chili peppers)

Dakdoritang 닭도리탕 (Korean soy sauce chicken stew – also called Dakbokkeumtang 닭볶음탕) recipe that is so easy to make, it actually made me nervous the first time I made it. Is that it? That’s all the ingredients? Don’t I need to add other seasonings?? But having a new found respect for Guk Kanjang/Kuk Ganjang during my stay in Korea, I decided to go with it. I simply had to trust that it will do its magic. Less is more, as they say.

Anyway,  I am so glad I stuck to it. The taste of this Dakdoritang may not throw a big punch in your first bite like many restaurant versions but the more you eat it, the more you are tasting the true hearty, simple taste of Korean food at home. And without all the spiciness, you can really taste the ingredients – chicken.

Take a spoonful of the warm stew broth along with some potato and you will see what I mean. Pure happiness – all the way from your mouth to your tummy. 🙂 I tried making this Dakdoritang several times over the years because it is another one of my favorite dishes from my childhood.  But I was never totally happy with it.

It just did not taste the same as the one I tasted at home when I was a kid. The one I remember was not red nor spicy and yet so flavorful and delicious – not like the overly spicy, red dakdoritang(닭도리탕) /dakbokkeumtang (닭볶음탕) that is commonly served today.

It’s not like I am against red, spicy dishes but sometimes, even as a Korean, I get tired of eating dishes that kind of taste the same – spicy, sweet and salty all at the same time.  Sometimes the seasoning is so strong, you can hardly tell what the main ingredient is. But this dish is not like that. If you have never tried Korean food before, along with Bulgogi and Kalbi, this will be a great dish to try as your first dish.

Dakdoritang vs Dakbokkeumtang – is there a difference?

No. Not really. The name is just different. They are both used to refer to the same dish.

First, Dak 닭 means chicken in Korean. And Tang 탕 refers to soup. But there are 2 different explanations for where the word Dori comes from. One is that the word ‘dori’ comes from Japanese word ‘tori[鳥]湯’ for chicken. And the other opinion is that ‘dori’ comes from the Korean word for pieces. As in Witdori 윗도리 = top piece (in clothing) and AraetDori 아랫도리 = bottom piece where Dori both mean ‘pieces’.

Because of the beliefs that Dori came from Japanese, some Koreans decided to change the name to Dakbokkeumtang and that name now kind of coexist with Dakdoritang. Bokkeum means to stir fry or saute which also implies that there is some searing involved before it is simmered in the sauce.

Let’s get cooking then –

Step-by-Step Directions

 

chicken for dak doritang
raw chicken in pan for dakdoritang
  1. Prepare chicken by removing excess fat and most of the skin. I bought a whole chicken and cut into pieces but you can buy whatever pieces you like. But try to buy some with bones so your broth will taste yummy. Score big and thick pieces like thigh, drumstick and breasts so the flavor will get into the meat.

    raw chicken mixed in pan for soy sauce - for dakdoritang
    Chicken with soy sauce
  2. Add chicken to stew pot and add 5 T Gook Kanjang + 1 T Jin Kanjang. Mix it well.

    Chicken in pot with water for Dakdoritang
    Chicken in pot with water for Dak doritang
  3. Add 4 C of water, mirin,  and 1 T garlic. Bring to boil.  Cover and cook for 15 min on medium high heat.

    potatoes, onion, carrots and peppers for Dak doritang
    Vegetables for Korean chicken stew (Dak doritang 닭도리탕)
  4. Meanwhile, wash and clean potatoes, carrots, onion and green chili peppers. Cut into big chunks because they will be cooked for a long time. I used small colored potatoes so I didn’t cut or peel them. But if using large potatoes like russet, peel and cut. Take the stem off of chili peppers.

    Chicken with vegetables boiling in pan for Dakdoritang
    Chicken with vegetables for Dak doritang
  5. Add all beautiful potatoes, carrots and onions to pot. Lower heat to medium and cook for 20 min.

    Daktoritang in pot with everything added
    Boiling Dak toritang (Korean Chicken stew with soy sauce)
  6. Add green chilis and about 5 dashes of black pepper (1/8 tsp). Raise heat back to medium high and cover, cook for 10 min more to infuse the chili flavor into the stew.
  7. Now we are ready to eat! Just get a bowl of rice and some kimchi and you will have a very hearty and happy meal. Enjoy!!
    Dakdoritang closeup
    Soy Sauce Chicken Stew – Korean Dakdoritang

    Dakdoritang Korean Chicken Stew

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Print
5 from 4 votes
Soy Sauce Chicken Dakdoritang with Chili Peppers and Colored Potatoes

Hearty Soy Sauce Chicken Stew

This Dak doritang(Korean soy sauce chicken stew – also called Dakbokkeumtang) recipe was so easy to make, it actually made me nervous but it's a must try.
Prep: 5 minutes minutes
Cook: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
serves: 6 people

Ingredients

  • 2 lb chicken pcs with bone
  • 3 medium carrots (I used colored carrots)
  • 8-9 small colored potatoes or 2 large russet
  • 3-6 fresh Korean green chili peppers or 2~3 dried red chili pepper
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
  • 5 Tbsp guk kanjang
  • 1-2 Tbsp mirin or white wine
  • 1 Tbsp jin kanjang (dark soy sauce)
  • 4 cup water
  • dash x 5 black pepper
US Customary - Metric
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Instructions

  • Prepare chicken by removing excess fat and some or all skin. I bought a whole chicken and cut into pieces but you can buy whatever pieces you like. Use some chicken with bones so your broth will taste yummy. Score big and thick pieces like thigh, drumstick and breasts so the flavor will get into the meat.
  • Add chicken to stew pot and add 5 T Gook Kanjang + 1 T Jin Kanjang. Mix it well.
  • Add 4 C of water, mirin, and 1 T garlic. Bring to boil.
  • Cover and cook for 15 min on medium high heat.
  • Meanwhile, wash and clean potatoes, carrots, onion and green chili peppers. Cut into big chunks because they will be cooked for a long time.
  • I used small colored potatoes so I didn’t cut or peel them. But if using large potatoes like russet, peel and cut. Take the stem off of chili peppers.
  • Add all beautiful potatoes, carrots and onions to pot. Lower heat to medium and cook for 20 min.
  • Add green chilis and about 5 dashes of black pepper (1/8 tsp). Raise heat back to medium high and cover, cook for 10 min more to infuse the chili flavor into the stew.

Tips & Notes:

  • Just get a bowl of rice and some kimchi and you will have a very hearty and happy meal. Enjoy!!
  • ** Again, sodium level includes ALL the liquid which you won't be eating most of. 

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 383kcal (19%)| Carbohydrates: 13g (4%)| Protein: 29g (58%)| Fat: 22g (34%)| Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)| Cholesterol: 113mg (38%)| Sodium: 790mg (34%)| Potassium: 516mg (15%)| Fiber: 2g (8%)| Sugar: 5g (6%)| Vitamin A: 5305IU (106%)| Vitamin C: 13.7mg (17%)| Calcium: 41mg (4%)| Iron: 1.7mg (9%)
Author: JinJoo Lee
Course:Chicken, Main Course
Cuisine:Korean
Keyword:comfort, family style, not sweet, one dish meal
KoreanCategory:Tang(탕)
Did You Make This?I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @Kimchimari or #kimchimari and don’t forget to leave a comment & rating below!

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17 Comments
  1. Marlena Warren says

    Posted on 28 June 2020 at 3:44 pm

    5 stars
    I make this all the time. Such a simple and delicious receipe. I keep cornish hens in the freezer so I can make this just about every day of the week. I add a few more peppers because apparently my spice tolerance has gone up since I started eating Korean food lol

    Reply
  2. Jeannie says

    Posted on 2 February 2019 at 3:53 pm

    I made this tonight with young children running around my feet … so I forgot garlic – oops! But it tasted wonderful and they loved it! I can’t wait to make it again as written.

    Reply
    • JinJoo says

      Posted on 2 February 2019 at 5:47 pm

      Oh That’s good to know!! That it still tastes good without garlic. So glad that your family enjoyed it. Not many dishes these days that’s cooked with no sugar..Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I can just picture you cooking with the kids running around.. 😍

      Reply
  3. Ami says

    Posted on 18 September 2016 at 7:41 pm

    Where/when is the mirin added? And onions would be same time as carrots and potatoes?

    Reply
    • JinJoo says

      Posted on 18 September 2016 at 9:10 pm

      Oh! I guess I missed a few things – so sorry. Yes, onions should be added at the same time with carrots and potatoes. And mirin should be added when you add water. Thanks so much for asking. I’m going to fix that right now!

      Reply
  4. Spring Tomorrow says

    Posted on 5 April 2015 at 5:07 am

    I love Korean food. This chicken stew looks so hearty and wholesome. Will give it a try! 🙂

    Reply
    • JinJoo says

      Posted on 5 April 2015 at 5:38 am

      Thank you!! I would love to hear how it turns out for you. Hope you like it!

      Reply
  5. June says

    Posted on 4 April 2015 at 9:05 pm

    The pot looks like rainbow so colorful makes ppl want to eat it…. If only we have those in Malaysia.

    Reply
    • JinJoo says

      Posted on 5 April 2015 at 5:37 am

      I know – I just love colored potatoes and carrots. I couldn’t find any colored carrots in Korea either. Hopefully you can get them soon! Thanks for stopping by~

      Reply
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Nutritional Facts in my recipe cards are provided PER SERVING and it’s an estimate and may not be accurate. Due to different brands of ingredients having different nutritional values, the values I provide here may be different from your preparation.

– Gluten-Free recipe assumes you are using gluten-free soy sauce (since many soy sauces contain gluten or wheat) and/or gluten-free gochujang.

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