Korean Braised Gochujang Chicken



Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Korean Braised Gochujang Chicken

Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

 I don’t know about you, but when the evenings start to cool, I crave something hearty that fills the kitchen with irresistible smells. This Korean braised gochujang chicken is exactly that. It’s all in one pot, no fuss, no mess. By the time you’re ready to eat, the chicken turns beautifully tender, the potatoes soak up all that flavour and the sauce brings a perfect balance of sweet, spicy and savoury. It’s the kind of dish that feels like a warm hug on a plate.

What is Korean Braised Gochujang Chicken (Dak-bokkeum-tang)?

Dak-bokkeum-tang is a classic Korean chicken stew where pieces of chicken are slowly braised in a sauce centred on gochujang, Korea’s fermented chilli paste. The result is a fragrant, spicy sauce that clings to each tender piece of chicken and soft vegetables. Every spoonful has layers of sweetness from mirin and honey, heat from chilli flakes and deep savoury notes from soy and gochujang.

What’s the deal with braising in the sauce?

Braising is the secret to ultimate tenderness. Instead of pan-frying each piece separately, you simmer the chicken gently in a seasoned liquid. That means the meat absorbs all the flavours as it cooks low and slow, so you end up with chicken that practically falls off the bone. Plus, by adding the sauce ingredients directly into the pot, there’s no extra step making a separate marinade, everything melds together in one beautiful braise.

Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Special Ingredient Notes

  • Gochujang: This is the star of the show, a fermented Korean chilli paste that brings a balanced heat, subtle sweetness and deep umami. If you can’t find it in every supermarket, look in the Asian section or a local Korean grocer.
  • Mirin: A sweet rice wine that adds brightness and helps give the sauce a glossy finish. If you can’t find mirin, a dry white wine plus 1 tsp sugar will work in a pinch.
  • Chilli flakes: Korean gochugaru is ideal, but any medium-heat chilli flakes will do. They layer extra heat without overpowering the dish. Be sure to test out your chilli flakes before you add them though. Make sure they’re not too hot for your chilli tolerance!
  • Bay leaves: A simple herb that gives a subtle herbal note to the broth, don’t skip them, they help round out the sauce.

Ingredients for a Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

What You Need

  • Chicken pieces
  • Potatoes
  • Bay leaves
  • Gochujang
  • Chilli flakes
  • White sugar
  • Soy sauce
  • Mirin
  • Honey
  • Sea salt
  • Black pepper powder
  • Carrot
  • Brown onions
  • Garlic cloves
  • Red chillies
  • Spring onions
  • Steamed rice

Steps

Place the chicken pieces and potatoes in a large, deep sauté or braising pan. Add the bay leaves, gochujang, chilli flakes, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, honey, salt and pepper.

Place the chicken pieces in a pan

Add the bay leaves, gochujang, chilli flakes, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, honey, salt and pepper.

Add 4 cups of water and place the pan over high heat until just simmering. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. During this time, the chicken will absorb all the flavours and the potatoes will start to soften. 

Add 4 cups of water

Place the pan over high heat until just simmering

Remove the lid and add the carrot and onion chunks. Cover again and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are just tender. You should see the sauce reducing down and thickening slightly.

Remove the lid and add the carrot and onion chunks.

Add the onion chunks to the pan.

Gently stir through the chopped garlic, sliced red chillies and spring onion batons. Cover and simmer for another 2 minutes, which is just enough time to soften the spring onion without losing its bright colour.

Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Cover and simmer for another 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Storage Tips

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. To reheat, transfer to a saucepan and warm over low heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.

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Korean Braised Gochujang Chicken

PREP TIME

15 minutes

COOK TIME

40 minutes

SERVES

4

Ingredients for a Bowl of Korean braised gochujang chicken with potatoes and steamed rice

Ingredients

Instructions

Season the Chicken

Place the chicken pieces and potatoes in a large, deep sauté or braising pan. Add the bay leaves, gochujang, chilli flakes, sugar, soy sauce, mirin, honey, salt and pepper.

Add Water and Simmer

Add 4 cups of water and place the pan over high heat until just simmering.

Cover and Simmer

Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. During this time, the chicken will absorb all the flavours and the potatoes will start to soften.

Add Vegetables and Reduce

Remove the lid and add the carrot and onion chunks. Cover again and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are just tender. You should see the sauce reducing down and thickening slightly.

Add Garnish

Gently stir through the chopped garlic, sliced red chillies and spring onion batons. Cover and simmer for another 2 minutes, which is just enough time to soften the spring onion without losing its bright colour.

Serve

Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed rice.

The post Korean Braised Gochujang Chicken appeared first on Marion's Kitchen.



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