Korean Braised Gochujang Chicken
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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.
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.
Gochugaru chilli flakes:
Korean gochugaru are a mild chilli flake with a bright red colour. But any low-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! And to keep things super mild, replace with 1 tbsp sweet paprika…that way you get the colour without the heat.
Bay leaves:
A simple herb that gives a subtle herbal note to the broth, don’t skip them, they help round out the sauce.
What You Need
Chicken pieces
Potatoes
Bay leaves
Gochujang
Cochugaru 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.
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.
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.
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.
Remove from heat and serve immediately with 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
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PREP TIME
15 minutes
COOK TIME
40 minutes
SERVES
4
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Ingredients
8 chicken pieces (4 drumsticks & 4 bone-in chicken thighs)
5 potatoes (about 800 g), peeled and cut into chunks
2 bay leaves
5 tbsp gochujang
4 tbsp gochugaru chilli flakes, or to taste (replace with 1 tbsp sweet paprika for a milder sauce)
3 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 large carrot (about 200 g), peeled and cut into large chunks
2 brown onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
5 garlic cloves, chopped
2 red chillies, finely sliced
2 spring onions, cut into batons
Steamed rice, to serve
Instructions
1
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.
2
Add Water and Simmer
Add 4 cups of water and place the pan over high heat until just simmering.
3
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.
4
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.
5
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.
6
Serve
Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed rice.
