Korean Braised Spicy Chicken (Dak Doritang) Recipe

Korean Braised Spicy Chicken (Dak Doritang) Recipe tastes bold, savory, spicy, and a little sweet, with tender chicken, potatoes, and a glossy chili sauce. It suits heat lovers and cozy-night cooks, and it takes about 55 to 60 minutes start to finish. I made it on repeat while freelancing late nights, and the leftovers basically motivated me to meet deadlines.

Why Korean Braised Spicy Chicken (Dak Doritang) Recipe Is Worth It

Korean Braised Spicy Chicken (Dak Doritang) Recipe rewards you with deep flavor from simple pantry staples like gochujang, gochugaru, and soy sauce. You simmer chicken, potatoes, and onion until the sauce thickens and clings to every bite, then finish with scallions and sesame for that restaurant-level shine.

The dish works on weeknights yet still fits company meals. It tastes even better on day two, which means future-you wins.

Spicy, saucy, and weeknight-friendly, this pot won my family’s hearts in one bite. ★★★★★

Ingredients You Need

• Chicken
  • 2 to 2.5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (skin on or trimmed; boneless thighs also work)
• Vegetables
  • 2 medium Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 inch chunks
  • 1 large carrot, cut into 1 inch chunks
  • 1 medium yellow onion, thick slices
  • 2 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1.5 tablespoons jarred minced garlic for a shortcut)
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (or 1 teaspoon ginger paste)
• Sauce and braising liquid
  • 3 tablespoons gochujang Korean chili paste (Haechandle or Chung Jung One both taste great)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons gochugaru Korean chili flakes (Tae-kyung gives bright color; start with 1 tablespoon for medium heat)
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (Sempio or Kikkoman)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
  • 1 tablespoon mirin or rice wine (apple juice works in a pinch)
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce, optional but tasty depth
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1.5 cups water or low-sodium chicken stock (boxed stock is fine)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
• Optional add-ins
  • 1 cup Korean rice cakes tteok, soaked if the package directs
  • 1.5 cups Korean radish mu or daikon, chunks
  • 4 ounces mushrooms, halved
• Garnish
  • Toasted sesame seeds
  • Extra sliced scallions
  • Torn perilla leaves, optional

Equipment: heavy pot or Dutch oven with lid, large bowl, chef’s knife, cutting board, tongs, measuring cups and spoons, ladle.

Quick Tips & substitutions

• Use bone-in chicken for richer stock-like flavor; use boneless thighs when you want faster cooking.
• Adjust heat with gochugaru: 1 tablespoon for medium, 2 tablespoons for spicy; add a pinch of cayenne if you lack gochugaru.
• Swap soy sauce with tamari and use gluten-free gochujang for a gluten-free version.
• Sweetness swings the balance; add 1 extra teaspoon brown sugar if your gochujang tastes very spicy.
• No mirin on hand? Use apple juice or a splash of dry white wine.
• Add rice cakes in the last 8 minutes so they turn chewy, not mushy.
• Brown the chicken well; that caramelization boosts flavor and color.
• Skim fat with a spoon during the simmer if you kept the skin on.
• Cut potatoes large so they hold shape during the braise.
• Stir a splash of stock or water if the sauce reduces faster than the chicken cooks.

How to Make Korean Braised Spicy Chicken (Dak Doritang) Recipe

Prep the chicken and vegetables (10 minutes)

• Pat the chicken dry and season it with salt and pepper.
• Peel and chunk the potatoes and carrot, slice the onion, and mince the garlic and ginger.
• Separate scallion whites and greens.

Stir the spicy braising sauce (3 minutes)

• In a bowl, whisk gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, fish sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper.
• Whisk in the water or chicken stock until smooth and pourable.

Sear the chicken (6 to 8 minutes)

• Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat.
• Sear chicken pieces skin side down until browned, 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and brown 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Move the chicken to a plate; keep the pot on the heat.

Build the pot (2 minutes)

• Add onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot; stir for 30 seconds to pick up browned bits.
• Return chicken to the pot, add potatoes and carrot, then pour the spicy sauce over everything.

Braise until tender (25 to 30 minutes)

• Bring the pot to a lively simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes.
• Uncover, stir, and simmer 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken turns tender and the potatoes yield to a fork.
• If using rice cakes or mushrooms, stir them in for the final 8 minutes.
• Taste and adjust with soy sauce for salt or a pinch of sugar for balance.

Finish and garnish (2 minutes)

• Stir in scallion whites and a small drizzle of sesame oil.
• Remove from the heat and shower with scallion greens and sesame seeds.
• Serve hot with steamed rice.

Variations

• Mild version: Use 1 tablespoon gochugaru and add 2 teaspoons extra brown sugar.
• Extra hearty: Add Korean radish or sweet potato chunks with the potatoes.
• Boneless shortcut: Use 2 pounds boneless thighs and reduce covered simmer to 10 minutes.
• Seafood twist: Add a handful of peeled shrimp in the last 4 minutes for surf-and-spice vibes.
• Greens boost: Stir in chopped perilla leaves or a handful of spinach right at the end.
• Smoky note: Mix in 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika when you lack gochugaru depth.

Ways to Serve

• Spoon over steamed short-grain rice and top with extra sesame seeds.
• Pair with kimchi, cucumber salad oi muchim, or simple roasted seaweed.
• Tuck pieces into lettuce leaves with a dab of ssamjang.
• Serve with springy noodles or chewy rice cakes to soak up sauce.
• Pour chilled barley tea, light beer, soju, or makgeolli alongside.

Storage

Let leftovers cool, then pack them into airtight containers with plenty of sauce to keep the chicken juicy. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months; potatoes soften after freezing but still taste great. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or stock until the sauce loosens and the chicken steams hot. Taste and re-season after reheating since flavors concentrate in the fridge.

Ally Sanders

Korean Braised Spicy Chicken (Dak Doritang) Recipe

Korean Braised Spicy Chicken (Dak Doritang) tastes bold, savory, spicy, and a little sweet, with tender chicken, potatoes, and a glossy chili sauce that clings to every bite.

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Prep Time 13 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 58 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Dinner

Ingredients

  

• 2 to 2.5 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks (skin on or trimmed; boneless thighs also work)

• 2 medium Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1.5 inch chunks
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 medium yellow onion, thick slices
• 2 scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

• 3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
• 1 tablespoon mirin or rice wine (or apple juice)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1.5 cups water or low-sodium chicken stock
• freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup Korean rice cakes (tteok), soaked if needed
• 1.5 cups Korean radish (mu) or daikon, chunks
• 4 ounces mushrooms, halved

• toasted sesame seeds
• extra sliced scallions
• torn perilla leaves

Instructions

 

1. Pat the chicken dry and season it lightly with salt and pepper.
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1.5 inch chunks and the carrot into 1 inch chunks.
3. Slice the onion into thick slices and mince the garlic and ginger.
4. Slice the scallions, keeping the white and green parts separate.

1. In a bowl, whisk together the gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, fish sauce if using, sesame oil, and a few grinds of black pepper.
2. Whisk in the water or chicken stock until the mixture is smooth and pourable; set aside.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the chicken pieces skin side down and sear until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and brown the other side for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the pot.

1. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the hot pot and stir for about 30 seconds, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
2. Return the chicken to the pot, then add the potatoes and carrot.
3. Pour the spicy braising sauce over the chicken and vegetables, making sure everything is mostly submerged.

1. Bring the pot to a lively simmer over medium-high heat, then cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
2. Uncover, stir gently, and continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, until the chicken is tender and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and the sauce has thickened and glossy.
3. If using rice cakes or mushrooms, stir them in during the final 8 minutes of cooking so they heat through but do not turn mushy.
4. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with a little more soy sauce for salt or a pinch of sugar for balance, if needed.

1. Stir in the scallion whites and a small drizzle of sesame oil, if you like extra richness.
2. Remove the pot from the heat and top with the scallion greens and a generous sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds; add torn perilla leaves if using.
3. Serve hot with steamed rice so the rice can soak up the spicy, glossy sauce.

Notes

Nutrition Information
Approximate per serving (about 1/4 of recipe, without optional add-ins): 520 calories; fat 26 g; saturated fat 6 g; carbohydrates 33 g; fiber 4 g; sugars 11 g; protein 38 g; sodium 1350 mg. Values will vary based on chicken cuts, brands of gochujang and soy sauce, optional add-ins, and portion size.