Korean Dakgalbi Recipe (Spicy Stir-Fried Chicken)

Dakgalbi was invented in Chuncheon, a mountain city east of Seoul, in the 1960s. The story is that vendors set up stalls around the bus station, serving workers cheap and filling stir-fried chicken. The dish spread nationwide but the original Chuncheon stalls still exist — and this is the dish they still serve.

The chewy tteok (rice cakes) are the essential addition. They absorb the sauce and provide a textural contrast to the tender chicken that no substitute replicates. If your Korean grocery has garae-tteok (cylindrical tteok), that's the correct type.

The Marinade

This marinade needs minimum 30 minutes, better overnight.

• 600g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 3-4cm pieces
• 3 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp gochugaru
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sugar or honey
• 1 tbsp sake or soju
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp Korean pear or apple (grated, optional — tenderizes the meat)

Mix all ingredients into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate.

The Add-Ins

• 200g tteok (rice cakes), soaked in cold water 20 minutes if refrigerated
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and sliced 5mm thick
• 2 cups napa cabbage, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, roughly sliced
• 2 scallions, cut into 5cm pieces
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

How to Make It

Prep the tteok: If the rice cakes are hard (refrigerator cold), soak them in cold water 20-30 minutes to soften slightly before cooking.

Start cooking: Heat a large cast iron skillet or heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp neutral oil. Add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry 5 minutes — you want some caramelization on the outside.

Add sweet potato and onion: These take the longest. Add sweet potato slices and onion. Stir-fry 5 minutes.

Add tteok and cabbage: Add drained tteok and cabbage. Stir to coat everything in sauce. Continue cooking 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly, until the tteok is soft and chewy and the chicken is cooked through.

Taste and adjust: The dish should be spicy, savory, and slightly sweet. If it looks dry, add 2-3 tbsp water.

Finish: Add scallions and sesame seeds. 1 more minute on the heat.

Serve directly from the pan. This is a family-style dish — everyone eats from the same pan with chopsticks.

The Fried Rice Finale

The best part of dakgalbi is the fried rice you make with the leftover sauce at the bottom of the pan. After the main dish is mostly eaten, add 2 cups leftover cooked rice to the pan, a sheet of chopped nori, a drizzle of sesame oil, and mix everything to soak up the remaining sauce. Let it develop a slight crust. This is the most sought-after part of the meal at Chuncheon restaurants.

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Dakgalbi is forgiving and fast. The marinade is the only prep — once that's done, the dish takes 20-25 minutes of active cooking. Make it when you have 30 minutes and want something that feels like a real meal. The leftovers are excellent.