Golden Ratio Cheese Dakgalbi
Perfectly Balanced Sweet & Spicy Cheese Dakgalbi Recipe for Home
On a family dinner table, dipping spicy and sweet Dakgalbi into gooey cheese is pure happiness and love! Let’s create this restaurant-worthy Cheese Dakgalbi right in your own kitchen.
Main Ingredients
- 600g Boneless Chicken Thighs (skin removed, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 Onion (sliced)
- 1 Sweet Potato (sliced into approx. 0.3cm thick rounds)
- 100g Napa Cabbage (cut into approx. 1.5cm strips)
- 100g Rice Cakes (tteok, softened)
- 1 Green Onion (sliced diagonally)
- 1 bunch Perilla Leaves (shiso leaves, cut into approx. 2cm strips)
- Mozzarella Cheese (as much as you like)
Chicken Marinade (Tablespoon Measurement)
- 0.5 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (or cooking wine)
- A pinch of Black Pepper
Perfect Dakgalbi Sauce (Tablespoon Measurement)
- 1 Tbsp Curry Powder (for a subtle aroma)
- 4 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 3 Tbsp Mirin (or cooking wine, for tenderizing and sweetness)
- 1 Tbsp Oligodang (corn syrup, for shine and sweetness)
- 1.5 Tbsp Sugar
- 1.5 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Tbsp Minced Green Onion
- A pinch of Black Pepper
- 0.5 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Mirin (or cooking wine)
- A pinch of Black Pepper
Perfect Dakgalbi Sauce (Tablespoon Measurement)
- 1 Tbsp Curry Powder (for a subtle aroma)
- 4 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 3 Tbsp Mirin (or cooking wine, for tenderizing and sweetness)
- 1 Tbsp Oligodang (corn syrup, for shine and sweetness)
- 1.5 Tbsp Sugar
- 1.5 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Tbsp Minced Green Onion
- A pinch of Black Pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Rinse the boneless chicken thighs thoroughly, remove the skin, and cut them into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, combine the chicken with the marinade ingredients (salt, mirin, pepper) and mix well. Let it marinate for about 10 minutes to remove any gamey odors and allow flavors to penetrate.
Step 2
Let’s make the sauce that’s key to delicious Dakgalbi! In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients (curry powder, gochugaru, soy sauce, gochujang, mirin, oligodang, sugar, minced garlic, sesame oil, minced green onion, pepper). Mix thoroughly until smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness or spiciness to your preference.
Step 3
Add 2/3 of the prepared sauce to the marinated chicken and mix well to coat evenly. For deeper flavor, let it marinate for at least 15-20 minutes.
Step 4
Slice the napa cabbage into strips about 1.5cm wide. Rinse the cabbage under running water, then soak it in water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar for 10 minutes. After soaking, rinse again to ensure a crisp texture.
Step 5
Now, let’s prepare the other vegetables and ingredients for stir-frying. Separate the rice cakes so they don’t stick together. Slice the onion into about 0.5cm thickness and the green onion diagonally. Cut the perilla leaves into strips about 2cm wide. Peel the sweet potato and slice it into thin rounds (about 0.3cm thick). Soak the sweet potato slices in water for 10 minutes to remove excess starch; this prevents them from sticking together and burning during cooking.
Step 6
Heat a large wok or pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, then add the marinated chicken, sweet potato slices, and rice cakes. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes over medium heat, allowing the chicken and vegetables to get a slight sear and cook partially.
Step 7
Once the chicken and sweet potatoes are partially cooked, add the remaining vegetables (cabbage, onion, green onion) and the remaining 1/3 of the sauce. Stir-fry until the vegetables soften and the sweet potatoes are tender. Finally, add the perilla leaves and gently toss them in just to incorporate – avoid overcooking them, as this will diminish their fresh aroma.
Step 8
Cooking Tip: For a more impressive presentation, use a square grill pan or a wide serving pan. Arrange the cooked Dakgalbi neatly on one side, and generously pile the mozzarella cheese on the other side.
Step 9
Now for the magical part! Place the pan over low heat and let the cheese melt until it’s golden and bubbly. Your delicious Cheese Dakgalbi is ready to be enjoyed!
Step 10
While delicious on its own, adding the creamy, stretchy cheese transforms the spicy and sweet Dakgalbi into a truly special and visually appealing feast. It’s a dish that looks as good as it tastes.
Step 11
There’s nothing more precious than sharing delicious food and time with loved ones after a long day. We hope you end your day happily with this comforting homemade Cheese Dakgalbi. Enjoy your meal!
