Spicy & Sweet Dakgalbi: Your Ultimate Homemade Recipe
Homemade Dakgalbi Recipe, Perfect Sauce Secret, and Finishing with Fried Rice
Here’s how to make incredibly delicious Dakgalbi at home, a dish we make regularly. After trying many recipes, I found this one from YouTuber ‘Lee Namja’s Cook’ to be the most flavorful. It strikes a perfect balance with its savory, sweet, and spicy sauce, tender chicken thighs, and crisp vegetables. This guide provides detailed tips for an authentic taste and even includes how to make the essential fried rice.
Dakgalbi Ingredients
- 600g boneless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1/4 head of cabbage (cut into large chunks)
- 1/2 onion (cut into large chunks)
- 1 sweet potato (peeled and cut into large chunks)
- Tteokbokki rice cakes (as desired)
- 1/2 stalk of green onion (cut diagonally)
- 2 Cheongyang chili peppers (cut diagonally, adjust to spice preference)
- 10 perilla leaves (cut into 2-3 pieces after preparation)
Special Sauce
- 1 onion (to be blended)
- 3 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 5 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp rice wine (mirin)
- 4 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp ginger juice
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp curry powder (for enhanced aroma!)
- 1 onion (to be blended)
- 3 Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 5 Tbsp soy sauce
- 3 Tbsp rice wine (mirin)
- 4 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp ginger juice
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp curry powder (for enhanced aroma!)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s make the base for our flavorful Dakgalbi sauce. Peel and roughly chop 1 onion, then blend it with 50ml of water until smooth. This process extracts the natural sweetness and deepens the flavor of the sauce.
Step 2
In a bowl, combine the blended onion with gochujang (3 Tbsp), sugar (2 Tbsp), soy sauce (5 Tbsp), rice wine (3 Tbsp), gochugaru (4 Tbsp), minced garlic (1 Tbsp), ginger juice (1 Tbsp), sesame oil (1 Tbsp), and our secret ingredient, curry powder (1 Tbsp). Mix well until no lumps remain. Your delicious sauce is ready!
Step 3
Cut the prepared boneless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, about 3-4 cm. Place the chicken in a large bowl and pour in 2/3 of the sauce. Toss to coat the chicken evenly. Let it marinate for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to penetrate.
Step 4
Now, let’s prepare the vegetables for the Dakgalbi. Cut the cabbage and onion into large chunks. Peel and cut the sweet potato into similar-sized pieces as the chicken. Slice the green onion diagonally and the Cheongyang chili peppers diagonally (add more chilies if you like it spicier). Wash the perilla leaves and cut them into 2-3 pieces.
Step 5
Heat 1 Tbsp of cooking oil in a deep pan or wok over medium heat. Add the marinated chicken thighs and stir-fry until the surface turns opaque. It’s important to cook the chicken thoroughly at this stage.
Step 6
Once the chicken is partially cooked, add the sweet potato chunks and tteokbokki rice cakes to the pan. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 2 minutes. This allows the sweet potatoes and rice cakes to soften and meld with the chicken.
Step 7
When the sweet potatoes and rice cakes start to become tender, add the cabbage and Cheongyang chili peppers. Pour in the remaining 1/3 of the sauce. Increase the heat to high and stir-fry quickly for about 2 minutes, ensuring the vegetables remain crisp-tender.
Step 8
Finally, add the diagonally sliced green onions and the cut perilla leaves. Toss everything together for a final mix. Your delicious Dakgalbi is ready to be enjoyed immediately after turning off the heat!
Step 9
If you’ve enjoyed your Dakgalbi immensely, there’s one essential finale you can’t miss: fried rice! Using any leftover chicken and sauce in the pan, chop them finely with scissors. Add cooked white rice and seaweed flakes (gim-garu) and stir-fry until well combined. Don’t forget to scrape up those delicious bits stuck to the bottom of the pan! Enjoy your perfect Dakgalbi fried rice to complete the meal!
