Sweet and Savory Braised Chicken (Jjimdak) Recipe
Sweet and Savory Braised Chicken (Jjimdak) Recipe
A Delightfully Sweet, Savory, and Slightly Spicy Jjimdak Everyone Will Love
It’s been a while since I last cooked chicken, so I decided to make Jjimdak today! This dish offers a perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness, making it an excellent side dish for rice or a great accompaniment to drinks. Loaded with plenty of vegetables and chewy glass noodles, it makes for a hearty and satisfying meal. Highly recommended for a ‘rice-thief’ dinner!
Main Ingredients- 800g Chicken (cut for braising)
- 3 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
- 1 Medium Potato
- 1/2 Carrot
- 2 Red Chili Peppers
- 3 Green Chili Peppers (adjust to your spice preference)
- 1 Large Spring Onion
- 100g Dried Glass Noodles (soaked in water)
- 200ml Water (for parboiling chicken)
Jjimdak Sauce- 200ml Water
- 100ml Cooking Wine (like Mirin)
- 150ml Soy Sauce
- 100ml Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 0.5 Tbsp Grated Ginger
- 200ml Water
- 100ml Cooking Wine (like Mirin)
- 150ml Soy Sauce
- 100ml Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 0.5 Tbsp Grated Ginger
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, rinse the chicken thoroughly. Place the chicken in a pot, add enough water to cover it, and parboil for about 5 minutes. This step helps remove impurities, resulting in a cleaner-tasting Jjimdak.
Step 2
While the chicken is parboiling, prepare the vegetables. Cut the potato, carrot, and shiitake mushrooms into bite-sized cubes (about 2-3 cm), similar in size to the chicken pieces. Slice the red and green chili peppers diagonally. Cut about two-thirds of the spring onion into large pieces, and finely chop the remaining one-third for garnish.
Step 3
After parboiling, rinse the chicken under cold water to remove any remaining impurities. Drain the chicken well using a colander. You’ll be working with clean, pale chicken pieces now.
Step 4
The key to delicious Jjimdak is the sauce! Combine the water, cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger in a large bowl. Whisk or stir well until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and there are no lumps.
Step 5
In a wide and deep pot, add the drained chicken, the 200ml of water used for parboiling (this is optional), and the prepared soy sauce mixture. Bring it to a boil over high heat with the lid off. This process allows the chicken to absorb the sauce.
Step 6
Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes. The chicken will start to cook, and the sauce will begin to reduce.
Step 7
When the chicken is about 70% cooked, add the cubed potato and carrot to the pot and continue to simmer. The potatoes and carrots will cook in the flavorful sauce, becoming incredibly delicious.
Step 8
Check if the potatoes and carrots are tender by piercing them with a chopstick or fork. Once cooked, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and simmer for another 5 minutes. The mushrooms will add a wonderful aroma and depth of flavor to the Jjimdak.
Step 9
Finally, add the pre-soaked glass noodles, the large pieces of spring onion, and the diagonally sliced red and green chili peppers. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until the glass noodles become translucent and the sauce has slightly thickened to your desired consistency. This is your delicious Jjimdak! Garnish with the finely chopped spring onion before serving for a beautiful presentation.
