Korean

Serving

Dakgalbi (Spicy Stir-fried Chicken)

Name: Dakgalbi (Spicy Stir-fried Chicken)
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 500g boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized chunks); 3 tbsp gochujang; 2 tbsp gochugaru; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp curry powder; 2 cups green cabbage (chopped); 1 sweet potato (peeled and sliced into sticks); 1 cup tteok (rice cakes); 10 perilla leaves (torn); 1 tbsp minced garlic; 1 tbsp cooking oil

Diced chicken marinated in a gochujang-based sauce, stir-fried with sweet potatoes, cabbage, perilla leaves, and tteok.

45 minutes

Serves 3

Dinner

16 min prep

25 min cook

Contains common allergens

Soy Wheat

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Instructions

6 steps

1
Prepare the marinade by mixing gochujang, gochugaru, soy sauce, sugar, curry powder, 1 tbsp minced garlic, and a splash of water to form a thick paste.
2
Toss the chicken chunks in the marinade, cover, and let sit for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
3
Heat a very large, wide, flat cast-iron pan or skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil.
4
Add the marinated chicken, sweet potato sticks, chopped cabbage, and rice cakes. Stir-fry continuously for 10-15 minutes, allowing the cabbage to release its water to steam the sweet potatoes.
5
Once the chicken is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are tender, toss in the torn perilla leaves for the final minute of cooking.
6
Optional but recommended: Melt shredded mozzarella cheese over the top before serving, and save a little leftover sauce in the pan to fry rice at the end of the meal.

Dakgalbi (Spicy Stir-fried Chicken) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Dakgalbi (Spicy Stir-fried Chicken) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

63/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 35

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 82

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 37

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

480

Calories

47 g

Protein

29 g

Carbs

19 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Dakgalbi is a fiery stir-fry of chicken thighs and vegetables in a gochujang marinade, a specialty of Chuncheon cooked on a big communal griddle. Cabbage, sweet potato, rice cakes, and perilla leaves join the chicken in the spicy-sweet sauce. It is festive, shareable food, often finished by frying rice in the leftover sauce.

Listahan note

This version marinates the chicken in a gochujang base, then stir-fries it with hearty vegetables and rice cakes so everything soaks up the spicy-sweet sauce.

Technique cues

Marinate the chicken so the gochujang flavor penetrates the meat.
Add vegetables by cook time; sweet potato early, cabbage and perilla late.
Save the leftover sauce to fry rice in at the end, the traditional finish.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Marinate the chicken and cut the vegetables before heating the pan.
Make-ahead: Marinate the chicken a day ahead for deeper flavor.
Leftover move: Fry rice in the leftover sauce with seaweed and sesame, the classic ending.
Cleanup rhythm: One large pan or griddle; soak it soon, as the sauce sticks.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Chicken thighs

Main protein

Purpose: Dark meat stays juicy under the high-heat stir-fry.

Handling: Cut into chunks and marinate in the gochujang mix.

Adaptation: Chicken breast works but dries out faster.

Gochujang and gochugaru

Sauce base

Purpose: Provide the spicy-sweet red sauce that defines the dish.

Handling: Blend into a marinade with soy, sugar, and garlic.

Adaptation: Adjust the gochugaru for heat.

Cabbage and sweet potato

Vegetables

Purpose: Add sweetness and substance that balance the heat.

Handling: Slice the sweet potato thin so it cooks through.

Adaptation: Use any firm, sweet vegetables.

Tteok (rice cakes)

Chewy element

Purpose: Add a satisfying chew and soak up the sauce.

Handling: Soak if firm, then add partway through.

Adaptation: Omit for a lighter, lower-carb stir-fry.

Technique notes

Use high heat and a wide pan so the chicken sears, not steams.
Add the perilla leaves at the very end for fragrance.
Do not skip the leftover-sauce fried rice; it is the best part.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Use gluten-free gochujang and tamari.
Lower-carb direction: Skip the rice cakes and add more vegetables.
Milder direction: Reduce the gochugaru and add a little more sugar.

Serve alongside

Steamed white rice
Perilla leaves
Pickled radish
Kimchi
Soju
Light lager
Barley tea

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days in a sealed container.
Reheat in a hot pan to keep the sauce glossy.
Freeze up to 2 months; thaw before reheating.

Equipment

Large skillet or griddle
Tongs or spatula
Cutting board
Mixing bowl

Make this household-aware

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