Korean Braised Chicken (Andong Jjimdak)
This particular Korean braised chicken (Andong Jjimdak) is a popular chicken dish from a town of Andong in Korea. Cut chicken pieces and vegetables, such as onion, carrots, and potatoes, along with sweet potato glass noodles, are braised in a spicy soy sauce with dried red chilies. Don’t miss out the two secret ingredients because they make the stew extra delicious. Serve warm with rice.
Koreans love their chickens. We deep-fry them, steam them, boil them, and braise them. Out of all these cooking method, I love the braised chicken the best. This Andong style Korean braised chicken (jjimdak, 찜닭) is not an exception.
What is Andong Jjimdak ?
Andong is a town of Gyoungbuk province, which is a southeastern part of south Korea. This particular Korean braised chicken dish is originated from Andong.
Different stories are told regarding how this dish was originated, but everyone agrees that this particular chicken dish was started in a market street, known as “chicken ally”, in Andong . All the chicken restaurants in the ally sells a similar braised chicken dish regardless where you dine in, and thus Andong Jjimdak became a well known dish to visitors and outsiders. It’s one of the well known stew dishes made with chicken among Korean soup and stew recipes.
Dakdoritang vs Andong Jjimdak
Another well-known and popular Korean braised chicken dish is the Dakdoritang (spicy Korean chicken stew). The difference is that while Dakdoritang is made with gochujang (Korean chili paste), this Jjimdak (braised chicken) is based on soy sauce instead. The addition of Korean sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon) in the dish make it heartier and extra delicious.
You can’t beat the fall-apart tender meat that holds all the wonderful flavor underneath. It is a perfect dish to serve in the fall, although it doesn’t really matter and you can enjoy any time of the year.
The chicken pieces, onion, carrot, and potato pieces are simmered in delicious and slightly spicy broth made with soy sauce. The addition of Korean sweet potato noodles (aka dangmyeon, 당면) make this dish more satisfying and delicious. Cola Braised Chicken is another variation using sweet potato noodles.
Since I love this Jjimdak and several who tried this recipe and loved it, I included this recipe in my cookbook, Korean Cooking Favorites. This is one of the best Korean chicken recipes.
You will also find 2 unique ingredients that makes this Jjimdak extra special. Want to know what they are? Keep reading and you will be surprised. Besides, it’s a gluten-free dish as long as you use gluten-free soy sauce. (FYI, sweet potato noodles are essentially gluten-free.)
Chicken Tips
- Use boned chicken pieces: Either a whole chicken that is cut up into pieces or use combination of chicken thighs and drumsticks. Boneless chicken won’t give you the same results. Save the boneless chicken for stir-fried dishes.
- Skinless Chicken: Personally I am not a huge fan of slimy chicken skin in the stew, so I remove the skin when I make this chicken stew. However, that is an optional choice for you.
What to serve with Korean Braised Chicken
Typically, Andong jjimdak is served with freshly cooked rice and kimchi. Learn how to cook rice on the stove, if you haven’t done it yet. Its easier than you think (with or without beans).
How to make Korean Braised Chicken
Step 1. Soak the noodles
First thing you need to do; soak your dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles) in warm water. Set aside. You can find this noodles in any Korean grocery stores.
Step 2. Parboil the chicken
Secondly, I would suggest to parboil the chicken for a few minutes. Cook chicken pieces in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Then remove the chicken and discard the water.
This will help to get rid of extra fat, and remove the gamy odor prior to the addition of the seasoning sauce. The extra step also makes the stew gravy clean and light.
Step 3. Mix the Sauce
Combine all the sauce ingredients including the two unique ingredients.
Two secret ingredients are:
- dark brown sugar
- cocoa powder
I know they sound slightly awkward for Korean cuisine. But trust me, you will love the flavor they add in the dish. It also helps the sauce to be darker, making it look more appetizing.
Step 4. Simmer chicken in the sauce
Pour the sauce over chicken and throw some dried chilies. Use as many chilies as you desire.
Bring to a gentle boil, then turn your chicken to the other side. Cover and let them simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
Step 5. Add vegetables
Add the onion and carrot slices. Stir them well, cover, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add potato slices and green chili (optional). You will want to raise the heat to medium-low.
Step 6. Add the noodles
When the vegetables are just tender, add the noodles that has been soaked in water (Make sure to drain off the soaking water). Don’t overcook the potatoes. Otherwise they will easily break and become muddy.
Spoon up the sauce all over.
Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the whole thing to a gentle boil, uncovered. The noodles will only need about 3-5 minutes to cook.
Step 7. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before you serve
Done! Let the whole thing to sit for 5 minutes so the chicken, the vegetables, and the noodles can soak up the great flavor of the sauce.
The chicken pieces are almost falling off the bones, the vegetables are tender, and the noodles are so chewy. How about the gravy? It’s to die for delicious.
Step 8. Serve warm with rice
Typically, we like to serve this chicken with a little bit of rice to soak up all that tasty gravy. Just drizzle over rice and enjoy the goodness.
More Korean Chicken Recipes
- Spicy Korean Chicken Stew, Dakdoritang
- Korean Chicken Noodle Soup (Dak Kalguksu)
- Crispy Korean Chicken Nuggets, Dakgangjeong
Korean Braised Chicken (Andong Jjimdak)
Ingredients
- 6 oz Korean glass noodles (dangmyeon)
- 3 lb whole chicken, cut up into pieces, or boned chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 6-8 dried red chilies
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 4-6 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tsp cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp corn syrup
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 carrot, diced into large chunks
- 2-3 medium potatoes , sliced into 1/2-inch disks
- 1 fresh green chili, sliced, optional
Instructions
- Soak the sweet potato noodles in warm water and set aside until ready to use.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add chicken pieces and boil for 2-3 minutes. Drain the chicken and discard the water. Return the chicken to a braising pot and add the dried chilies.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, garlic, ginger, sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup, and pepper. Pour over on the chicken and chilies.
- Bring the chicken mixture to a gentle boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minute. Add the onion and carrots to the chicken and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, covered.
- Add the potatoes and fresh chili, and cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes, with a lid half open.
- When the chicken and vegetables are just tender, drain the sweet potato noodles from the soaking water and add to the chicken. Raise the heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the noodles are tender yet chewy, about 3-5 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the stew sit for 5 minutes before you serve. Serve warm with rice.
My grandpa was Japanese and would make something similar on special occasions, minus the chili’s. We’ve pieced the recipe together over the years and it’s close to what I remember. Who knew it was a Korean dish? But this recipe might just be the perfection, minus the chili’s. I find it best to cook the chicken in just enough water to cover for 20 minutes with a 1/4 cup of soy, then drain it all out. The fat can kill the dish. Dark meat seams to be the secret ingredient. But the noodles are really the main ingredient. This is definitely my comfort food. The noodles, potatoes, and rice might seem like a carb overload, but you gotta portion it right. Or just make it like a holiday dinner and enjoy all. And you can never have enough carrots. And don’t forget to add some mushrooms. Your choice.
Hi there! Can I just check if I am supposed to fill the pot with water till it just covers the chicken after the parboil step (step 3), or is there a specific number of cups of water I need to fill? If so, how many cups? Thank you!
No, there was no specific amount of water to fill the pot when you parboil the chicken. Just enough amount to cover.
I have no idea what I did wrong but my sauce evaporated and by the time I was done I had stick everything and no sauce 🙁 Any ideas what I might have done wrong. I used boneless chicken but thats the only thing I did differently.
Did you cover the lid when you are simmering the chicken? You only need to open the lid when you add the vegetables. Sorry to hear all the sauce has evaporated. I highly recommend to use boned chicken. boneless chicken is not suitable for this type of braised dish.
Can I add some sesame oil / sesame seeds to this? Seems like those would make it even more Korean.
Of course you can. But not too much. You don’t want the sesame oil to overpower the dish.
Holly, I got some drumsticks this afternoon and will try this recipe for tomorrow’s supper. Thank you for taking the time to put this together!
I made the braised chicken last night, and not only was it easy to make, it was delicious! The whole family loved them, will definitely make again. Thanks Holly!
You are very welcome, Ed! Happy to hear that your family liked it.
I have a recipe similar to this but yours is way more amazing!! Looks like I have a new recipe for braised chicken. Thank you!!
Thanks Grace. I am so happy to hear that you liked it.
I just got back from the Korean store for the for the dangmyun noodles. After searching for 20 minutes, the last pack I picked up was them! Now i’ve started the chicken and the sauce. 1 question though, it say’s prep time is 10 hours? I might have missed a step, but am I supposed to marinate the chicken in the sauce? I’m so looking forward to this dish tonight, thank you!!!
No, it meant to be 10 minutes. There is no marinating step. You can throw all the sauce ingredients in a pot and cook together. Hope you enjoyed it.
This was an amazing dish, I can’t wait to make it again! Thank you!
I made it for dinner tonight. The jimdak is SO, SO good! It is flavorful and rich. It is perfect comfort food. Thank you as always! Your recipes are the best!
Thanks, Nancy. I am so happy that you liked it.
Love love the sweet potato noodles so much. I bet it is quite yummy with the chicken soup.
Cooler weather is on our doorstep, so I’m definitely thinking about comforting dishes. This looks perfect — wonderful way to cook chicken. Thanks so much.