Korean Braised Chicken with Glass Noodles (Jjimdak)
A cozy and savory braised chicken dish simmered with hearty vegetables and chewy glass noodles, perfect for sharing at the dinner table. It’s the kind of meal that warms your whole body and makes you feel at home.
8/1/20252 min read
Ingredients
1 kg chicken pieces (bone-in preferred)
150 g kabocha squash
150 g carrot
150 g potato
100 g shiitake mushrooms (scored with a star pattern)
100 g green onion (cut into 1-inch pieces)
100 g yellow onion (cut into 1-inch dice)
6 cloves garlic
2 spicy chili peppers, sliced
200 g glass noodles (dangmyeon), soaked in warm water
For the Sauce
6 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
0.5 tbsp doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 cups water
0.5 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp oligosaccharide or corn syrup
0.5 tsp beef dashida or chicken bouillon
Black pepper to taste
3 tbsp mirin or soju
2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
Instructions
1. Marinate the Chicken
Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Toss with mirin and let it sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to remove any odor. Pat dry again before cooking.
2. Prep the Vegetables
Cut the kabocha, carrot, and potato into large chunks with rounded edges for a soft, rustic look. Score the shiitake mushrooms, dice the onion, and chop green onions into short pieces. Slice chili peppers and set everything aside.
3. Sear the Chicken
In a large pan or wok, heat oil over medium heat. Add whole garlic cloves and cook until they start to turn golden and smell fragrant. Add the chicken and sear on all sides until golden.
4. Build the Base
Add the soy sauce, sugar, doenjang, and dark soy sauce. Stir and cook for a couple minutes to allow the chicken to absorb the seasoning. Pour in water and add the carrot and potato. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Layer in the Flavors
Add the kabocha and simmer another 5 minutes. Stir in oligosaccharide, minced garlic, dashida, and black pepper. Let it simmer gently for another 5 minutes to build depth.
6. Add the Rest
Now add mushrooms, onion, green onion, and chili peppers. Simmer uncovered for 7 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the broth is rich.
7. Finish with Noodles
Drain the soaked glass noodles and add them to the pot. Simmer for about 7 minutes until they become tender and soak up the sauce.
8. Plate and Serve
Start with a base of noodles, then arrange chicken and vegetables over the top. Spoon extra sauce around for flavor. Serve warm with a side of rice or kimchi if you like.
