Daktoritang: Potatoes That Soak Up a Red Chili Broth
Chicken thighs, potatoes and onions simmer in one pot in a sauce made from soy sauce, garlic, gochujang and gochugaru. The chopped green onion stays raw until the very end.
The Korea Tourism Organization (VISITKOREA) describes this dish as a Korean braise of chili-seasoned chicken, broth and potato. It also mentions one way people eat it: the potatoes and broth left at the end of the meal are eaten with rice. Pieces of potato that have absorbed a red, spicy broth and sit beside a bowl of plain rice are a good way to understand what this pot is for.
This article follows one recipe: the traditional-style spicy braised chicken that the Korean cooking writer Maangchi published on 2011-12-28. It uses chicken thighs, potatoes, onions and two Korean chili seasonings, cooked together in one pot. It serves 4 people, and Maangchi gives a cooking time of 45 to 60 minutes. Many recipes exist for this dish. This one is a single cook's version, not a national standard.
Outside Korea, two parts usually take some care: finding the two different chili seasonings, gochujang and gochugaru, and handling the raw chicken safely.
Maangchi's directions say to wash and drain the chicken after cutting it. This article leaves that out. Health Canada advises against rinsing poultry because splashing water can spread bacteria. Skipping the rinse is our own safety edit based on that guidance. Maangchi did not give this instruction. The potatoes are still rinsed.
We have not kitchen-tested this recipe. We have not checked how it tastes, how salty or spicy it is, or how much it yields.
Two Names for One Dish: Dakdoritang and Dakbokkeumtang
The dish has two common names. Dakdoritang (닭도리탕), also spelled daktoritang, is one name for the dish. Dakbokkeumtang (닭볶음탕) is the other. Maangchi titles the recipe Dakbokkeumtang and gives dakdoritang as another name. The National Institute of Korean Language describes 닭볶음탕 as the refined term for 닭도리탕. Both names refer to the same dish, so this article treats them as one recipe.
The institute also quotes the standard Korean dictionary on how the dish is made. One way boils the chicken directly with water and seasoning. Another may stir-fry the chicken, seasoning and vegetables before adding water. The recipe here takes the first route and has no stir-frying step.
The origin of the word "dori" is unsettled. In a separate answer, the institute notes that the dictionary's etymology entry shows a form resembling tori (鳥, "bird") with 湯 ("soup"). It adds no further explanation and says it cannot make a definitive, detailed statement on the etymology. For that reason, this article makes no claim about where the name came from, when the dish began, or who created it.
Ingredients for 4 Servings
Measure each of the four quarter-cup seasonings on its own. Gochujang and gochugaru are separate ingredients, and the recipe needs both.
Equipment
- Pot with a lid
- Cutting board and knife for the raw chicken, kept clean and separate
- Cutting board and knife for the vegetables
- Vegetable peeler
- Colander
- Small bowl and spoon for the paste
- Spoon for mixing and basting
- Large serving plate
- Digital food thermometer, for checking the chicken against general food-safety guidance
Choosing the Chili Seasonings and Other Ingredients
Gochujang and gochugaru do different jobs. Gochujang is a paste and gochugaru is a dried chili powder or flake. Use one of each rather than doubling either one. Look for them by these names at Korean or Asian grocers. Heat levels vary from product to product, so read the package if you want a milder or hotter pot. Keep the quarter-cup amounts the same.
Chicken thighs are the cut used here. Use the thighs you can get and cut them into bite-sized pieces.
Green chili peppers. Use ordinary fresh green chilies at a heat you are comfortable with.
Soy sauce and gochujang are soy-based seasonings. Products differ in what else they contain, such as wheat, so check the ingredient and allergen labels on the brands you buy.
Method: One Pot, Two Stages of Simmering
Chicken and onion simmer first. Potatoes and green chili join for a covered second stage. The lid comes off at the end to thicken the broth. The green onion never goes into the pot.
What to Watch For
| Situation | Likely reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The green onion went into the pot | It was chopped or added together with the green chili | Keep the two in separate bowls in step 7. The green chili goes in with the potatoes; the green onion goes on only at the plate |
| The sauce is still thin at the end | The lid stayed on, or the final stage was cut short | Uncover for the 3–5 minute reduction and keep spooning broth over the top |
| Only one of the two chili seasonings was used | The recipe needs both | Gochujang and gochugaru are both needed, 1/4 cup each |
| Not sure the chicken is cooked | Time and color alone cannot confirm it | Use a food thermometer, as described in the next section |
Food Safety and Leftovers
This guidance comes from general government food-safety advice. It is not part of Maangchi's recipe, and the recipe's times are not a safety guarantee.
- Raw chicken: Health Canada advises not rinsing poultry, because splashing water can spread bacteria. Keep raw and cooked food apart, and use clean equipment, clean hands and clean tools.
- Doneness: Health Canada and FoodSafety.gov both say to cook chicken pieces to 74°C / 165°F. Check with a food thermometer. Health Canada recommends a digital one and says to keep the tip from touching bone. Color, broth thickness and elapsed time do not prove the chicken is safe.
- Leftovers: Maangchi's recipe gives no storage directions. Health Canada's general guidance is to refrigerate poultry leftovers within 2 hours and keep them at or below 4°C. Use them within 2–4 days, and reheat to 74°C / 165°F.
Variations Within This Recipe
- Chicken: Use 1 kg of chicken wings in place of the thighs.
- Onions: Use 3 medium onions instead of 2.
- Potatoes: Use 4 large potatoes instead of 3.
- Heat level: Choose your gochujang and gochugaru by the heat shown on the package. Keep the amounts the same.
- Serving: Set out plain rice and spoon the last of the potatoes and broth over it at the end of the meal.
Other Versions, and Where This Pot Fits
Other recipes for the same dish can differ a great deal. KBS WORLD publishes a version by a hansik (Korean food) researcher. It uses a whole chicken and a short marinade, and it pre-simmers the chicken. It also cooks the potatoes separately and adds the sauce in two stages before the final braise. Maangchi also has a later chicken-breast version from 2019. That one is a different formula with milk, apple, ginger, black pepper and kosher salt, and it cuts slits into the chicken. Neither version is mixed into the recipe here.
This dish is also different from other Korean chicken dishes. Andong jjimdak is a soy-based braise, dakgalbi is stir-fried on a griddle, and samgyetang is a whole-chicken soup. For more dishes from the same cuisine, see our page on Korea.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are daktoritang and dakbokkeumtang different dishes?
No. Maangchi gives dakdoritang (닭도리탕) as another name for dakbokkeumtang (닭볶음탕). The National Institute of Korean Language calls 닭볶음탕 the refined term for 닭도리탕.
Should I stir-fry the chicken first?
Not in this recipe. The Korean dictionary definition quoted by the National Institute of Korean Language allows for a version that stir-fries first. Maangchi's traditional-style recipe instead mixes the paste, chicken, onions and water and then simmers them.
The water isn't in Maangchi's ingredient list. Is it needed?
Yes. The 2 cups of water appear only in the directions, so this article adds them to the ingredient table. Maangchi does not say which cup size the recipe uses, so no conversion is given.
Maangchi says to wash the chicken. Why doesn't this article?
Maangchi's directions do tell you to wash and drain the cut chicken. This article leaves that step out, based on Health Canada's advice not to rinse poultry because splashing water can spread bacteria. That is our editorial safety change, not Maangchi's instruction. Rinsing the peeled potatoes is still part of the method.
When exactly should I baste?
Maangchi says to spoon the broth from the bottom over the top from time to time. She does not specify how often. This article places it during the uncovered reduction in step 10.
How do I know the chicken is done?
Use a food thermometer. General guidance from Health Canada and FoodSafety.gov is 74°C / 165°F for chicken pieces. Do not rely on cooking time or the color of the sauce.
Sources
- Maangchi, "Traditional-style spicy braised chicken / Dakbokkeumtang 닭볶음탕," Maangchi.com, published 2011-12-28. The recipe this article follows, used for the alternate name dakdoritang, 4 servings, the ingredients and amounts, the 2 cups of water in the directions, all eleven directions, and the 45–60 minute cooking time. Its instruction to wash the raw chicken is not followed here. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/traditional-dakbokkeumtang
- Maangchi, "Spicy braised chicken breasts," Maangchi.com, 2019. A separate chicken-breast version by the same author, used only for comparison. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dakbokkeumtang
- KBS WORLD, "Dakbokkeumtang (닭볶음탕)," recipe credited to Kim Su-jin, Hansik Researcher. A separately authored whole-chicken version, used only to show how recipes differ. https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/contents_view.htm?board_code=&board_seq=337042&id=&lang=e&menu_cate=lifestyle&page=5
- Korea Tourism Organization / VISITKOREA, "Spicy Braised Chicken (닭볶음탕 / Dakbokkeumtang)." The dish as a Korean braise of chili-seasoned chicken, broth and potato, and eating the remaining potato and broth with rice. https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/sp/food/ext/special_view.do?menuSn=913&page=1&sContsTtl=%EB%8B%AD%EB%B3%B6%EC%9D%8C%ED%83%95&sort=regDt&vcontsId=179264
- National Institute of Korean Language, "닭도리탕," Online 가나다 response. 닭볶음탕 as the refined term for 닭도리탕, and the dictionary's description of direct boiling or first stir-frying. https://www.korean.go.kr/front/onlineQna/onlineQnaView.do?mn_id=261&qna_seq=326100
- National Institute of Korean Language, "닭도리탕 어원 문의," Online 가나다 response. The dictionary's brief etymology note and the institute's statement that it cannot give a definitive detailed etymology. https://m.korean.go.kr/front/onlineQna/onlineQnaView.do?mn_id=216&pageIndex=1&qna_seq=334183
- Health Canada, "Poultry safety." Not rinsing poultry, separate and clean equipment and hands, cooking chicken pieces to 74°C / 165°F with a digital thermometer, and general guidance on cooling, refrigerating and reheating leftovers. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/meat-poultry-fish-seafood-safety/poultry-safety.html
- FoodSafety.gov, "Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature." Using a food thermometer, 165°F / 74°C for chicken pieces, and reheating leftovers to 165°F / 74°C. https://www.foodsafety.gov//food-safety-charts//safe-minimum-internal-temperatures
