How To Make Korean Braised ChickenWith Drumsticks
By: John Lim
Tags: Asian Food, Jjimdak, Braised Chicken, Korean Food, Chicken Recipe

Jjimdak has been on my to-make list for some time now, so I’m really excited to share this recipe with you!

Jjimdak is a braised chicken dish that’s made by slowly simmering chicken in soy sauce, vegetables, and other nutritious ingredients. I love this dish as it’s super savory and garlicky at the same time.

What is jjimdak, and how was it made?

I learned about this dish after taking a trip to the ancient Korean city of Andong where Jjimdak was first created. According to the town’s folklore, jjimdak was created in the 80s as a response to the rapidly growing fried chicken franchises that were springing up in the city and around the country. As such, jjimdak was marketed as an alternative to fried chicken and focused on ingredients that were wholesome and healthy, not to mention traditional. Today, jjimdak is enjoyed for its energy-boosting ingredients and delicious taste. Koreans also believe that eating jjimdak can cure fatigue after a long day.

To be frank, I’ve never made a proper jjimdak before. The closest thing to a jjimdak that I’ve made is a quick and easy recipe that you can put together using a store bought jjimdak sauce. So, I did my due diligence and put this jjimdak recipe together. After a couple of trials and errors, I finally made a jjimdak recipe that I think is worth sharing. The best part is, it’s super simple and fast to make.

This jjimdak is great to make for up to 3 or 4 people. If you’re inviting more guests then I recommend adding an additional chicken leg or two, or three, possibly four. This dish is crazy addictive and will run out quickly so make sure to plan ahead when shopping for the ingredients.

If you’re ready to make some delicious jjimdak that’ll impress your friends and family, let’s get started.

Ingredients

Sauce

For the Jjimdak

2 potatoes

5 to 6 chicken drumsticks & 2 chicken breasts, cut

Roasted sesame seed for garnishing

1 carrot, chopped

Water, 1 cup

1 6, sliced (or spicy Korean pepper. Green or red pepper is fine)

Green onion 1/2 cup, chopped

Korean sweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon) 100g

Sauce

Directions

1. Prepping the ingredients

1. Wash the garlic in cold running water. Next, using the flat part of the knife, smash the garlic and chop them into smaller pieces.

2. Wash the potatoes and carrots in cold running water and cut them in half. Next, cut them so they have a 1-inch thickness.

3. Wash the chicken breast and legs in cold running water. Make sure to wash them thoroughly to get rid of any extra fat and blood. Next, cut the chicken breast into five pieces. After, cut them into 1-inch square pieces. Leave the chicken in a dish and cover it with saran wrap.

4. Put the glass noodles in a large bowl and fill it with water. This will allow the dried noodles to absorb the water and become elastic. We will put the noodles in the jjimdak towards the end.

2. Making the jjimdak sauce

1. In a small bowl, add 2/3 cup of dark soy sauce, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 tbsp of minced ginger, 2.5 tbsp of minced garlic, 3 tbsp of sesame oil, 1/4 cup of Korean cooking wine, and 1 cup of green onion. Mix the ingredients together using a spoon until the sugar is dissolved.

3. Making jjimdak

1. In a large pot, add in the chicken first.

2. Next, gently add in the sauce inside the pot. Use a rubber scraper to scrape out any remaining sugar left behind. After, bring the stove to a medium low heat and cook for 5 minutes. This will allow the chicken to cook while slowly absorbing the sauce’s flavors, making it extra juicy and tasty.

3. After 5 minutes, pour in 1 cup of water. Turn the stove to a medium high heat this time and cook for 10 minutes.

4. After 10 minutes, the water should be all but dissolved. Take this time to do a quick taste check and adjust the ingredients accordingly. If you find the sauce a little sweeter than your liking, add in 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce. If it’s saltier, do the same but with brown sugar. Once the taste check is done, add in the sliced potatoes and carrots. Close the pot with a lid and cook for another 10 minutes.

5. Optional: Wanna upgrade your jjimdak to the next level? Add a tablespoon of red wine right into the jjimdak. There’s just something about red wine that makes it a great addition to any chicken recipe. For this jjimdak recipe, the addition of red wine gives it a subtle smoky and dreamy flavor that was reminiscent of European dishes, and a nice deep red color that really helps the dish pop. This part is totally optional, but after having personally taste tested the jjimdak, I can say that it tasted out of this world.

4. Adding the final ingredients

1. Next, add in the glass noodles into the pot. Stir the glass noodles until it’s submerged with the rest of the ingredients. Next, add the sliced chili pepper into the pot and stir.

2. Finally, turn off the heat and let the jjimdak rest in the pot for 5 minutes with the lid on. This will allow the chicken to fully absorb all the ingredients and also allow the potatoes and carrots to soften. Once the time is up, take off the lid and garnish the jjimdak with sesame seeds. Serve immediately or store it in a tupperware. The jjimdak should be good to eat for up to 3 days if properly stored. Enjoy!

I hope you guys had fun making this dish. More importantly, I hope it was delicious to eat. If you like cooking Korean food, check out my other ingredients here!

Find the original recipe at: https://harueats.com/how-to-make-jjimdak-with-chicken-drumsticks/