Dakgalbi

닭갈비

Spicy stir-fried chicken with rice cakes, cabbage and sweet potato — Chuncheon's table-grill export.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: 닭갈비.

0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.

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Measurement system
Prep
25 min
Cook
25 min
Total
50 min
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Hot
Cost
A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price
Source photograph of Dakgalbi. Not official I Want Some Food pixel artwork.
Photo: Fumikas Sagisavas via Wikimedia Commons. CC0. Source

About

Dakgalbi is a wide pan of chicken, cabbage, tteok and a gochujang sauce cooked until everything is stained red. In Chuncheon it is a table-top spectacle. At home it is one skillet and a lid. Add cheese at the end if you want the 2010s version. Either way, finish by frying leftover rice in the pan scrapings.

Ingredients

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

  1. Step 1

    Mix gochujang, gochugaru, soy, sugar, rice wine, garlic and sesame oil with the chicken. Marinate 15 minutes.

    15 min
  2. Step 2

    In a wide pan, cook chicken and onion 5 minutes. Add cabbage, sweet potato and tteok. Cover and cook, stirring, until the potato is tender and the sauce clings, 12–15 minutes.

    15 min
  3. Step 3

    Add spring onion. Melt cheese on top if using. Push everything aside, add leftover rice to the red oil, and fry it as a second course.

    6 min

    Tip: The fried rice is why people fight over the pan.

Adapt this recipe

The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.

Substitutions

  • Sweet potato Ordinary potato

    Less sweet, still correct enough.

Tips

  • Perilla leaves under the cheese are a Chuncheon flourish if you can find them.
  • If the pan dries, a splash of water — not more paste.

History & culture

Chuncheon is the pilgrimage city. Students and groups share one pan. The fried-rice encore is not optional if you did it right.

Mid-century chicken grill food that became a regional brand, then a national delivery category. Cheese is a later layer.

Regional variation — Chuncheon-style is the reference. Cheese is optional and popular.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Fumikas Sagisavas via Wikimedia Commons (CC0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chuncheon%20sizzling%20chicken%20(Dakgalbi).jpg

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.

How long does Dakgalbi take?

50 min all in — 25 min prep, 25 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 pans. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Hot.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Soy, Wheat, Sesame. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Frying pan, Dutch oven.

How much salt do I put in?

This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Gochujang — 3 tbsp; Soy sauce — 1 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.

How much gochujang?

3 tbsp of Gochujang.

How much gochugaru?

1 tbsp of Gochugaru.

How much soy sauce?

1 tbsp of Soy sauce.

How much sugar?

1 tbsp of Sugar.

How much toasted sesame oil?

1 tbsp of Toasted sesame oil.

What can I use instead?

Sweet potato → Ordinary potato. Less sweet, still correct enough.

Any tips from this recipe?

Perilla leaves under the cheese are a Chuncheon flourish if you can find them. If the pan dries, a splash of water — not more paste.

Can I prepare this ahead?

The fried rice is why people fight over the pan.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.

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