You need to try this Dak Galbi (Stir Fry Spicy Chicken) if you love spicy and flavorful dishes. The marinated chicken is stir-fried with vegetables, rice cakes, and a flavorful gochujang sauce. The dish is so easy to prepare, all you have to do is add all the ingredients in the pan and your chicken is ready to be served with lettuce wraps or white rice.
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Dak Galbi Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this Dak Galbi recipe. The full ingredient list and quantities are in the recipe card, and substitutions are provided in the next section.
- Chicken: use skinless chicken thigh for the best result. Since the chicken is cooking for more than 15 minutes, the thigh still remains moist compared to chicken breast.
- Gochugaru: Korean red pepper flakes are different than red chili flakes. They are more fine and taste less spicy. They can be found at most Korean groceries like Hmart.
- Gochujang: Spicy korean fermented pepper paste tastes sweet with a hint of spice (depending the brand you buy). It can be purchased at your local Asian grocery store.
- Honey: This gives the sauce a nice thick texture as well as sweetness. To make it more sweet, you can add more honey or sugar.
- Soy sauce: Adds savoriness to the spicy sauce. I recommend to use low sodium to ensure that it’s not too salty.
- Aromatics – Garlic cloves, White Onion, Ginger: These are required to flavor the chicken and provide a sweet and fragrant flavor to the chicken.
- Curry powder: This ingredient is not common and when used in small quantities, the curry powder enhances the gochujang flavor.
- Cabbage: This is a mild vegetable and adds so much sweetness to the dish. The cabbage also soaks up the sauce, which makes the dish taste extra delicious.
- Potato: The potato soaks up the sauce and ensures that the dish is perfectly salted. I used yukon gold for it’s buttery texture, but you can use your potato of choice. I also leave the skin on.
- Rice cakes: chewy rice cakes cooked in the delicious chicken broth is a dream come true. If you can get fresh rice cakes, they will taste chewier compared to the frozen ones at the Korean store. If you’re a fan of rice cakes, don’t miss my Rose Tteokbokki (with Mala Sauce).
- Shredded mozzarella (optional but highly recommended) – creates a creamier sauce and the mildness of the cheese helps with the spice.
Substitutions and Variations
- Protein – If you want to change to pork or tofu, you may. This dish traditionally uses chicken. You can substitute with chicken breast if you want. Keep in mind it might not be as tender.
- Potatoes – yukon gold potatoes are recommended for this dish, but feel free to use sweet potatoes or add potato starch noodles to soak up the delicious spicy sauce.
- Vegetables – In addition to cabbage, you can add carrots, peppers and zucchini. The vegetables end up soaking up the sauce and it’s so delicious!
How to Make Dak Galbi
Step 1. Slice cabbage, white onion, potato, and green onions. Rinse rice cakes.
Step 2. Slice chicken thighs in 1 inch pieces.
Step 3. Make the marinade by mixing gochugaru, gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, onion, ginger, black pepper, and curry powder.
Step 4. Add chicken in the marinade and mix together.
Step 5. Heat large pan on medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add cabbage, white onion, and green onions.
Step 6. Then, add the marinated chicken on top. Cook for 3-5 minutes and mix together.
Step 7. Next, add your potatoes and rice cakes. Cook for 10 minutes and mix everything together. Then, add ¼ cup water and cook for 5 minutes until potatoes and rice cakes are cooked.
Step 8. Add shredded mozzarella and green onions. Cover the pan so it melts. Enjoy while warm with hot rice.
Expert Tips
- Cheese Addition: Adding shredded mozzarella helps to balance the spice, making it a great option if you want to tone down the heat.
- Lettuce Wraps: Serve with lettuce wraps for a fresh, crunchy contrast to the spicy chicken. You can also use perilla leaves for a traditional Korean taste.
- Make Fried Rice: Save leftovers to make a quick and flavorful fried rice with the leftover sauce and ingredients. See recipe in the Recipe FAQs below.
Recipe FAQs
If you have leftovers in the pan, you can make fried rice! Heat pan to medium heat. Then, add 1 cup of rice to the pan. Mix together and add roasted seaweed, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Mix in some kimchi too for a great acidic flavor contrast.
You can serve this with white rice, kimchi, lettuce wraps and roasted seaweed. If you want a full meal, eat with this delicious Sesame Salad with Hijiki, Easy Udon Noodle Soup or Kimchi Soup (Kimchi Jjigae).
More Delicious Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Yakitori (in Air Fryer or Oven) – Japanese chicken skewers are super easy to make and very flavorful
- One Pot Hainanese Chicken – fragrant chicken cooked in green onions and ginger made in a one pot rice
- Soy Garlic Korean Fried Chicken – crispy and flavorful chicken that is brushed with a sweet soy garlic sauce
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Dak Galbi (Stir Fry Spicy Chicken)
Ingredients
chicken marinade
- 1½ pound chicken skinless
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru (red pepper powder)
- 3 tablespoon gochujang (red pepper paste)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 8 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
chicken stir-fry
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup cabbage cubed
- 3 yukon gold potato or small potato of choice cubed
- ½ cup rice cakes
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella optional but recommended!
- 3 green onion sliced
Instructions
- Slice cabbage, white onion, potato, and green onions. Rinse rice cakes.
- Slice chicken thighs in 1 inch pieces.
- Make the marinade by mixing gochugaru, gochujang, honey, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, onion, ginger, black pepper, and curry powder. Add chicken in the marinade and mix together.
- Heat large pan on medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add cabbage, white onion, and green onions. Then, add the marinated chicken on top. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Next, add your potatoes and rice cakes. Cook for 10 minutes and mix everything together. Then, add ¼ cup water and cook for 5 minutes until potatoes and rice cakes are cooked.
- Add shredded mozzarella (optional) and green onions. Cover the pan so it melts. Enjoy while warm with hot rice.
Video
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Notes
- Cheese Addition: Adding shredded mozzarella helps to balance the spice, making it a great option if you want to tone down the heat.
- Lettuce Wraps: Serve with lettuce wraps for a fresh, crunchy contrast to the spicy chicken. You can also use perilla leaves for a traditional Korean taste.
- Make Fried Rice: Save leftovers to make a quick and flavorful fried rice with the leftover sauce and ingredients. See recipe in the Recipe FAQs below.
Christina says
Hi I absolutely loved this recipe. I’ve been trying to get into cooking more Korean food and exploring what I could cook and this was one of them. I will now be making this recipe weekly because I keep on getting cravings. This is a must try for me! 🙂